White House press secretary Jen Psaki sparred with New York Post reporter Steven Nelson Friday over Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings in Russia and China.
Nelson asked about President Joe Biden’s administration’s “conflicts of interest” in connection to reports alleging that his son’s firm received $3.5 million from Elena Baturina, the richest woman of Russia, in 2014.
“I don’t have any confirmation of the accuracy of that report, so I have no more further details,” Psaki said. Nelson followed up asking about the president’s “conflicts of interests” regarding imposing sanctions on Russia.
“What would be his conflicts of interests?” the press secretary asked.
“Well, the son’s company allegedly got $3.5 million,” Nelson continued. (RELATED: ‘He Doesn’t Work For The United States’: Psaki Deflects When Asked If She Stands By Calling Hunter Biden’s Laptop Disinformation)
“Which I have no confirmation of, and he’s continued to sanction oligarchs more than we’ve ever sanctioned in the past, so I’m not sure that’s a conflict of interest,” Psaki interrupted, then immediately attempted to move on.
“I think we’re moving on, because we’ve got to get more people,” she told Nelson as he began pressing her.
Nelson asked about a report that the president’s son divested money from a Chinese investment fund — of which he held a 10% stake — and why there has been “not even basic transparency” on details regarding the information. The press secretary replied that Biden’s son is a private citizen and referred Nelson to his representatives.
Nelson continued pressing her on the report as Psaki pointed to a different reporter.
“I think we’re done here,” she told him. “Thank you very much.”
In 2020, a Senate report revealed that U.S. banks flagged suspicious financial transactions between Biden’s firms and Russian and Chinese nationals that Republicans said indicated possible “criminal financial, counterintelligence and extortion concerns.” A court filing alleged that Biden, along with business partner Devon Archer, helped Baturina launder money through the U.S. financial system.
The report alleges that Baturina transferred $3.5 million to Biden and Archer’s company, Rosemont Seneca Thornton on Feb. 14, 2014. She sent an additional $241,797 to the company’s bank account from May-December 2015.
Biden’s firm also received payments from a Chinese businessman with reported ties to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and millions of dollars in wire payments from Ye Jianming, the founder of CEFC China Energy Co. and his U.S.-based associate, Gongwen Den.
In late October 2020, emails published by the New York Post from Biden’s laptop linked his father to overseas business dealings in China with Ukrainian energy company, Burisma. The Daily Caller News Foundation confirmed via forensic analysis that a company executive thanked Biden for introducing him to his father.