Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki Wednesday on President Joe Biden’s history with his son Hunter Biden’s business partners.
Reports circulated Tuesday that Biden wrote a college recommendation for the son of Chinese executive Jonathon Li in 2017, who serves as CEO of the oil company BHR. Doocy began by asking if it was common for the president “do favors” for his business partners.
“I’ve seen the report, I have no confirmation or comment on a report about whether or not the president, when he was a private citizen, wrote a college recommendation letter for an individual,” Psaki said.
“A college recommendation letter, though, from at that time a former vice president, would be a big deal. So, do we know what the president might have gotten in return for doing a favor like that?” Doocy pressed.
The press secretary reiterated she had no confirmation of any recommendation letter and pointed out that the president was not serving in public office at the time the alleged letter was written. (RELATED: Psaki Dodges Doocy’s Questions On Hunter Biden’s Business Dealings)
“But he’s the president now, and you’re his spokesperson,” Doocy continued. Psaki again said Biden was not the president at the time.
Doocy then pointed to reports that the president was office mates with his son and his brother, James Biden, in Washington, D.C.
“That’s not accurate,” the press secretary responded.
“So, when Hunter Biden is emailing a landlord, ‘Please have keys made available for new office mates: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Jim Biden,’ you’re disputing—”
“They were not office mates, no,” she interjected.
In September 2017, Hunter Biden requested that keys be made for his father, stepmother, and uncle to the general manager, Cecilia Browning, at the House of Sweden building located in Washington, D.C., according to emails obtained by Fox News. The president’s son also requested keys to be made for Gongwen Dong, an “emissary” to Ye Jianming, the chairman of CEFC Chinese Energy Co.
In the email, Hunter provided his father and uncle’s phone numbers and urged staff to call them, the outlet reported. Employers at the building said Hunter’s firm, Rosemont Seneca Thornton, rented out space on the property.