So less a "bribe" so much as "paying a criminal gang for 'protection.'"
That threatening text to the Chinese Communist "business partner" makes more sense now.
Burisma founder Mykola Zlochevsky, the Ukrainian oligarch who allegedly bribed Joe and Hunter Biden, was "coerced" into sending them money, according to an FBI FD-1023 form released Thursday by Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.
Zlochevsky and the confidential human source (CHS) allegedly participated in a phone call after the 2016 presidential election, in which Zlochevsky said he was "pushed to pay" the Bidens and did not want to send the money, according to the form.
"CHS asked Zlochevsky whether he was concerned about Burisma's involvement with the Bidens. Zlochevsky stated he didn't want to pay the Bidens and he was 'pushed to pay' them," the FD-1023 form reads.
"(CHS explained the Russian term Zlochevsky used to explain the payments was 'poluchili' (transliterated by the CHS), which literally translates to 'got it' or 'received it,' but is also used in Russian-criminal-slang for being 'forced or coerced to pay'," the form continues.
"CHS then stated, 'l hope you have some back-up (proof) for your words (namely, that Zlochevsky was 'forced' to pay the Bidens). Zlochevsky replied he has many text messages and 'recordings' that show that he was coerced to make such payments," the form adds.
"Zlochevsky asked whether it would make any (legal) difference whether he voluntarily made such payments, or if he was 'forced' to make them," the form continues.
The Ukrainian oligarch said he had a total of "17 recordings" involving the Bidens including two featuring Joe Biden, according to the form. The other 15 recordings allegedly only feature Hunter Biden, who served on Burisma's board beginning in April 2014 until he left the position in 2019.
The report actually specifies that the payments were made to "protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems."
So it was a protection racket.
In addition, Joe Biden took care of that prosecutor who was investigating Burisma -- and holding up an IPO (initial public offering of stock in the company) which would make the company, and the Bidens, a lot of money.
CHS was made aware of Hunter Biden's position on the Burisma board of directors during the initial meeting, where he was told Hunter Biden was hired to "protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems," while Joe Biden was serving as vice president, according to the FBI form. Burisma wanted additional assistance with the U.S. acquisition because they did not believe Hunter Biden was smart, the FBI form continues.
At the Austria meeting, the CHS allegedly told Burisma it would be difficult for the IPO to take place while then-Ukrainian Prosecutor General (PGO) Viktor Shokin was investigating the firm. Zlochevsky told the source, "Hunter will take care of all of those issues through his dad," according to the FBI form.
Joe Biden publicly advocated for Shokin's dismissal and bragged to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in March 2016 about using a $1 billion loan guarantee as leverage to get Shokin fired. Biden made similar comments about Shokin being fired at a CFR event in January 2018, when Biden was out of office.
The report also specifies that Zlochevsky was to send money to people who would take the money on behalf of "The Big Guy," to hide the source of the money.
Money-laundering, then.
The CHS and Zlochevsky did not speak again until a 2019 telephone call when he was meeting in London with Ostapenko about business matters unrelated to Burisma, according to the FBI form. Ostapenko called Zlochevsky and the Ukrainian oligarch told the CHS how he would conceal his alleged payments to the Bidens, the form continues.
"Zlochevsky responded he did not send any funds directly to the 'Big Guy' (which CHS understood was a reference to Joe Biden). CHS asked Zlochevsky how many companies/bank accounts Zlochevsky controls; Zlochevsky responded it would take them (investigators) 10 years to find the records (i.e. illicit payments to Joe Biden)," the FBI form reads.
The CHS suggests that Burisma kept Hunter Biden on the board to make the problem of the prosecutor investigating them "go away."
President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden "both" told the CEO of Burisma to retain the president's son at the Ukrainian energy company, an FBI confidential source said in a report alleging a pay-to-play scheme by the Biden family.
...
A confidential human source (CHS) alleged that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden told Zlochevsky to retain the president's on at Burisma, despite CHS' advice, the document says.
The form reads, "CHS inquired whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he should retain Hunter Biden; Zlochevsky replied, 'They both did.' CHS reiterated CHS's opinion that Zlochevsky was making a mistake and he should fire Hunter Biden and deal with Shokin's investigation directly so that the matter will remain an issue in Ukraine, and not turn into some international matter. Zlochevsky responded something to the effect of, 'Don't worry, this thing will go away anyway.'"
The allegation made by the confidential human source runs counter to the president's claim that he has never spoken about his son's business dealings.