Convicted FBI agent tipped off Hunter Biden-linked Chinese company about criminal investigation
A disgraced FBI official tipped off a Chinese company about a criminal investigation while Hunter Biden was pursuing lucrative deals with the CCP-linked business.
By Jerry Dunleavy
The since-convicted FBI official who led counterintelligence efforts in New York leaked information to an affiliate of a Chinese company which was linked to Hunter Biden's business efforts, according to a DOJ watchdog who concluded the leak tipped the Chinese conglomerate off about the bureau's criminal investigation.
Charles McGonigal, the former special-agent-in-charge of the FBI Counterintelligence Division in New York, leaked information to "Person B" -- an unnamed businessman who worked for the Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC -- even as the FBI was secretly investigating the Chinese company, according to the new report by Acting DOJ Inspector General William M. Blier.
McGonigal, who was sentenced in December 2023 for money laundering related to a Russian oligarch and in February 2024 for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from an Albanian government official, met with prosecutors in November 2023 and "acknowledged during the proffer interview that he shared information with Person B about the CEFC investigation and anticipated arrests arising from it."
Another straight-shooting ham-and-egger.
The DOJ watchdog said that "Person B was a consultant to foreign governments and businesses on international investments, and, in addition to his work for CEFC China, Person B was a non-governmental advisor to the Prime Minister of Albania."
In short, he warned "Person B," who was a consultant to CEFC, about the FBI investigation into them, which permitted them to take steps to cover up their crimes.
And CEFC was at this time shoveling money to Hunter Biden with 10% reserved for "The Big Guy."
The watchdog report assessed that "although the full extent of the harm from McGonigal's leaks of sensitive investigative information to foreign subjects and targets will likely never be fully known, we determined that the impact of McGonigal's conduct on the CEFC investigation, a significant FBI criminal investigation, was substantial."
President Joe Biden's son held a lucrative position on the board of Ukrainian energy giant Burisma when his father was vice president. He also pursued business deals in China and elsewhere during and after his father's tenure and received millions from Chinese government-linked entities. He raked in millions thanks to these associations from 2013 to 2018.
CEFC was a multibillion-dollar Chinese conglomerate founded by Ye Jianming, a Chinese Communist Party-linked business tycoon who subsequently disappeared in China but with whom Hunter Biden had attempted to work out numerous deals. Chinese state-run media named Ye in an alleged corruption case in 2018, and China allowed CEFC to go bankrupt.
Hunter Biden and his associated businesses are also believed to have received $5 million or more in payments from CEFC in 2017 and 2018, and Ye Jianming's deputy, Patrick Ho, also agreed to pay Hunter Biden a $1 million legal retainer after Ho was eventually arrested. Ho agreed to the $1 million retainer with Hunter Biden for "counsel to matters related to U.S. law and advice pertaining to the hiring and legal analysis of any U.S. law firm or lawyer," according to an "attorney engagement letter" located on Hunter Biden's laptop hard drive.
The first call Ho reportedly made after his arrest in late 2017 was to Joe Biden's brother, James, who has said he thought the call was meant for Hunter. Ho had tried reaching out for help because Hunter Biden agreed to represent him as part of his efforts to work out a liquefied natural gas deal worth tens of millions of dollars.
Hunter referred to Ho as "the fucking spy chief of China" in a May 11, 2018, voice recording.
Ho was sentenced to three years in prison in March 2019 for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He was deported to Hong Kong in June 2021 after serving his sentence. It was later revealed that the Justice Department had likely obtained Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant against Ho. Republicans accused now-former Attorney General Merrick Garland of not being forthcoming about the apparent FISA against Ho.
The DOJ watchdog said "McGonigal eventually admitted he disclosed to Person B that the FBI planned to arrest individuals associated with CEFC."
The article goes on to note that Joe Biden gave his son a complete pardon for all crimes he committed during a specific 11-year period.
How are you? I'm feeling energetic. Fasting is really good for your sleep.
Any plans for the weekend?
BTW, did anyone see Jaws in the theaters last weekend? It was the #2 movie in America, I think. I wanted to see it but also wanted to be lazy so instead of doing something I did nothing, as usual.