Sparks Fly When Dan Goldman Grills Ex-Hunter Biden Partner Tony Bobulinski About 'Big Guy' Email

Forbes Breaking News
20 Mar 202405:41

Summary

TLDRIn a hearing, Mr. Goldman questions a witness about the involvement of Joe Biden in a business venture related to Onida Holdings and Hunter Biden. The witness clarifies the business structure of coh hawk Holdings, LLC, and the 50% ownership on the American side attributed to the Bidens. Despite the witness's claim of having substantial evidence, the discussion around a text message and an email suggesting a 'big guy' reference does not conclusively link Joe Biden's involvement. The witness's account contrasts with public statements made by James Giller, who denies the former vice president's involvement in the business discussions.

Takeaways

  • 🕒 The questioning is time-sensitive, with only 5 minutes allocated for Mr. Goldman's inquiry.
  • 🧐 Mr. Balinsky's testimony involves Joe Biden's alleged involvement in a business venture related to Onida Holdings and Hunter Biden.
  • 💼 Onida Holdings is a business venture in which Mr. Balinsky and the Bidens are implicated, with Onida Holdings LLC and Coh Hawk Holdings LLC owning 50% stakes.
  • 🤝 The partnership was documented and involved five partners, including Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, Rob Walker, James Gilear, and Mr. Balinsky, each with a 20% stake.
  • 📜 The final signed documents confirm that the LLCs of the five partners owned the shares, not the individuals directly.
  • 🕵️‍♂️ There is uncertainty regarding whether Joe Biden or an LLC related to him was involved in the ownership structure.
  • 📅 The agreement in question was signed on May 22, 2017, when Mike Pence was Vice President and Donald Trump was President.
  • 🗣️ Mr. Balinsky first met Hunter Biden in early 2017, with significant interactions occurring in May of that year, around the same time as meetings with Joe Biden.
  • 📱 A text message from James Gilear to Mr. Balinsky on May 11, 2017, suggests involving Joe Biden in the business deal.
  • 📧 An email sent by James Gilear proposed a division of the company, including a 10% share for 'the big guy,' an ambiguous reference.
  • 🔍 Hunter Biden's claim that he did not respond to the 'big guy' email is contested, as there were responses to the email.
  • 🚫 Despite the claims of involvement, James Gilear has stated that former Vice President Joe Biden was not involved in the 2017 discussions or the business structure.

Q & A

  • What is the business venture that Mr. Balinsky is referring to involving the Bidens?

    -The business venture referred to is related to the company Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings, LLC, where Onida Holdings and Hunter Biden are involved.

  • How many partners were there in Onida Holdings, and what percentage of ownership did each partner have?

    -There were five partners in Onida Holdings, with each partner owning 20% of the company.

  • Is it correct that Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings, LLC own 50% of the business venture?

    -Yes, that is correct. Onida Holdings was the 50% on the American side of the coh hawk deal.

  • Who were the five partners in Onida Holdings?

    -The five partners were Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, Rob Walker, James Gilear, and Mr. Balinsky.

  • Did any of the partners own their LLCs individually, or were they owned collectively?

    -The partners' LLCs owned the shares, not the individuals themselves.

  • Is there any direct evidence that Joe Biden was involved in the business venture?

    -Mr. Balinsky stated that he doesn't know if Joe Biden owned any of the LLCs related to Jim or Hunter Biden, leaving the involvement of Joe Biden uncertain.

  • When was the agreement involving Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings, LLC signed?

    -The agreement was signed on May 22nd, 2017.

  • Who was the Vice President and the President of the United States on May 22nd, 2017?

    -Mike Pence was the Vice President, and Donald Trump was the President.

  • When did Mr. Balinsky first meet Hunter Biden?

    -Mr. Balinsky first met Hunter Biden in early 2017, with an extensive meeting in early May 2017.

  • What was the content of the text message between James Gillard and Mr. Balinsky dated May 11th, 2017?

    -The text message discussed setting up the company and getting Joe involved, implying Joe Biden's involvement in the business venture.

  • What was the response to the email that suggested a division of the company, including a 10% share for 'the big guy'?

    -Hunter Biden responded to the email, contradicting his previous claim that he didn't respond to it.

  • What did James Gilear say to the Wall Street Journal regarding Joe Biden's involvement?

    -James Gilear stated that he would like to clear up any speculation that former Vice President Joe Biden was involved with the 2017 discussions about their potential business structure, and that he was unaware of any involvement at any time.

Outlines

00:00

🕵️‍♂️ Inquiry into Business Ventures and Biden Involvement

The first paragraph involves a questioning session where Mr. Goldman is pressed for details about his business venture with the Bidens, specifically focusing on Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings LLC. The questioning delves into the structure of the partnership, the involvement of Joe Biden, and the equity distribution among five partners, including Hunter Biden. It also touches on the timing of the agreement, which was signed on May 22, 2017, and the claim of 'mountains of irrefutable evidence' regarding Joe Biden's involvement. The paragraph highlights a text message and an email suggesting a division of the company with a 'big guy' reference, implying Joe Biden's involvement.

05:02

🗣️ Public Denial of Biden's Involvement in Business

The second paragraph features a statement aimed at clarifying speculations about the former vice president's involvement in the 2017 business discussions. It emphasizes that there is no evidence of Joe Biden's participation, and the project in question never materialized. The statement also mentions that the agreement was eventually signed without Joe Biden's involvement, suggesting that the desire for his involvement led to a fallout with Hunter Biden. The paragraph concludes with a reference to Mr. Know Better Chairman's time expiring and the recognition of Mr. Higgins for further questioning.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Onida Holdings

Onida Holdings is a business venture mentioned in the transcript, which is central to the discussion about the involvement of Joe Biden and his family in corporate dealings. It is noted that Onida Holdings, along with coh hawk Holdings LLC, is involved in a 50-50 partnership, with the American side of the deal being represented by Onida Holdings. This keyword is crucial to understanding the allegations and the structure of the business arrangement in question.

💡Joe Biden

Joe Biden is the central figure of interest in this transcript, as the discussion revolves around his alleged involvement in the business venture with Onida Holdings. The keyword is significant because it relates to the integrity and conduct of a high-profile political figure, with implications for his public image and potential legal ramifications.

💡Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden is a key individual in the narrative, being one of the partners in Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings LLC. His involvement is significant due to his familial connection to Joe Biden and the potential influence this may have had on the business dealings. The keyword is essential for understanding the scope of the allegations and the extent of the Biden family's involvement in the venture.

💡James Giller

James Giller is one of the five partners in Onida Holdings and is involved in the email exchange that is being scrutinized in the transcript. His role is important as it provides insight into the communication and agreements among the partners, which is central to the allegations being discussed.

💡LLC

LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a legal structure used by the partners in Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings LLC. Understanding this term is crucial as it defines the corporate form of the business venture and the liability protection it offers to the owners. The keyword is used to clarify the ownership structure and the nature of the business arrangement.

💡Business Venture

The business venture refers to the collaborative commercial endeavor involving Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings LLC. This keyword encapsulates the core subject of the transcript, which is the exploration of the business deal's legitimacy, the involvement of political figures, and the potential ethical implications.

💡Text Message

The text message is a piece of evidence mentioned in the transcript that is dated May 11th, 2017, between James Giller and the speaker. It is significant as it is one of the documents provided to the committee as part of the evidence supporting the allegations against Joe Biden. The keyword is important for understanding the nature of the communications between the partners and the potential implications of these communications.

💡Big Guy

The term 'big guy' is a reference used in an email mentioned in the transcript, which is implied to refer to Joe Biden. This keyword is significant as it is part of the contentious evidence being discussed, with the interpretation of the term being a point of contention between the parties involved.

💡May 22nd, 2017

May 22nd, 2017 is the date when the agreement in question was signed. This keyword is crucial as it provides a timeline for the events being discussed, specifically the signing of the business agreement that is central to the allegations and the testimonial.

💡Bar 45 Minutes

Bar 45 Minutes refers to a meeting that the speaker had with Joe Biden, which is a key event in the allegations being discussed. This keyword is important as it denotes a specific instance where the speaker claims to have discussed the Chinese business venture with Joe Biden, which is central to the investigation and the testimonial.

💡Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is mentioned in the context of a statement made by James Giller to the publication, where he denies any involvement of the former vice president in the business discussions. This keyword is significant as it introduces an external source that provides a different perspective on the events in question, adding another layer to the narrative.

Highlights

The discussion revolves around a business venture involving Onida Holdings and the Bidens.

The witness, Mr. Balinsky, is questioned about Joe Biden's involvement in the business venture.

Onida Holdings and coh hawk Holdings, LLC were part of a 50-50 partnership.

The American side of the coh Hawk deal was represented by Onida Holdings.

James Giller, Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, Rob Walker, and the witness each owned 20% of Onida Holdings through their LLCs.

The final signed documents showed equal 20% shares among the five partners.

The agreement was signed on May 22nd, 2017, when Mike Pence was Vice President and Donald Trump was President.

The witness first met Hunter Biden in early 2017, with extensive interaction in May 2017.

The witness had two meetings with Joe Biden around the same time he met Hunter Biden.

The witness claims to have mountains of irrefutable evidence supporting Joe Biden's involvement.

A text message from May 11th, 2017, suggests getting Joe involved in the business.

An email from James Giller proposed a division of the company, including 10% for 'the big guy'.

Hunter Biden responded to the email, contrary to his claim of not responding.

The 'big guy' reference in the email was not directly responded to, implying everyone knew it referred to Joe Biden.

James Giller later clarified to the Wall Street Journal that Joe Biden was not involved in the 2017 discussions.

The agreement was eventually signed without Joe Biden's involvement.

Hunter Biden allegedly ended his association with the witness after the disagreement over Joe Biden's involvement.

The witness's claims of Joe Biden's involvement are contested, with evidence presented from both sides.

Transcripts

00:00

gentlemen time's expired chair now

00:02

recognize Mr Goldman for 5

00:08

minutes thank you Mr chairman um we only

00:12

I only have five minutes Mr balinsky so

00:14

I'm going to try to move quickly and I'd

00:15

appreciate if you just answer the

00:17

questions you testified that uh Joe

00:20

Biden was involved in your business

00:21

venture related to uh Onida Holdings and

00:25

Hunter Biden so I want to drill down on

00:27

the Crux of what your testimony is Onida

00:30

Holdings is the business venture that

00:32

you are referring to

00:35

correct when I'm referring to what can

00:38

you any business you did with the bidens

00:41

uh my reference is the coh hawk Holdings

00:43

uh LLC and onid Holdings LLC own 50% of

00:47

that right and Onida Holdings was the

00:51

50% uh that was on the American side of

00:54

that coh Hawk deal

00:57

right it was the 50% that was the Biden

01:00

side of it some of the you know James

01:02

Giller year is not an American so sorry

01:04

fair enough um and it was a a joint

01:07

partnership memorialized in a

01:11

incorporating document correct and it

01:13

had equal shares divided among five

01:15

Partners is that right well I can't are

01:19

you asking me about what you're holding

01:20

up because you're you're sir was it an

01:23

equal were there equal 20% shares among

01:25

five Partners in in what onid Holdings

01:28

in the final signed documents yes is

01:30

that what you're asking me yes it is not

01:33

complicated well it is cuz um you're

01:35

just filibustering now the answer is

01:37

you're filibustering I get it that there

01:40

were five Partners Hunter Biden Jim

01:42

Biden Rob Walker James gilear and you

01:46

each owned

01:48

20% do you well they didn't each own

01:50

their llc's owned it which is a material

01:52

do you see uh Joe Biden or an LLC

01:55

related to Joe Biden on this I don't

01:57

know if Joe Biden owned any of Jim Biden

01:59

zel C or Hunter Biden LLC I'll leave

02:02

that up to the committee okay and do you

02:03

know when this agreement was entered

02:06

into um the poster board that you're

02:09

holding up or the actual legal document

02:11

that was signed the agreement

02:13

sir we the agreement the agreement was

02:17

signed May 22nd

02:19

2017 who was the vice president then

02:23

uh May 22nd you said I think it was Mike

02:27

Pence and who was the president uh

02:29

Donald Trump okay and when did you first

02:31

meet Hunter Biden I first met Hunter

02:34

Biden in early 2017

02:37

when when in 2017 a day or month uh I

02:43

believe I briefly met him in New York

02:45

but I spent the the first meeting I had

02:48

extensive time with him was in uh early

02:49

May 2017 and that was around the same

02:52

time that you had those two meetings

02:53

with Joe Biden right it was but prior to

02:55

that I had numerous

02:57

discuss I had lawyers

03:01

can I please reclaim my time sir as I

03:02

said we have to move quickly here um

03:06

unfortunately you in your testimony

03:07

earlier today one of my colleagues asked

03:10

you about that meeting at the bar 45

03:12

minutes to 60 Minutes um and you were

03:15

also asked about that in your

03:16

transcribed interview and in neither of

03:18

your answers did you mention any

03:20

discussion that you had at that meeting

03:22

with Joe Biden about the Chinese

03:24

business venture yet in grandiose terms

03:27

here today you have declared that Joe

03:30

Biden was involved and that you have

03:32

mountains of irrefutable evidence to

03:34

support it so let's look at the

03:36

mountains of irrefutable evidence you

03:39

provided the committee with a screenshot

03:41

of a text message that uh is between

03:43

James Gillard and you dated May 11th

03:48

2017 you see this I don't know if you

03:51

can see it's if you can't see it's a

03:53

just you and James gilear though right

03:55

you remember this text message I'm sure

03:57

uh generally yes all right and in it our

04:00

rights man you are right let's get the

04:02

company set up then tell hent family the

04:04

high stakes and get Joe involved and two

04:08

days later Mr gilear sent an email to

04:10

you C seeing Rob Walker and Hunter Biden

04:13

in which he suggested a division of the

04:16

company and included a proposal of quote

04:19

10% held by H for the big guy question

04:22

mark you remember that right the

04:24

infamous email with the big guy yes I do

04:27

um did anyone ever respond to that email

04:30

yes they did numerous times Hunter

04:32

himself excuse me you're right well

04:34

that's important because Hunter B has

04:36

claim that he didn't respond to it and

04:38

he responded to it you're just going to

04:40

filibuster I reclaim my time that's

04:41

running out but I will say no one

04:44

responded to the big guy reference for1

04:47

thank you for making my point they

04:49

didn't have to respond because they all

04:51

knew the big guy was Jo iclaim my time

04:52

Mr chairman please control the witness I

04:55

would like to say I would like to uh get

04:57

a little extra time Mr chairman because

04:59

I want to read what Mr gilear said to

05:01

the Wall Street Journal quote I would

05:04

like to clear up any speculation that

05:05

former vice president was involved with

05:07

the 2017 discussions about our potential

05:10

business structure I am unaware of any

05:12

involvement at any time of the former

05:15

vice president the activity in question

05:17

never delivered and project Revenue N9

05:20

days later the agreement without Joe

05:22

Biden was signed you and James gilear

05:25

Wanted Joe Biden involved and that is

05:27

why Hunter Biden dumped you and did the

05:29

business BL Li Mr Know Better Chairman's

05:32

times

05:34

expired chair now recognizes Mr Higgins

05:37

from Louisiana for five minutes thank

05:39

you Mr chairman Mr Bob Alinsky