Hunter Biden Burisma and Corruption. The Impact on U.S. Policy and Related Concerns. The U.S. Senate Investigation

"The Ukraine authorities guaranteed some business positions to the Vice President and Family." Read how the Biden family became multi-millionaires with Joe Biden's help. What the Chairmen discovered during the course of this investigation is that the Obamaadministration knew that Hunter Biden's position on Burisma's board was problematic and didinterfere in the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine. Moreover, this investigation has illustrated the extent to which officials within the Obama administrationignored the glaring warning signs when the vice president's son joined the board of a companyowned by a corrupt Ukrainian oligarch. And, as will be discussed in later sections, Hunter Bidenwas not the only Biden who cashed in on Joe Biden's vice presidency.This report not only details examples of extensive and complex financial transactionsinvolving the Bidens, it also describes the quandary other U.S. governmental officials faced asthey attempted to guide and support Ukraine's anticorruption efforts. The Committees willcontinue to evaluate the information and evidence as it becomes available.Just a few Key Findings In early 2015 the former Acting Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, George Kent, raised concerns to officials in Vice President Joe Biden's officeabout the perception of a conflict of interest with respect to Hunter Biden's role onBurisma's board. Kent's concerns went unaddressed, and in September 2016, heemphasized in an email to his colleagues, "Furthermore, the presence of Hunter Bidenon the Burisma board was very awkward for all U.S. officials pushing ananticorruption agenda in Ukraine." In October 2015, senior State Department official Amos Hochstein raised concerns withVice President Biden, as well as with Hunter Biden, that Hunter Biden's position onBurisma's board enabled Russian disinformation efforts and risked undermining U.S.policy in Ukraine. Although Kent believed that Hunter Biden's role on Burisma's board was awkward forall U.S. officials pushing an anti-corruption agenda in Ukraine, the Committees are onlyaware of two individuals - Kent and former U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator forInternational Energy Affairs Amos Hochstein - who raised concerns to Vice PresidentJoe Biden (Hochstein) or his staff (Kent). The awkwardness for Obama administration officials continued well past his presidency.Former Secretary of State John Kerry had knowledge of Hunter Biden's role onBurisma's board, but when asked about it at a town hall event in Nashua, N.H. on Dec. 8,2019, Kerry falsely said, "I had no knowledge about any of that. None. No." Evidenceto the contrary is detailed in Section V. Former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Victoria Nulandtestified that confronting oligarchs would send an anticorruption message in Ukraine.Kent told the Committees that Zlochevsky was an "odious oligarch." However, inDecember 2015, instead of following U.S. objectives of confronting oligarchs, VicePresident Biden's staff advised him to avoid commenting on Zlochevsky andrecommended he say, "I'm not going to get into naming names or accusing individuals." Hunter Biden was serving on Burisma's board (supposedly consulting on corporategovernance and transparency) when Zlochevsky allegedly paid a $7 million bribe toofficials serving under Ukraine's prosecutor general, Vitaly Yarema, to "shut the caseagainst Zlochevsky." Kent testified that this bribe occurred in December 2014 (sevenmonths after Hunter joined Burisma's board), and, after learning about it, he and theResident Legal Advisor reported this allegat