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Grassley Received Classified Briefing on Acquisition By Chinese Firm Tied to Hunter Biden

Senate investigators in late October intensified their scrutiny of an acquisition by a Chinese firm ..

Senate investigators in late October intensified their scrutiny of an acquisition by a Chinese firm tied to Hunter Biden of an American manufacturer of anti-vibration technologies with military applications.

Investigations and oversight staff from the office of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley received an “extensive, classified briefing” on Oct. 25 from the Treasury and Commerce departments and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to Grassleys office.

“Chairman Grassley intends to review additional material and will contact the agencies with follow-up questions in the coming weeks,” Michael Zona, the communications director for Grassleys office, said in a statement on Oct. 25.

Sen. Grassley (R-Iowa) first raised concerns about the acquisition of Henniges, an American manufacturer of anti-vibration technologies, in mid-August. The Obama administrations Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) approved the acquisition despite a number of red flags and potential conflicts of interest.

One of the firms that acquired Henniges is Bohai Harvest RST, which was formed in November 2013 through a merger of a Chinese Communist Party-linked firm, Bohai Capital, and a company named Rosemont Seneca Partners. Hunter Biden, the son of then-Vice President Joe Biden, and Chris Heinz, the stepson of former Secretary of State John Kerry, reportedly formed Rosemont Seneca Partners in 2009.

“The direct involvement of Mr. Hunter Biden and Mr. Heinz in the acquisition of Henniges by the Chinese government creates a potential conflict of interest. Both are directly related to high-ranking Obama administration officials. The Department of State, then under Mr. Kerrys leadership, is also a CFIUS member and played a direct role in the decision to approve the Henniges transaction,” Grassley wrote in an Aug. 14 letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

“The appearance of potential conflicts in this case is particularly troubling given Mr. Bidens and Mr. Heinzs history of investing in and collaborating with Chinese companies, including at least one posing significant national security concerns. This history with China pre and post-dates the 2015 Henniges transaction.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley at the Capitol in Washington
Sen. Chuck Grassley at the Capitol in Washington
Sen. Chuck Grassley at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 4, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

A partnership between a Chinese Communist Party-owned aviation company and an investment firm with ties to the Party acquired Henniges.

Grassley previously raised concerns about several red flags and potential conflicts of interest.

In an early example, Hunter Biden and his father, Joe Biden, flew to China in December 2013, one month after the merger involving the Hunter Biden-founded firm that created Bohai Harvest RST. During the trip, Hunter Biden helped arrange a meeting between Jonathan Li, the CEO of Bohai Capital, and then-Vice President Biden. Hunter Biden then had a private meeting with Li. After the trip, the business license of Bohai Harvest RST was approved by China.

A year later, in December 2014, Bohai Harvest RST invested in China General Nuclear Power Corp, according to Grassleys letter. Roughly five months later, the Department of Justice charged China General Nuclear Power with conspiracy to develop special nuclear material outside the United States.

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