EDITOR’S NOTE, February 16, 2024: On February 15, Justice Department Counsel David Weiss indicted FBI informant Alexander Smirnov on two felony counts of making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record for claims made to the bureau. The charges are in relation to June 2020 FD-1023 form alleging President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden received a combined $10 million in a bribery scheme involving the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
During a Tuesday morning press briefing on the sidelines of the NATO conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, the New York Post’s Steven Nelson broke from the press corps’s focus on NATO and the war in Ukraine to question National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on a new twist in the Biden family’s business dealings with a Chinese state-affiliated energy company and a report alleging collusion between the FBI, Ukrainian intelligence, and Big Tech.
Sullivan led with the finding about social media censorship alleged by the House Judiciary Committee:
[T]here’s a new House Judiciary Committee report that says the FBI partnered with a Ukrainian intelligence agency to assess disinformation and censor U.S. social media accounts. Apparently, some accounts of journalists and even one of the State Department were wrapped up in this initiative. What are you able to tell us about the initiative and especially the White House and NSC involvements?
The longtime Biden confidante expressed befuddlement by saying he hadn’t “seen that,” but otherwise issued a strong denial: “All I will tell you is that the United States and the Biden administration strongly support press freedom, media freedom, and would support no steps that would be taken to undermine that.”
Here’s more on the House report from Nelson’s Post colleague Victor Nava (click “expand”):
The FBI colluded with a Ukrainian intelligence agency to pressure social media companies into taking down accounts accused of spreading Russian disinformation — some of which belonged to Americans, a House committee said.
The report issued by the House Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government on Monday was part of the Republican-controlled committees’ probe into the federal government’s role in censoring speech on social media platforms.
The report is based on documents subpoenaed from Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – and Alphabet – the parent company of Google and YouTube – in February.
(....)
The committees found that following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) enlisted the FBI in support of an effort to combat the spread of “Russian disinformation” on social media.
As part of the effort, the SBU transmitted lists of social media accounts to the FBI that it wanted to be banned and the bureau, in turn, “routinely relayed these lists to the relevant social media platforms.”
Nelson pivoted to the Biden family and CEFC, the infamous Chinese energy company that came to light due in large part to former Biden family business partner Tony Bobulinski.
Nelson wanted to know whether the White House had any comment about possible legal peril for President Biden’s brother Jim and son Hunter given a different man who had been in business with CEFC was indicted Monday by federal prosecutors:
[Y]esterday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted a man Gal Luft for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by working without registration for a company called CEFC China Energy. The President’s son and brother worked for the same firm without registration and the President was invoked in that infamous shakedown text message preceding the transfer of $5 million to the Biden family. The President allegedly met with their business partners, was penciled in for a five — or a 10 percent cut, excuse me, and was listed on a — as a pres — participant on a call about an attempt to buy U.S. natural gas by CEFC. What’s the White House’s take on the potential FARA viability [sic] — FARA liability for the First Family and the President here?
Not surprisingly, Sullivan played dumb before moving to the next reporter: “I’ve not seen that and can’t comment on it.”
Later in the briefing, one reporter tried to ask Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if there was any update in the probe for who brought cocaine into the White House. Unfortunately, Jean-Pierre did what she usually does, which was deflect (and specifically to Secret Service).
To see the relevant transcript from the gaggle on July 11, click “expand.”
White House press gaggle [in Vilnius, Lithuania]
July 11, 2023STEVEN NELSON: I’ve got a question for you about Ukraine and then one about China. On Ukraine, there’s a new House Judiciary Committee report that says the FBI partnered with a Ukrainian intelligence agency to assess disinformation and censor U.S. social media accounts. Apparently, some accounts of journalists and even one of the State Department were wrapped up in this initiative. What are you able to tell us about the initiative and especially the White House and NSC involvements?
JAKE SULLIVAN: I have not seen that report. All I will tell you is that the United States and the Biden administration strongly support press freedom, media freedom, and would support no steps that would be taken to undermine that.
NELSON: Then on China, yesterday, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York indicted a man Gal Luft for violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by working without registration for a company called CEFC China Energy. The President’s son and brother worked for the same firm without registration and the President was invoked in that infamous shakedown text message preceding the transfer of $5 million to the Biden family. The President allegedly met with their business partners, was penciled in for a five — or a 10 percent cut, excuse me, and was listed on a — as a pres — participant on a call about an attempt to buy U.S. natural gas by CEFC. What’s the White House’s take on the potential FARA viability [sic] — FARA liability for the First Family and the President here?
SULLIVAN: I’ve not seen that and can’t comment on it.
(....)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: And do you have any update on the investigation into the cocaine at the White House? Has Secret Service indicated if they’re closer to [INAUDIBLE] —
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I don’t have any updates. As you know — as you just mentioned, Secret Service — it’s under their purview. They’re certainly investigating the situation. I just don’t have anything updated. I would — I would refer you to the Secret Service on that particular question.
