According to DailyMail, Jim Biden, the younger brother of President Joe Biden, wrote a letter in August 2017 to a Qatari prince who oversees the Arab nation’s $170 billion investment fund. In the letter, Jim Biden emphasized his family connections and requested a meeting with the prince.
In August 2017, Jim Biden wrote a letter to a member of the Qatari royal family, which was obtained from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop. In the letter, Jim appealed for a meeting with a director of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and emphasized the potential introductions and business opportunities that his family could provide at the highest levels.
The letter, dated August 1, 2017, was addressed to Khaled Sultan Al Rabban, then director of the CEO’s office at the Qatar Investment Authority, by Jim Biden, the younger brother of President Joe Biden. In the letter, Jim expressed his interest in assisting His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani’s vision to promote the business interests of Qatar.
He also highlighted the potential introductions and business opportunities that his family could offer, but clarified that they were not lobbyists and did not operate in that arena. Jim suggested arranging a conference call to discuss the way forward and possibly a face-to-face meeting in New York or Qatar with Khaled Sultan Al Rabban and His Excellency.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
August 1, 2017
Mr. Khaled Sultan Al Rabban in care of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani Oatar Investment Authority
Dear Mr. Khaled Sultan Al Rabban: Thank you for the communication with my friend and associate Dr. Amer Rustom regarding the recent visit of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani to the United States and his vision to promote the business interests of the nation of Qatar.
I would be honored to assist in effectuating the vision of His Excellency but would be remiss in not pointing out the fractured nature of our current administration. My family could provide a wealth of introductions and business opportunities at the highest levels that I believe would be worthy of the interest of His Excellency. We are not, however, lobbyists and do not operate in that arena. Our relationships are deep and wide and have lasted through many years and many administrations. We are not particularly close to this administration [Trump} and have a different vision. This administration is beleaguered by major issues that are not soon to be resolved. In the meantime, we continue to forge ahead in forward thinking endeavors that create real value both here in the United States and abroad.
Our primary interest is and always has been to advance the interests of the United States through productive collaborations with partners home and abroad. If this is in keeping with the vision of His Excellency, on behalf of the Biden family, I welcome your interest here. I recommend Dr. Rustom arrange a conference call to discuss the way moving forward and perhaps a face to face meeting in New York or Qatar with you and His Excellency. Please contact Dr. Rustom at at your earliest convenience.
Best regards,
James B. Biden, Sr.
In a timeline of events, DailyMail writes:
- Jim boasted about being hired to negotiate a $140 million settlement with Saudi Arabia ‘because of his position and relationship’ to then-Vice President Joe.
- Jim is also embroiled in the ongoing federal criminal investigation into his nephew Hunter. Prosecutors are said to be considering charges for Hunter over alleged tax crimes, illegal foreign lobbying and money laundering.
- Jim addressed his August 1, 2017, letter to Khaled Sultan Al Rabban, then the director of the QIA CEO’s office, for the attention of his boss, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, the QIA CEO and a member of the Qatari royal family.
- Sheikh Abdullah served as CEO of the oil-rich nation’s $170 billion fund from 2014 to 2018, and is now Qatar’s ambassador to Germany.
- Hunter had been interested in doing business with Qatar since 2014, back when he was beginning to form his ambitious business plans.
- In May 2014, Hunter took a trip to Qatar with a US Secret Service detail in tow – as his father was still in office as Vice President.
- Records released under the Freedom of Information Act show Hunter flew to Doha for three days on May 11, though the Secret Service has so far refused to give congressional investigators probing the trips further information.
- Jim appears to have picked up the baton in his August 2017 approach to the QIA.
- In the letter, he was careful to point out the Bidens were not lobbyists, but dangled the family’s ‘deep and wide’ relationships that ‘lasted through many years and many administrations’ to the senior prince.