Prosecutors did not request testimony from Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, before the federal grand jury in Delaware. Bobulinski, who previously claimed that the “big guy” email referred to President Joe Biden, had expressed his willingness to speak to the grand jury through his lawyer, but U.S. Attorney David Weiss did not respond to their attempts to contact him.
This recent development, initially reported by CBS News, follows IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley’s statement that federal prosecutors hindered investigations into potential links between Joe Biden and his son’s Chinese business endeavors. Shapley’s interview transcript also included a portion of a recorded conversation between an FBI agent and Hunter Biden’s business associate, Rob Walker, where Walker mentioned Joe Biden’s presence at a meeting related to their efforts to secure a lucrative deal with the now-defunct Chinese company CEFC.
Walker told the FBI that Joe Biden made a brief appearance at the meeting held at the Four Seasons, where Hunter Biden mentioned his plans and asked for his father’s support. Walker confirmed that it seemed orchestrated to improve their chances of success.
Shapley further revealed that Delaware Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf prevented questions about the “big guy” and discouraged inquiries about Joe Biden during the interview.
Bobulinski collaborated with Hunter Biden in 2017 to establish a business venture called SinoHawk, aiming to form a joint venture with CEFC. However, instead of fulfilling their plans, CEFC directed millions of dollars to accounts associated with Hunter Biden.
The “big guy” email, which surfaced publicly in October 2020, outlined a potential business deal between Hunter Biden and the Chinese company. The email mentioned “10 held by [Hunter Biden] for the big guy.”
The email, sent by businessman James Gilliar to Hunter Biden and others on May 13, 2017, discussed expectations and remuneration packages for the deal. It indicated that Hunter would receive $850,000 and be listed as “Chair/Vice Chair depending on agreement with CEFC.” The email also mentioned a distribution of equity, with 20% allocated to “H” (Hunter Biden) and 10% to “Jim” (James Biden).
Bobulinski was among the recipients of this email and asserted in October 2020 that the “big guy” referred to Joe Biden. He claimed that Hunter Biden referred to his father as “the Big Guy” or “my chairman” and frequently sought his approval or advice regarding potential deals.
Joe Biden’s spokesman, Andrew Bates, denied the allegations, stating that the President has never held stock in such business arrangements, nor has any family member or individual held stock on his behalf.
CEFC was a Chinese conglomerate founded by Ye Jianming, with whom Hunter and James Biden pursued various deals and from whom they eventually received millions of dollars.
Text messages provided by Bobulinski indicated that Joe Biden had met with him, Hunter, and James Biden while they pursued the CEFC deal. The meeting reportedly took place on the night of May 2, 2017, in Los Angeles.
Former FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office, Timothy Thibault, allegedly ordered the closure of certain derogatory Hunter Biden reports in October 2020, despite their verifiability through criminal search warrants.
Bobulinski is reportedly concerned that Thibault worked to suppress the information he provided to the FBI.
In October 2020, Senator Chuck Grassley notified U.S. Attorney David Weiss, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray about the substantial evidence related to potential criminal conduct by Hunter Biden and James Biden. Grassley referred to a summary of Bobulinski’s interview with FBI agents, where he alleged that Hunter and James Biden engaged in unremunerated work with foreign nationals linked to the Chinese government while Joe Biden was Vice President. However, after Joe Biden left office, they sought compensation for their past work.
Grassley highlighted the creation of a joint venture between Hunter Biden, James Biden, and CEFC to facilitate financial compensation. He noted that the joint venture was established sometime after a meeting in Miami between Hunter Biden and CEFC officials in February 2017.
Grassley also mentioned that CEFC Infrastructure Investment wired $5 million to bank accounts associated with Hudson West III in August 2017, with subsequent transfers to Hunter Biden’s firm, Owasco, and James Biden’s firm, Lion Hall Group, in 2017 and 2018.
Hunter Biden’s messages in July 2017, where he invoked his father’s name and made threats, led to a swift agreement with a Chinese Communist Party-linked company and resulted in millions of dollars flowing into Biden family accounts.
Recently released WhatsApp messages between Hunter Biden and intermediaries with CEFC further support previous findings of foreign bank transactions involving Hunter Biden. Shortly after the text threat involving his father, Hunter Biden and his associated businesses received an estimated $5 million in payments from CEFC in 2017 and 2018, with Chinese payments quickly following, according to a 2020 Senate report.
During a denial on Wednesday, Joe Biden stated that he was not present in the room when the threatening message was sent.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
