We’ve reported in the past about Hunter Biden’s Russian connections, including that the firm he co-founded Rosemont Seneca Thornton LLC allegedly received $3.5 million from the wife of the former Mayor of Moscow, Elena Baturina. We also noted how ironic it was that while Joe Biden was communicating with his son and others he used the secret name “Peter Henderson” — the name of the Soviet spy in the Tom Clancy novels — an interesting choice of names given the Russian connections.
But that wasn’t all. Hunter had multiple meetings and business dealings with a Russian oligarch who was close to Vladimir Putin: Vladimir Yevtushenkov. Hunter and his partners were trying to court Yevtushenkov to invest in their real estate company in 2012 and 2013. Hunter met with him in Moscow for dinner at his company Sistema on February 16, 2012. Journalist Vicky Ward allegedly has further calendar entries from Sistema that indicate Yetushenkov thereafter met with Hunter Biden in New York on March 14 at the Ritz-Carlton and then had another breakfast with Rosemont Realty on March 15 in Texas.
Hunter Biden’s partner, Devon Archer, said in emails that they had more meetings with Yevtushenkov.
‘I am meeting with Evtushenkov for dinner Sunday evening January 27th in DC at Cafe Milano and then meeting in my DC offices Monday the 28th at 10am,’ Archer wrote, using the alternative spelling for the oligarch’s name.
‘We are going to be reviewing our commercial office investment program with him and his team. From there we are going to see one of our properties in the afternoon called Dulles View, a $110mm office property in the DC sub market, as an example of our portfolio holdings.
‘Joining me will be one of my Partners in Rosemont Seneca and an Advisory Board Member of Rosemont Realty, Hunter Biden.’
Archer’s email was to Kazakhstan banker Marc Holtzman, a key fixer for Archer and Hunter.
Holtzman replied: ‘Vladimir mentioned this. I raved about you and will see him next week in Davos so will reemphasize this.’
Archer forwarded the reply to Hunter, noting Holtzman’s close relationship to Yevtushenkov.
‘FYI…Marc Holtzman was on the [IT company] PGRX Board with me before I left in December. He’s also the Head of the Finance Committee on Evtushenkov’s, Sistema Board of Directors, which benefits us,’ Archer wrote to Hunter.
Then Hunter Biden had a follow-up call with Sistema on January 29.
It’s not clear what deals they might have had. A Russian spokesperson claimed there was no follow-up.
But the reason it raises concerns now is that Yevtushenkov owns a company that allegedly provides drones that are being used to bomb Ukraine and used to own a Russian defense contractor.
On top of that, Yevtushenkov has now been sanctioned by the U.K and Australia.
A leaked audio recording was published last week of an alleged conversation between Yevtushenkov and a Georgian oligarch discussing how to circumvent international sanctions arising from Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
A US State Department spokesman refused to confirm the authenticity of the recording in a press briefing on Tuesday or US discussions around sanctions against Yevtushenkov, but added that ‘sanctions evasion is something that we are taking a very close look at around the world’.
But he hasn’t been sanctioned by the Biden Administration.
Republicans have also been asking questions about why Baturina has not been sanctioned.
Therein lies the problem. This is what happens when you have these kinds of relationships and things that look like influence-peddling. Then you have to start thinking about the contacts and wonder if that has anything to do with the sanctions not being imposed. That’s not good.