During a House hearing Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken refused to disclose whether he was recently interviewed by FBI agents regarding Hunter Biden’s interactions with the State Department during the Obama years.
Blinken appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to answer questions about the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, but Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) decided to go a little off-topic.
“How long was your recent interview with the FBI, and was it a deposition?” Perry asked.
Blinken, who was the deputy Secretary of State in 2015 when the Biden was engaging in influence peddling operations for a Ukraine natural gas company, appeared to be caught off-guard.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know to what you’re referring,” he replied.
“Are you saying that you have not had a recent interview with the FBI since becoming Secretary of State?” Perry pressed.
“I’m not sure what you are referring to, and I am happy to take that up with you offline,” Blinken answered haltingly.
The congressman continued: “Did the State Department turn over documents to the FBI related to Hunter Biden, Burisma, and/or the Blue Star Strategies firm?”
“You will have to …” Blinken answered before stopping himself.
“You are saying you did not have an interview with the FBI since becoming Secretary of State?” Perry pressed.
“It would not be appropriate for me to comment in a public forum on any legal proceedings that the department or I may have had,” Blinken answered.
Perry insisted on an answer. “I am not asking you to comment on the legal proceedings I’m just asking if you have been interviewed by the FBI since becoming Secretary of State?” he asked.
But still, Blinken refused to answer the question. “Again I’m not going to comment one way or the other,” he said.
"A little off topic here, but I think it's interesting": @RepScottPerry presses Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Hunter Biden and conversations with the FBI. pic.twitter.com/ZdCnx1tIuk
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) September 13, 2021
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly been investigating the lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies, which was once hired by Burisma to improve its reputation after a U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine slammed the company’s owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, as corrupt in a 2015 New York Times article.
Blue Star Strategies used Biden’s name in multiple emails to secure meetings with State Department officials, and Biden himself met with then-Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2015. The subject of that meeting is unclear.
According to John Solomon of Just the News, “multiple current and former government officials” have confirmed that Blinken was recently approached by the FBI, but they did not provide any mote details.
Documents obtained by Just the News from the State Department under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit show Hunter Biden sought and received a meeting with Blinken in 2015 at the department when Blinken was deputy secretary of state under the Obama administration.
“Have a few minutes next week to grab a cup of coffee? I know you are impossibly busy, but would like to get your advice on a couple of things, Best, Hunter,” Biden wrote in spring 2015.
Blinken responded the same day with an “absolutely” and added, “Look forward to seeing you.”
Records indicate the two men were scheduled to meet the afternoon of May 27, 2015, although it is unclear whether the meeting took place. But other State Department memos, confirm Hunter Biden met with Blinken for lunch on July 22, 2015, at the State Department.
Two days later, on July 24, 2015, Vice President Joe Biden called President Poroshenko of the Ukraine and raised concerns about anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine.
Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Homeland Security Chairman Ron Johnson issued a report in September of 2020, alleging that the Obama administration knew Hunter’s work for Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings prevented “the efficient execution of policy with respect to Ukraine” during Joe Biden’s tenure as vice president.
According to the report, Hunter Biden had business associations with Chinese nationals linked to the Communist government and People’s Liberation Army resulting in millions of dollars in questionable cash transactions. The Senate investigation also found links between Hunter Biden and human trafficking, the adult entertainment industry, and/or prostitution.
The panel’s investigation—which was launched weeks before Congress was notified about the so-called “whistleblower complaint” regarding President Trump’s July 25, 2019, phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—relied on records from the U.S. government, Democrat lobbying groups, and interviews of about a dozen current and former officials.
Blinken reportedly told the Senate last year that he mostly discussed the recent death of Beau Biden during his meeting with Hunter in 2015.