Earlier this month, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer praised Tony Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, as someone who “tried to do the right thing and was honest.” Comer reiterated his praise last Friday on Newsmax, calling Bobulinski the only “honest guy that appears to have been temporarily in the Biden orbit.”
However, Bobulinski’s credibility comes into question due to his ties to Donald Trump and his involvement in questionable dealings, as revealed in court records obtained by The New Republic. These revelations should raise doubts about the reliability of his closed-door testimony in the impeachment inquiry against the president.
The impeachment inquiry revolves around allegations that Joe Biden personally benefited from his son Hunter Biden’s business ventures in China and Ukraine during his tenure as vice president under former President Barack Obama. These claims have been vehemently denied by the president and several Republican witnesses.
Leading up to his testimony, conservative commentators portrayed Bobulinski as a significant figure and a former business partner of Hunter Biden. However, some of Bobulinski’s financial transactions, occurring just before he made claims about Biden’s involvement in his son’s business, raise questions about his credibility.
In one instance, Bobulinski was sued by China Branding Group for claiming a higher entitlement than what was determined by court-appointed liquidators. He lost the case and was ordered to pay over $494,000 plus legal costs. Another lawsuit involves Bobulinski suing the owner of Kingdom Logistics for $1 million over alleged failure to repay his investment, a case set for trial in August.
However, Bobulinski has also faced legal actions himself. In one instance, he was sued by YDS Investment Company for alleged failure to repay a loan, resulting in damages sought for breach of contract. The case was dismissed after a confidential settlement was reached.
Regarding Bobulinski’s allegations against Biden, he first made them public in October 2020 with the backing of individuals close to Trump. Despite his claims, The Wall Street Journal found no verifiable evidence to support them. Bobulinski later went public with his allegations at a press conference organized by the Trump team and attended a debate as Trump’s guest.
The Journal’s investigation found no evidence of Biden’s involvement in the alleged ventures. Bobulinski met with the FBI but refused to provide full access to the information he claimed to possess.
Bobulinski’s interactions with Trump’s associates, including a secretive meeting with former chief of staff Mark Meadows, raise further questions about his motivations and connections.
Hunter Biden has criticized the Republican probe as illegitimate, emphasizing that his father was not financially involved in his business ventures. Many Republicans have also acknowledged the lack of merit in the impeachment probe, which failed to produce evidence of illegal activity by Joe Biden.
