Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai ‘unknowingly funded’ false persona report discrediting Joe Biden
- Apple Daily owner says his aide used money from his private company without his knowledge to fund project, which accused Hunter Biden of Chinese business ties
- Lai’s aide Mark Simon admits he took money from Lai’s account, says he will ‘briefly remain as others step up’
Lai, who openly endorsed Donald Trump in the US presidential election, said he and Apple Daily have “nothing to do with it”. Apple Daily also issued a statement denying its involvement.
Simon, who worked for US naval intelligence and who now serves as Lai’s assistant, admitted to the Post that he took money from Lai’s account. Hours later Simon said in a letter that he intended to resign from “a group of companies” held by Lai, but added that he would “briefly remain as others step up”.
A source close to him said Simon paid US$10,000 over six months to US scholar Christopher Balding as “expense reimbursement” for researching the Biden family’s alleged business interests in China.
Simon did not explain why he asked Balding, a former professor at Fulbright University Vietnam, to conduct research on Hunter Biden. The source said Simon was unaware that Balding was going to write up his findings into a 64-page report.