Politico | Joe Biden warns family over business dealings: ‘for Christ’s sake, watch yourself’
- One brother discussed new venture with major donor before Joe Biden entered the White House
- Former president Donald Trump relentlessly hammered Hunter Biden for his past dealings in China and Ukraine
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Natasha Korecki, Theodoric Meyer and Tyler Page on politico.com on January 28, 2021.
In the midst of his campaign for president, Joe Biden took his younger brother, Frank, aside to issue a warning.
“For Christ’s sake, watch yourself,” Biden said of his brother’s potential business dealings, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. “Don’t get sucked into something that would, first of all, hurt you.”
Biden, whose tone was both “jocular and serious”, according to the person, seemed to know then what is becoming plainly obvious now: his family’s business ties threatened to undermine an administration whose messaging is centred on restoring integrity in the White House.
Relatives’ moneymaking ventures, most prominently his son Hunter’s overseas dealings, have long dogged Biden. But it's taking on a new dimension now that he's in the White House.