“10 held by H for the big guy?”

On 13 May 2017 James Gilliar emailed Tony Bobulinski, Rob Walker and Hunter a proposed split of a new venture with CEFC, later called SinoHawk: “20 H, 20 RW, 20 JG, 20 TB, 10 Jim, 10 held by H for the big guy?” “Jim” was James Biden. AP later corrected a report that had called it a $10 million stake; it was a proposed 10% of the equity. [1][4]

Bobulinski, a former Navy officer and businessman brought in as CEO, told Congress that “the big guy” was Joe Biden and that the family was trading on access to him. Walker, also in on the email, said he did not know what Gilliar meant and that Joe was never a partner. Asked whether the big guy meant his father, Hunter said: “I truly don’t know what the hell that James was talking about.” He said the only agreement he signed with Bobulinski did not involve his father. [1][2][3][5]

SinoHawk was set up but never received the CEFC money it was meant to get. The partnership agreement that was signed gave the shares to the business partners, without a slot for Joe. [3][4]

Bobulinski says Hunter arranged for him to meet Joe Biden at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on 2 May 2017, and that “the sole reason” was that he was CEO of the Bidens’ partnership with CEFC. [1]

Hunter confirmed the encounter under oath. He said his father “went and shook hands with Tony,” talked about cancer in Bobulinski’s family and invited him to his Milken speech the next day, and that “there was no meeting, per se.” James Biden told the same committees: “Joe Biden never met with Tony Bobulinski,” then added, “To my knowledge.” [2][4]

So Joe did meet the CEO of the venture. Bobulinski says business came up; Hunter says it did not. No one else present has testified to it. [1][2]

IRS investigators pulled this WhatsApp message from Hunter’s iCloud backup. On 30 July 2017 he wrote: “Z- Please have the director call me- not James or Tony or Jim- have him call me tonight. I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled.” He warned that if anyone else called, “I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction.” Within days the separate CEFC deal began paying. [1][3]

Hunter told Congress: “My father was not sitting next to me.” He said he was “out of my mind” on drugs, that he had sent the message to Henry Zhao of Harvest Fund, a BHR partner, not to anyone at CEFC, and that he was more embarrassed by it “than any text message I’ve ever sent.” [2]

Where Joe Biden was on 30 July 2017 has not been established from independent records. The message shows Hunter using his father as leverage; whether his father knew is not shown. [1][2]