Republicans Release FBI Document Discussing Allegations of Biden Family Bribery

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) publicly released a redacted FBI document detailing an informant’s account of conversations with the CEO of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, who said he paid $10 million to “the Bidens.”

The Details: The informant discussed two meetings and two phone calls with Burisma officials. In 2016, the informant said Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky told him, “it cost 5 (million) to pay one Biden, and 5 (million) to another Biden.” In a phone call shortly after the 2016 election, Zlochevsky told the informant he had been “‘forced’ to pay the Bidens.” In 2019, the informant said Zlochevsky told him that “he did not send any funds directly to the ‘Big Guy’ (which [the informant] understood was a reference to Joe Biden).” However, the document notes the informant only spoke with Zlochevsky three times, and therefore could not provide “further opinion” on the “veracity” of his statements.

For Context: For months, Republicans like Grassley pursued the document as part of an investigation into potential wrongdoing by Hunter Biden and then-Vice President Joe Biden. The FBI initially limited access to the document, arguing its release could threaten the informant’s safety. 

How the Media Covered It: While some headlines from the right framed the story as a “bombshell,” some on the left said it “shows nothing” or emphasized that the claims were “unverified.” The New York Post (Lean Right bias), which first reported on Hunter Biden’s laptop, featured the story on its homepage along with blurred nude photos of Hunter and the tagline, “FAMILY BUSINESS.”