Consultant Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, was lately implicated for accepting a $600,000 bribe from an oil firm in Azerbaijan. He’s being charged with working as an agent for a international entity whereas a U.S. authorities official as a result of he lobbied Congress on the corporate’s behalf. The bribe was tied to a cash laundering scheme that cycled by a financial institution in Mexico. Cuellar can be being accused of making an attempt to weaken US cash laundering guidelines, notably those who would harm Mexican banks. Frighteningly, Cuellar is the main Democrat on the Homeland Safety Appropriations Subcommittee.
Cuellar being coopted by international forces is a critical nationwide safety concern. Sadly, that is simply the newest case of a international entity or international authorities shopping for affect with elected officers within the US.
Final 12 months, Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, alongside together with his spouse, was charged with accepting bribes from firms in Egypt.
In 2013, the government-owned State Oil Firm of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) offered $750,000 for 10 members of Congress and 32 staffers to go on a junket to Baku, the nation’s capital. Along with the all-expense-paid luxurious journey, the invitees additionally obtained hundreds of {dollars} in presents. Among the many beneficiaries of Baku’s largesse had been three former prime aides to President Obama.
Other than the apparent violation of ethics and the general public belief, there was a nationwide safety angle to this journey as effectively. At the moment, SOCAR was partnered with the Nationwide Iranian Oil Firm (NIOC), they usually wanted the US to offer exemptions from US sanctions in opposition to Iran.
In 2020-2023, Utah lawmakers turned the targets of investigation when it was discovered that that they had accepted paid journeys to China and later pushed laws that may profit the PRC. Comparable allegations had been made in opposition to two Utah lawmakers who accepted journeys to Qatar.
The Individuals’s Republic of China (PRC) poses the best and most persistent risk to US nationwide safety. Moreover, China has deep pockets, and the United Entrance Work Division (UFWD) of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering (CCP) is actively engaged in co-opting American officers. Way back to 1997, the FBI warned Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) and 5 different members of Congress, that the PRC was focusing on them for unlawful marketing campaign contributions funneled by international firms.
The granddaddy of all international affect scandals entails the Biden household. In 2013, Hunter Biden traveled to China together with his father, who was then vp. On that journey, Hunter and a Chinese language banker, Jonathan Li, fashioned a state-backed personal fairness fund, Bohai Harvest RST (BHR Companions). Chinese language authorities shareholders managed 80% of the corporate.
Within the spring of 2014, Hunter Biden was appointed to the board of administrators of the Ukrainian pure fuel firm Burisma. At the moment, his father was main US coverage efforts towards Ukraine. Hunter Biden was paid $1 million per 12 months, and there are allegations that his father obtained some of the cash.
In 2015, BHR partnered with the Chinese language state-owned navy aviation contractor Aviation Trade Company of China (AVIC) to buy an American know-how firm, Henniges, which manufactured dual-use parts with navy and civilian functions. Maybe BHR’s most regarding funding was in China Normal Nuclear Energy Firm (CGN), a state-backed nuclear agency.
Corporations managed by Hunter Biden entered into a number of offers with Chinese language entities, together with China’s state-owned banks and different corporations that had ties to the CCP. He was paid at the least $4.8 million, and as soon as once more there have been allegations that Joe Biden benefited from these transactions. Whereas proving definitively that cash flowed to the president might show troublesome, Hunter’s exercise — funding dual-use know-how, aviation, and nuclear tasks in cooperation with the Chinese language Communist Social gathering (CCP) — raises important nationwide safety considerations.
Some US officers make journeys to international international locations that seem pointless, missing clear justification or mandate from their roles. Whereas circuitously accused of corruption, these journeys appear to stretch past their duties and will run counter to US international coverage targets. Moreover, these travels, funded by US taxpayers, increase considerations about potential corruption or undisclosed agreements. This was the case with California Governor Newsom, who lately visited China; New York Mayor Eric Adams, who went to Mexico, in addition to Greece and Qatar; and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who had journeys scheduled for Dubai and Kenya. San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed additionally visited China, as did Menlo Park Metropolis Councilwoman Kirsten Keith.
