President Joe Biden is facing fresh scrutiny over his use of pseudonymous email accounts while he was vice president under Barack Obama. A conservative group has filed a lawsuit to obtain 82,000 pages of emails that Biden allegedly sent or received from three different aliases. The group claims that the emails could reveal Biden’s involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings in Ukraine and China.
What are the pseudonyms and why did Biden use them?
According to a report by The New York Post, Biden used the following email addresses as pseudonyms:
- robinware456@gmail.com
- JRBWare@gmail.com
- Robert.L.Peters@pci.gov
The report claims that Biden used these aliases to avoid spam and hacking, as well as to communicate privately with his family and friends. The report also cites an email from Hunter Biden’s laptop that shows that he was cc’d on some of the messages from his father’s pseudonyms.
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) confirmed in a court filing that Biden sent or received up to 82,000 pages of emails from these accounts during his eight years as vice president. The filing was made in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit brought by the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a conservative nonprofit organization that seeks to expose Biden’s alleged corruption.
What is the connection to Hunter Biden and Burisma?
The Southeastern Legal Foundation is particularly interested in the emails that Biden exchanged with his son Hunter, who served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company, from 2014 to 2019. Hunter Biden was paid an annual salary of about $1 million, despite having no prior experience in the energy sector.
The group alleges that Biden may have used his influence as vice president to help his son’s business interests in Ukraine and China. In particular, the group wants to see the emails related to a phone call that Biden had with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on May 27, 2016. The call took place four months after Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in US loan guarantees from Ukraine unless Poroshenko fired Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma’s owner, Mykola Zlochevsky.
The group also wants to see the emails related to a trip that Biden made to China in December 2013, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials. During the same trip, Hunter Biden joined his father on Air Force Two and reportedly secured a $1.5 billion deal with a Chinese state-owned bank for his investment firm, Rosemont Seneca.
How has the White House responded to the allegations?
The White House has repeatedly denied that Biden had any involvement or knowledge of his son’s business affairs. Biden has also maintained that he acted in accordance with US policy and international standards when he pressured Ukraine to fire Shokin, who was widely seen as corrupt and ineffective.
The White House has also dismissed the lawsuit and the report as political smears by the Republicans, who have been investigating Biden and his son for months. Ian Sams, White House spokesman for oversight and investigations, tweeted: “Just when you think @HouseGOP shenanigans can’t get dumber they start fussing about email ‘pseudonyms.’”
Sams also pointed out that government leaders for decades have used aliases to protect their privacy and security. He asked: “Did they think he was just joe dot biden @?”
What are the implications of the lawsuit and the report?
The lawsuit and the report are unlikely to have any legal consequences for Biden, as he enjoys presidential immunity from civil lawsuits. However, they could have some political repercussions, as they could damage his credibility and trustworthiness among the public.
The lawsuit and the report could also fuel the ongoing partisan divide in the US, as the Republicans and the Democrats have different views on the validity and relevance of the allegations. The Republicans have accused Biden of abusing his power and enriching his family at the expense of national security and foreign policy. The Democrats have accused the Republicans of engaging in a witch hunt and a distraction from the real issues facing the country.
The lawsuit and the report could also affect the US relations with Ukraine and China, as they could raise questions about Biden’s motives and intentions in dealing with these countries. The US has been supporting Ukraine’s efforts to fight Russian aggression and corruption, and has been competing with China for global influence and leadership.
