James Biden
Jim Biden | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Brian Biden May 16, 1949 |
| Education | University of Delaware |
| Relatives | See Biden family |
James Brian "Jim" Biden (born May 16, 1949)[1] is an American former nightclub owner, insurance broker, and political consultant. Biden is a brother of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States. He was his brother's chief fundraiser for his 1972 Senate campaign.[2]
Jim Biden received a Presidential pardon from his brother, Joe Biden, in 2025.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]James Biden studied at the University of Delaware for over four semesters but left without earning a degree.[2]
Career
[edit]My family has been subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me—the worst kind of partisan politics. Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end,
I believe in the rule of law, and I am optimistic that the strength of our legal institutions will ultimately prevail over politics. But baseless and politically motivated investigations wreak havoc on the lives, safety, and financial security of targeted individuals and their families. Even when individuals have done nothing wrong and will ultimately be exonerated, the mere fact of being investigated or prosecuted can irreparably damage their reputations and finances.
That is why I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden. The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance be misconstrued as an admission of guilt for any offense.
When Joe Biden first ran for the Senate in 1972, James' role was as a fundraiser, according to The Washington Post.[4]
Shortly after his brother's first Senate victory, he went into the nightclub business. He and four partners ran a restaurant-lounge called Seasons Change. Finding success, he then opened another club called The Other Side.[2]
James has been described in The Washington Post as a "potential liability" for Joe Biden. "His repeated efforts at business deals — sometimes using the family name or enlisting Hunter (Biden) — have not infrequently ended in recrimination, bankruptcy or lawsuits."[4]
On November 8, 2023, Republicans in the United States House of Representatives subpoenaed James Biden along with Hunter Biden, requiring them to appear before the House Oversight Committee to provide deposition, according to the Associated Press.[5] The issuance of the subpoenas came as House Republicans looked for evidence of influence-peddling within the Biden family.[6] An attorney for James Biden said the subpoenas were not justified, while an attorney for Hunter Biden called them a "political stunt" based on "debunked claims."[5] The Washington Post reported that James and his wife, Sara, were recorded by the FBI in a 1998 bribery investigation related to a well-known Mississippi trial attorney, Richard Scruggs, who was contemplating a business partnership with James Biden.[7]
On January 20, 2025, President Joe Biden issued a pardon for James, along with their other siblings and their spouses.[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Eidell, Lynsey (November 11, 2023). "Joe Biden's Brothers: All About James and Francis". People. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c Golden, Daniel; Neubauer, Chuck; Malone, Matthew (February 14, 2020). "The Benefits of Being Joe Biden's Brother". ProPublica. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Breuninger, Kevin (January 20, 2025). "Biden pardons his family in final minutes in office". CNBC. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Viser, Matt (May 31, 2022). "James Biden — presidential brother, family helper, political wild card". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ a b Biden, James (November 8, 2023). "House Republicans subpoena Hunter and James Biden as their impeachment inquiry ramps back up". Associated Press News. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Biden Family Investigation". United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ Kanish, Michael (December 17, 2023). "James Biden's dealmaking caught on FBI tapes in unrelated bribery probe". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
- ^ Shear, Michael D. (January 20, 2025). "Biden Pardons 5 Members of His Family in Final Minutes in Office". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 20, 2025.