James Biden Explained

Jim Biden
Birth Name:James Brian Biden
Birth Date:16 May 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, political consultant, and fundraiser. Biden is a brother of Joe Biden, the 46th and current president of the United States. He was his brother's chief fundraiser for his 1972 Senate campaign.[2]

Early life and education

James Biden studied at the University of Delaware for over four semesters but left without earning a degree.[2]

Career

When Joe Biden first ran for the Senate in 1972, James' role was as a fundraiser, according to The Washington Post.[3]

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.

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."

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.[4] The issuance of the subpoenas came as House Republicans looked for evidence of influence-peddling within the Biden family.[5] 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." 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.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Lynsey. Eidell. Joe Biden's Brothers: All About James and Francis. People. November 11, 2023. February 21, 2024.
  2. Web site: Golden . Daniel . Neubauer . Chuck . Malone . Matthew . February 14, 2020 . The Benefits of Being Joe Biden's Brother . ProPublica . November 30, 2023.
  3. News: Viser . Matt . May 31, 2022 . James Biden — presidential brother, family helper, political wild card . The Washington Post . November 30, 2023.
  4. News: Biden . James . November 8, 2023 . House Republicans subpoena Hunter and James Biden as their impeachment inquiry ramps back up . Associated Press News . November 30, 2023.
  5. Web site: Biden Family Investigation . . November 30, 2023.
  6. News: Michael. Kanish. December 17, 2023. James Biden's dealmaking caught on FBI tapes in unrelated bribery probe. The Washington Post. December 17, 2023.