Public emails from Hunter Biden’s abandoned laptop archive have shed light on his involvement in lobbying efforts for a Spanish rail company, Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF).
According to a report by Daily Caller on Saturday, September 23, 2023, these emails suggest that Hunter Biden and his business associates used their connections to lobby Democratic New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez to protect CAF after it faced regulatory scrutiny.
The Spanish rail company, CAF, engaged Hunter Biden’s investment firm, Rosemont Seneca Partners, to lobby the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Amtrak for government contracts related to railway projects.
The emails in Biden’s laptop archive show that discussions about potential contracts with Amtrak began shortly after Rosemont Seneca was hired by CAF in June 2010.
Hunter Biden’s involvement with Amtrak goes back to his appointment to the board in 2006 by former President George W. Bush.
Before that, he had worked in former President Bill Clinton’s commerce department and at a Washington, D.C., law firm.
Amtrak awarded CAF’s American subsidiary a significant contract worth $298.1 million in July 2010 to manufacture 130 new rail cars in New York.
The laptop archive suggests that Hunter Biden’s firm negotiated a “success fee” with CAF following the announcement of this contract.
In one of the emails, Eric Schwerin, a business associate of Hunter Biden, discussed the fee, stating.
“We may very well be because we don’t have anything in writing, but my point has been that we are firm, have Hunter call the CEO and congratulate him, say we are looking forward to working with CAF as they implement the Amtrak contract and then follow it up with a letter to memorialize the success fee arrangement.”
Rosemont Seneca eventually sent a letter to CAF requesting a “success fee” exceeding $800,000 for their work in securing the contract.
The emails also reveal that Schwerin initiated contact with Menendez’s office in early August 2010.
He mentioned Menendez’s role as the chairman of the U.S.-Spain Council and their upcoming event in New York with the Spanish President.
Hunter Biden and Menendez’s office maintained a connection, as seen in their email exchanges about Menendez wanting to speak with Hunter Biden.
The laptop archive further indicates that Hunter Biden suggested getting Menendez and other Democratic senators involved in lobbying for CAF.
He emphasized the importance of Menendez’s role in the U.S.-Spain business council and the potential impact on jobs in New York and Maryland.
Rosemont Seneca, along with Democratic lobbying firm SKDK, collaborated to schedule meetings with DOT officials to bolster CAF’s lobbying efforts.
This collaboration occurred in response to concerns over the Federal Transit Administration’s findings that CAF had violated federal procurement and Buy America laws in its contract award with Harris County, Texas.
While these revelations about Hunter Biden’s involvement in lobbying efforts raise questions, it’s essential to note that this information comes to light amid a broader context.
Senator Bob Menendez himself has recently been indicted, along with his wife, on charges related to accepting bribes and steering U.S. foreign policy.
