Blue Star Strategies, an international lobbying firm recommended by Hunter Biden to Ukrainian energy company Burisma, failed to disclose an estimated $480,000 payment from the company, according to testimony from IRS whistleblower Joseph Ziegler.
Burisma has paid Blue Star Strategies for lobbying activities since November 2015. the company revealed The payment on the May 2022 Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) registration form was worth $60,000, significantly less than the total amount paid by Brewster to Burisma. according to Ziegler testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on June 1.
I would like to hear an explanation as to why the Justice Department forced Blue Star Strategies, and not Hunter Biden, to register as a foreign agent for Ukrainian company Burisma. https://t.co/n0nJA1UDCM
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) July 24, 2023
“Commencing in November 2015 and through the relevant period of 2016, the registrant Blue Star Strategies worked on behalf of Burisma Holdings Limited (Burisma), a Ukrainian energy company, to further its commercial interests. I was asked to help schedule a meeting with U.S. government officials so that I could explain the lawsuit,” Brewster’s FARA form said. (Related: Exclusive: Hunter Biden worked to secure US visa for Ukrainian oligarch allegedly involved in bribery scheme)
In February 2016, Blue Star lobbyists introduced Zlochevsky’s attorney to State Department employee Amos Hochstein, and the following month, Blue Star introduced Zlochevsky’s attorney to former State Department employee Katherine Novelli, FARA forms show.
Brewster allegedly brought up his relationship with Burisma when Hunter Biden requested a meeting with Novelli. according to Both talks were about Mr Zlochevsky’s legal proceedings in Britain and Ukraine, according to Blue Star.Formerly the Washington Free Beacon report FARA Disclosure.
Burisma paid Bluestar $30,000 in March and May 2016, and a limited portion of each payment was allocated to the company to arrange meetings with State Department officials, according to the documents. Ziegler testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that Burisma paid Brewster $540,000 for its lobbying efforts.
Hunter Biden backed Brewster’s capabilities when it was negotiating a deal with Burisma in November 2015, according to emails from Hunter Biden’s laptop archives. show.
According to the archives, Hunter Biden emailed Burisma executive Vadim Pozharsky on Nov. 3, 2015, telling him of his plans to call Brewster to see if they share the same perception of strategy. The day before, Mr. Pozharski had emailed Mr. Biden and his associates about pursuing a more aggressive lobbying strategy on his behalf, including meetings with “widely recognized and influential” U.S. officials.
“I’d like to call them one last time to make sure they understand the scope one more time so we can all feel that the retainers are in line with the work required. I trust Sally and Karen implicitly so I believe we are all on the same page, but I would like to have one last conversation to confirm before proceeding. I will get back to you as soon as possible,” Biden told Pozharski. Biden mentioned Blue Star executives Sally Painter and Karen Tramontano, who signed the company’s FARA registration form.
Two days later, Mr. Biden encouraged Mr. Pozharsky to sign a lobbying agreement and expressed excitement over Burisma’s lobbying strategy, email archives show. (Related: Biden family and associates received estimated $17 million from foreign business partners, IRS whistleblower testifies)
🚨 Department of Justice whistleblower sent Chuck Grassley an FBI FD-1023 form outlining Biden bribery allegations, press release says 🚨 @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/Chp1uWUNYj
— James Lynch (@jameslynch32) July 20, 2023
“Devon [Archer] And I am happy with BS and Sally and Karen’s delivery abilities. You have to go ahead and sign it. Biden is looking forward to embarking on this, according to the archives.” Hunter Biden and his business associates scheduled another call with Pozharski shortly thereafter to discuss the deal.
Craig EngleThe Arendt Fox Schiff LLP partner and FARA expert previously told The Daily Caller that Hunter Biden colleague Devon Archer may have violated the FARA Disclosure Act by lobbying the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Zlochevsky’s behalf. Archer said he worked with his DHS representative in September 2014.email archive show.
“The reason for this is this: If you go outside the normal regulatory channels and try to influence other parts of government to influence the regulatory process, you lose your exemption from registration,” Engle told Kohler. “Second, this lobbying may not be a FARA event because the intended beneficiary is an individual. It is not a foreign government or political party.
Tramontano previously revealed that he met with Hochstein about Burisma in December 2015. according to May 2022 letter from Republican Senators Ron Johnson (Wisconsin) and Senator Grassley (Iowa) to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reportedly investigating Blue Star for illegally lobbying on behalf of foreign principles, four sources said. Said Politico in June 2021.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley testified Prior to the 2020 presidential election, the Justice Department’s Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO) submitted to the House Ways and Means Committee that it had pending a search warrant against the Blue Star Strategy in September 2020.
Mykola Zlochevsky is the Ukrainian oligarch at the center of bribery allegations involving Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, according to the FBI FD-1023 form released Thursday by Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. According to the documents, a confidential source (CHS) informed the FBI about a meeting with Mr. Zlochevsky in 2020, where he spoke about the bribery allegations and his cover-up strategy.
The White House said President Joe Biden “has nothing to do with his son.” Hunter Biden’s attorney said his actions were solely attributable to Mr. Hunter.
Blue Star Strategies did not immediately respond to the caller’s request for comment.
