Hunter Biden’s emails reveal lobbying with Bob Menendez aide
Hunter Biden’s emails reveal lobbying with Bob Menendez aide: In 2010, a former assistant to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) attempted to persuade Joe Biden to organize an event for a US-Spain business organization.
Hunter Biden then became engaged in lobbying for a Spanish rail firm, according to an email exchange found on his laptop.
In April 2010, Hunter’s partner at Rosemont Seneca Partners, Eric Schwerin, was approached by Danny O’Brien, Menendez’s chief of staff, to inquire about the potential of getting the vice president to organize an event for the US-Spain Council, which Menendez headed, at Hunter’s home.
The foreign minister and CEOs of Spanish banks were scheduled to be hosted by the council, which sought to improve relations between the two nations. Hunter, who had shown interest in Spain, received the request from Schwerin, according to Alan Solomont, the US ambassador to Spain at the time.
In addition, O’Brien addressed an official letter to the vice president’s office, which was returned unanswered. In an attempt to convince his father to go to the function, he then got in touch with Hunter personally.
The two got together one month before to the incident during a June 2010 Washington Nationals game.
The emails also reveal that in July 2010, Hunter obtained a contract with Amtrak and used his contacts to promote CAF USA, the US arm of the Spanish railway maker CAF, which operated a factory in New York.
In September 2010, the first son sent an email to Hilary Rosen, a partner at the PR company SKDKnickerbocker, recommending that CAF USA make an appeal to influential senators and congressmen who may have an impact on the Department of Transportation and the White House.
Menendez, who is heavily involved in US-Spain business matters, is needed to take the initiative (rather than Lautenberg, as the two politicians despise each other).
Hunter wrote that Menendez should alert Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to the fact that hundreds of jobs in NY could be lost and that he should also inform Steny that Maryland would suffer a similar fate due to the loss of supplier jobs.
Naturally, I am unable to lobby, but if I could, I would be pleading and pushing for employment in New York in Senator Schumer’s office.
The location of the CAF manufacturing plant is Elmira Heights, New York. A trade journal said that in July 2010, the business signed a $300 million contract with Amtrak, a significant deal.
