OH BROTHER

Report: Ukraine-Tied Donor Loaned Half a Mil to Biden’s Brother for Bungalow

The cash infusion for renovations on James’ “Biden Bungalow” came when VP Joe was in charge of handling the Crimea crisis.

A wealthy U.S. donor to Joe Biden’s various political campaigns with strong ties to Ukraine loaned Joe Biden’s younger brother James a half million dollars just as the then-veep was mired in the annexation of Crimea by Russia, Politico reports. The 2015 loan by Ukrainian-American car-dealership mogul John Hynansky to James and Sarah Biden was earmarked for renovations on a multimillion-dollar vacation home in South Florida that they dubbed the “Biden Bungalow.” Politico notes there is “no indication that the loan influenced Joe Biden’s official actions,” but the news site suggests that it represents a well-worn pattern whereby Biden’s relatives appear to cash in on the famous family name. Records unearthed by Politico show the Hynansky family has made more than $100,000 in donations to Biden’s various organizations and bids for office. Hynansky’s financial dealings with the extended Biden family was revealed when the Biden Bungalow was sold for $1.35 million last February. Politico says a spokesman for James and Sara Biden said that they had settled the debt with Hynansky in full after the house was sold for a loss.

This article has been updated to clarify the political contributions from the Hynansky family.