Fact check: 10 years ago, Ukraine was paying millions in 'consulting fees' to Joe Biden's son

1. Summary of the results

The original statement contains both factual elements and misleading implications. While Hunter Biden did receive approximately $11 million from Burisma between 2013-2018 as board member and legal consultant ^[1], recent developments have thoroughly discredited claims of improper payments or influence. The FBI informant who made allegations about $5 million payments to the Bidens has been charged with making false statements ^[2]. Multiple investigations, including those by Republican-controlled committees, found no evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several crucial contextual elements are missing from the original statement:

• Hunter Biden's position on Burisma's board (starting 2014) was widely viewed as a potential conflict of interest rather than evidence of corruption ^[4]
• Joe Biden's involvement in removing Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin was part of a broader international effort supported by Western institutions, not a personal initiative ^{[4] [4]}
• The FBI document (FD-1023) cited by some sources contains "raw, unverified" intelligence, with even Republican Senator Ron Johnson expressing skepticism about its credibility ^[5]
• Ukraine's Interior Ministry has concluded there was no evidence of criminal acts by the Bidens ^[6]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The statement appears to be part of a larger disinformation campaign:

• These allegations have been identified as part of a "conspiracy theory" spread by Russian operatives and Trump allies ^[3]
• The original source of the $5 million payment claim (Alexander Smirnov) has been charged with making false statements, and prosecutors have shown he only spoke with Burisma officials in 2017, after Joe Biden was no longer vice-president ^[2]
• While Hunter Biden did acknowledge using the money from Burisma to fund his addiction ^[1], multiple fact-checking organizations including PolitiFact have found no evidence that Joe Biden received any money from Burisma ^[6]

The narrative benefits multiple groups:

• Political opponents seeking to discredit Joe Biden
• Russian interests aiming to create discord in U.S. politics
• Media outlets benefiting from controversial coverage of high-profile political figures