When people start digging into the Biden family tree, the spotlight usually lands square on Hunter. But James Biden, Joe’s younger brother, has been quietly—and sometimes not so quietly—operating in the background for decades. Honestly, if you've been following the news cycles over the last few years, you've probably heard snippets about "Jim" or "James" and wondered what the actual deal is.
What did Biden's brother do exactly? It's a mix of healthcare ventures, international consulting, and some very messy bankruptcy court filings that have kept congressional investigators busy for a long time.
James Biden has spent roughly fifty years in various business sectors. We're talking everything from nightclubs in the 70s to high-stakes consulting in the 2010s. The core of the controversy surrounding him isn't just about whether he made money, but whether he used his brother's political weight to open doors that would have otherwise been slammed shut.
The Americore Health Disaster
The biggest headline-grabber in recent years has been a company called Americore Health. This was a for-profit hospital operator that, frankly, didn't do very well. James Biden got involved with them around 2017 and 2018.
According to bankruptcy court documents and testimony, James reportedly told Americore executives that his last name could "open doors." He supposedly promised that his political connections could help secure a massive investment from the Middle East. That investment? It never showed up.
While the company was struggling, Americore wired James Biden a total of $600,000 in loans.
Here is where it gets sticky for the White House. On March 1, 2018, James received a $200,000 wire from Americore. On that very same day, he wrote a check to Joe Biden for $200,000. It was marked "loan repayment."
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Now, the White House and James Biden’s lawyers say this was just a younger brother paying back a personal loan from when Joe was a private citizen. Critics, however, argue that even if it was a repayment, the money used to pay Joe back came directly from a failing healthcare company that thought they were buying influence.
The International Consulting and CEFC China Energy
Beyond the domestic healthcare drama, James was also deep in the mix with CEFC China Energy. This is the same company that pops up in Hunter Biden’s emails.
James was part of a group trying to facilitate infrastructure and energy deals. In his 2024 testimony to the House Oversight Committee, James admitted he was involved in these ventures but stayed firm on one point: Joe Biden was never part of the business.
"Joe Biden has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest in those activities. None." — James Biden, Congressional Testimony, February 2024.
Despite that firm "none," investigators found that James and Hunter received millions of dollars from Chinese entities. The question for years has been: what service were they providing? James argued he was a "fixer" and a consultant with decades of experience. The GOP-led committee argued they were selling "the brand."
The 2024 Impeachment Inquiry Report
In August 2024, the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Ways and Means Committees dropped a massive nearly 300-page report. It was a culmination of years of digging through bank records.
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The report didn't lead to an actual impeachment of the President, but it laid out a very detailed map of how James and Hunter operated. It alleged that the family used over 20 shell companies to move money around.
The most frequent criticism leveled against James is "influence peddling." Even if no laws were technically broken in certain deals, the optics were often terrible. For example, James's wife, Sara Biden, was also frequently involved in the bookkeeping and administration of these business entities.
What Most People Get Wrong
There's a common misconception that James Biden was just a "tag-along" to Hunter. In reality, James was a businessman long before Hunter was even out of law school.
In the 1970s, he ran a nightclub called Seasons in Wilmington. It ended in a legal mess over unpaid debts, which set a bit of a pattern for the next few decades. He’s had IRS liens totaling over $1 million at various points.
He wasn't just a sidekick; he was often the primary mover in these business arrangements. He knew how the world of politics worked because he had been helping Joe with campaigns since the 70s.
Is There Any "Smoking Gun"?
If you're looking for a single document that shows James Biden handing a bag of cash to Joe Biden in exchange for a specific policy change, you won't find it. Investigators haven't found it either.
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What they did find was a series of transactions that looked like a family-run consulting firm where the product was access.
- The $200k Check: Again, the March 2018 check is the closest "link," but since Joe was out of office at the time, the legal threshold for "corruption" is incredibly high.
- The $40k Check: Similar to the Americore situation, another "loan repayment" check for $40,000 was found, originating from money James received from a deal with CEFC.
- The "Big Guy" Reference: While this usually points to Hunter’s emails, James was often in the loop on these high-level discussions regarding equity and "the family's" share.
The 2025 Pardons
Things took a dramatic turn at the end of 2024 and into early 2025. President Biden issued a broad pardon for his son Hunter, but the fallout reignited the conversation about James.
Congressional leaders like James Comer have argued that the pardons were a "confession of corruption." James Biden himself was not the primary target of the pardon, but the investigations into the family business as a whole essentially hit a wall once the President's term ended and the legal landscape shifted.
Actionable Insights for Following the Story
To really understand what Biden's brother did, you have to look past the political shouting and look at the financial filings.
- Check the Bankruptcy Court Records: If you want the most objective view, read the Americore Health bankruptcy filings from 2022. They contain the most direct allegations from business partners who felt cheated.
- Follow the "Loan Repayment" Trail: This is the strongest defense the Bidens have. If they can produce bank records showing Joe sent money to James before James sent it back, the "kickback" theory mostly falls apart.
- Differentiate Between Hunter and James: Hunter’s issues often involved personal struggles and specific foreign board seats (like Burisma). James’s issues are almost entirely about domestic consulting and "opening doors" for healthcare and infrastructure firms.
The story of James Biden is a masterclass in the "gray area" of American politics. It's that space where family ties, business ambitions, and political influence all blur together until nobody is quite sure where the business ends and the "brand" begins.
For a clearer picture, it’s best to compare the House Oversight Committee’s August 2024 report with the testimony given by James Biden himself. You’ll see two completely different interpretations of the same bank wires. One side sees a sophisticated influence-peddling scheme; the other sees a brother helping a brother during a rough financial patch.
Next Steps for Readers
To get a more granular look at the financial evidence, you can search for the "House Oversight Committee Biden Bank Records Memo" which provides the specific wire transfer dates and amounts mentioned here. Additionally, reviewing the "Americore Health Bankruptcy Trustee Complaint (2022)" will give you the primary source allegations regarding James Biden's business promises.