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☆ He’d been single all his life. Then he fell in love with a stranger on vacation
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-14 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

When Yasmine invited her to join the road trip across Turkey, Sema happily accepted. “I knew nothing about them.”And then, when she was introduced to Kenneth, Sema also felt an instant connection to him. Kenneth Wayne HarlOver the next few days, as Kenneth, Sema and their friends Jason and Yasmin drove across Turkey, Kenneth and Sema grew closer. Kenneth and Sema spent the rest of the ferry crossing basking in the glow of each other’s affection. “In Urfa, the four of us attended a dinner and traditional dance performance in the evening,” recalls Kenneth.

Persons: Kenneth Harl, Sema, “, Kenneth, ” Kenneth, Jason, Yasmine, ”, Nemrut, She’d, – she’d, hadn’t, ” Sema, –, Kenneth Wayne Harl, Yasmin, Nemrut Dağ, Kenneth wasn’t, Jason – who’d, ‘, ’, ’ ”, ” Jason, – you’re, it’d, it’s, Kenneth Wayne Harl Kenneth, They’d, Ken, who’d, you’re, ” “, hasn’t, “ I’m, he’d, We’ve, I’m, He’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Tulane University, Tulane, UNESCO, Heritage, Sema, Skype, American Research Institute, London, ” Locations: Malatya, Turkey, New Orleans, Izmit, Jason, Urfa, Harran, Sema, Nemrut, United States, Istanbul, Büyük Ada, ’, Ankara, Paris, India, France, Hurricane

Mujib Mashal is the South Asia bureau chief for The Times, helping to lead coverage of India and the diverse region around it, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan.

Persons: Mujib Mashal Organizations: The Times Locations: South Asia, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan

☆ Hunter Biden Sought State Department Help for Ukrainian Company
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-13 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Hunter Biden sought assistance from the U.S. government for a potentially lucrative energy project in Italy while his father was vice president, according to newly released records and interviews. The records, which the Biden administration had withheld for years, indicate that Hunter Biden wrote at least one letter to the U.S. ambassador to Italy in 2016 seeking assistance for the Ukrainian gas company Burisma, where he was a board member. Embassy officials appear to have been uneasy with the request from the son of the sitting vice president on behalf of a foreign company. “I want to be careful about promising too much,” wrote a Commerce Department official based in the U.S. Embassy in Rome who was tasked with responding.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Biden, ” Organizations: U.S, Embassy, Commerce Department Locations: Italy, U.S, Rome

☆ Florida man who attacked a postal carrier in a hijab gets 3 years in federal prison
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-10 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dennis-Romero-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Dennis Romero | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Postal Service carrier was sentenced Friday to three years in federal prison. “No one should live in fear of being targeted because of their religious beliefs,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Davis said said in the attorney’s office statement. The carrier, identified only as a 47-year-old woman of Muslim faith, took note, prosecutors and investigators said in the criminal complaint filed against Pinkney. "Go back to your country," the defendant allegedly told the carrier, according to the U.S. attorney's statement on Friday. She got inside the truck, where Pinkney grabbed her neck and, after a struggle, pulled off her hijab, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Persons: Kenneth Pinkney, “, ”, Michael Davis, Prosecutors, Pinkney, Jeffrey B, Veltri Organizations: U.S . Postal Service, Attorney's, Southern, Southern District of, Prosecutors, FBI Locations: Florida, U.S, Fort Lauderdale, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, Broward County, Israel, FBI Miami

Vice President Kamala Harris had a secret weapon on hand as she worked the phones in the hours after President Biden dropped his re-election bid and endorsed her. Tony West, her brother-in-law and the chief legal officer at Uber, was with Ms. Harris in the vice president’s residence when she received the news, and he spent the afternoon helping her reach out to would-be supporters. Since that Sunday, Mr. West has emerged as a major force behind Ms. Harris’s campaign and its record-setting fund-raising, but also as a concern for some progressives who want her to take a hard line against big business. Ms. Harris’s campaign brought on several senior political operatives on Friday, some of whom worked on former President Barack Obama’s campaigns, to add to the team that had been assembled to re-elect Mr. Biden. But none has the advantage of family ties like her brother-in-law, who has held top positions in the Justice Department and corporate America while advising Ms. Harris’s campaigns since she ran for San Francisco district attorney in 2003.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, Tony West, Harris, Uber, West, Harris’s, Barack Obama’s, Mr Organizations: Justice Department, San Locations: America, San Francisco

Mr. Shapiro has said his views have evolved in the years since writing an opinion essay critical of Palestinians when he was a college student. Mr. Shapiro, 51, has embraced his Jewish identity and been one of the Democratic Party’s staunchest defenders of Israel at a moment when the party is splintered over the war in Gaza. “Something I wrote when I was 20, is that what you’re talking about?” Mr. Shapiro told a reporter who asked him about it. He has also not shied away from criticizing college administrators over their response to campus antisemitism, including at the University of Pennsylvania. If Ms. Harris chooses Mr. Shapiro to be her running mate, he will become only the second Jewish vice-presidential nominee on a major-party ticket.

Persons: Josh Shapiro, Shapiro, Kamala Harris, ”, “, ” Mr, Mr, ” Ahmet Tekelioglu, Shapiro’s, Manuel Bonder, Harris, Joseph I, Lieberman, Al Gore, Jon Hurdle, Katie Glueck Organizations: Democratic Party’s, University of Rochester, Campus Times, Israel, Israeli Army, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Inquirer, Islamic, University of Pennsylvania, Jewish Locations: Horsham, Pa, Pennsylvania, Israel, Gaza, New York, United States, “, Philadelphia, Connecticut

☆ K Street Pivots for a Possible Harris Administration
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-26 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris has forsworn direct donations from lobbyists, but they are welcoming her candidacy and finding other ways to support it. In the days since President Biden dropped his re-election campaign and Ms. Harris moved swiftly to lock up the Democratic Party’s nomination, Washington’s influence industry has quietly jockeyed to position itself with her team. They have briefed clients about her policy positions, the composition of her inner circle and the pool of possible running mates. Some lobbying firms have highlighted their connections to Ms. Harris, drawing the ire of allies seeking to avoid the perception that she is beholden to special interests. “Human nature is such that anybody that ever walked past somebody on the street would try to capitalize,” said former Senator Doug Jones, an Alabama Democrat who is close to Ms. Harris.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, ”, Doug Jones, “ Organizations: Democratic, Alabama Democrat Locations: Alabama

☆ Amid Uncertainty, Biden Campaign Tries to Keep Control of Delegates
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden’s campaign continued reaching out to Democratic convention delegates on Thursday to ensure their support amid mounting concerns that his candidacy could cost the party the White House and lead to losses down the ballot. Since Mr. Biden’s disastrous performance in a debate against former President Donald J. Trump last month, the Biden campaign has been calling hundreds of convention delegates to ask each if they understood their role as a “pledged Biden delegate,” according to interviews with about a dozen of them and others familiar with the calls. Some said the campaign went further, asking if Mr. Biden could still count on their support. Party officials and Biden campaign allies have also urged delegates to keep quiet about their concerns, according to interviews and messages obtained by The New York Times. In some cases, delegates said they felt as if expressing dissent might cost them the chance to participate in the convention.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden, Donald J, Trump, “, Mr Organizations: Democratic, White, Biden, The New York Times

☆ Live Election Updates: R.N.C. to Spotlight Trump’s Hard-Line Vision on Immigration
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Jonathan Weisman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

A majority of its members have deep ties to Mr. Biden and were vetted for their loyalty to him, making it unlikely that his nomination will face significant dissent. Mr. Biden, during an interview with NBC News that aired on Monday, reiterated that he was not leaving the race. “Look, 14 million people voted for me to be the nominee in the Democratic Party, OK?” he said. changed its process to nominate Mr. Biden to accommodate an Aug. 7 deadline to place him on the ballot in Ohio. In recent days, Mr. Biden has held several meetings with Democrats in the House that have ended with mixed reviews.

Persons: Biden, Tim Walz, Leah Daughtry, Biden’s, Wes Moore, . Walz, Eric Lee, Mr, “, Walz, “ Governor Walz, ” Teddy Tschann, ’, Jared Huffman, Huffman, ”, MAGA, ” Jaime Harrison, ” Mr, Jamie Kelter Davis, Trump, Aaron Regunberg, —, ” Daniella Ballou, Ms, Ballou, Aares, Kenneth P, Vogel Organizations: Democratic National Committee, Democratic National Convention, House Democrats, Gov, Democratic, Credit, New York, NBC News, Democratic Party, Democratic Party committees, Democratic Governors Association, “, Democrats, New York Times, Lawmakers, Biden, Ohio Republicans, MAGA Republicans, Republican, The New York Times, White Locations: Minnesota, Maryland, California, Ohio, Madison, Wis, Credit

☆ White House Doctor Discussed Business With the President’s Brother
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Before Dr. Kevin O’Connor was appointed White House physician at the beginning of the Biden administration, he discussed a business venture with the president’s brother James Biden, but the doctor ultimately received no compensation, Mr. Biden’s lawyer said. The discussions revolved around James Biden’s involvement with a health care company called Americore, which was looking to expand a network of hospitals in underserved rural areas of the United States. Republicans have seized on the episode to suggest that Dr. O’Connor might have had incentive to minimize issues related to President Biden’s health. The White House rejected the speculation, with a spokesman calling it “ridiculous and insulting.”In his current role, Dr. O’Connor produced letters each of the three years following Mr. Biden’s physicals that attested the president was healthy and “fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency.” The assessments have come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks as Mr. Biden’s decline has become more apparent, particularly after his feeble performance in last month’s debate against former President Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Persons: Kevin O’Connor, Biden, James Biden, Biden’s, James Biden’s, O’Connor, ”, Donald J, Trump Organizations: White, Republicans, House, Republican Locations: United States

☆ As Rich Backers Retreat, Biden Trumpets Small Donors
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In a nationally broadcast interview on Monday, President Biden pushed back on rich Democrats who want him to end his re-election campaign, saying, “I don’t care what the millionaires think.”Small donors, he made clear, were coming through for him. But hours later, Mr. Biden joined a private call with his top donors and fund-raisers to reassure them. The seemingly contradictory messages show the conundrum facing the president as he grapples with the fallout from his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald J. Trump last month. In order to continue to fund his presidential campaign, Mr. Biden will most likely need the support of wealthy Democratic Party backers, but they have been among the loudest voices calling for him to end his bid for re-election. In trying to diffuse their opposition, Mr. Biden — a politician who has long relied on the party’s establishment to fund his campaign — has adopted a surprisingly populist anti-elite message that, in some ways, echoes Mr. Trump’s.

Persons: Biden, “, ”, Donald J, Trump, Biden —, —, Trump’s Organizations: Democratic Party

Some of President Biden’s fund-raising events in the coming weeks are in jeopardy, with one potential Wisconsin event failing to materialize and a Texas event up in the air after his poor debate performance against Donald J. Trump. Mr. Biden’s fund-raising schedule is often fluid, as the White House and the campaign juggle the complicated logistics of official events with the competing demands of donors and finance operatives. The Biden campaign had discussed sending Mr. Biden to Wisconsin for a late July fund-raiser, according to three people briefed on the plans. The campaign had hoped to raise $1 million from the event, but after the debate, campaign officials reset the event’s goal to $500,000, according to one person involved in arranging it. Even that proved to be more than Wisconsin donors were willing to give to Mr. Biden.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald J, Trump, Biden Organizations: White Locations: Wisconsin, Texas

On Today’s Episode:Labour Party Wins U.K. Election in a Landslide, by Mark Landler, Megan Specia and Stephen CastleMajor Democratic Donors Devise Plans to Pressure Biden to Step Aside, by Kenneth P. Vogel, Theodore Schleifer and Lauren HirschHurricane Beryl Gains Strength as It Bears Down on Yucatán, by Jovan Johnson, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega and Eric NagourneyF.B.I. and Justice Department Open Criminal Investigation in Chinese Doping Case, by Michael S. Schmidt and Tariq Panja

Persons: Mark Landler, Megan Specia, Stephen, Kenneth P, Vogel, Theodore Schleifer, Lauren Hirsch, Jovan Johnson, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, Eric Nagourney F.B.I, Michael S, Schmidt, Tariq Panja Organizations: Labour, Stephen Castle Major Democratic, Biden, Justice, Investigation

After several days of quiet griping and hoping that President Biden would abandon his re-election campaign on his own, many wealthy Democratic donors are trying to take matters into their own hands. Wielding their fortunes as both carrot and stick, donors have undertaken a number of initiatives to pressure Mr. Biden to step down from the top of the ticket and help lay the groundwork for an alternate candidate. The efforts — some coordinated, some conflicting and others still nascent — expose a remarkable and growing rift between the party’s contributor class and its standard-bearer that could have an impact on down-ballot races, whether or not the donors influence Mr. Biden’s decision. The president on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to stay in the race amid criticism of his weak debate performance last week. But that has not placated donors or strategists who worry that he cannot win in November.

Persons: Biden

Wealthy Democratic donors who believe a different nominee would be the party’s best chance to hold the White House are increasingly gritting their teeth in silence about President Biden, fearful that any move against him could backfire. As of late Tuesday, the party’s moneyed class was carefully monitoring post-debate poll results and the positioning of elected Democrats for signs that support for Mr. Biden was cracking. Earlier moves by donors to mount their own campaigns to pressure Mr. Biden to step down as the party’s presidential candidate have either fizzled out or prompted pushback from fellow contributors and operatives. The deadlock reflects a broader paralysis within the party about how to handle a fraught situation that could inflame intraparty rifts, alienate key constituencies, damage personal relationships and benefit a Republican candidate most of the donors believe poses a threat to democracy.

Persons: Biden, pushback Organizations: Republican

There were discussions with political advisers about arcane rules under which Mr. Biden might be removed from the ticket against his will and replaced at or before the Democratic National Convention, according to a person familiar with the effort. In Silicon Valley, a group of megadonors, including Ron Conway and Laurene Powell Jobs, were calling, texting and emailing one another about a situation they described as a possible catastrophe. The donors wondered about whom in the Biden fold they could contact to reach Jill Biden, the first lady, who in turn could persuade her husband not to run, according to a person familiar with the conversations. A Silicon Valley donor who had planned to host an intimate fund-raiser featuring Mr. Biden this summer decided not to go through with the gathering because of the debate, according to a person told directly by the prospective host. Another major California donor left a debate watch party early and emailed a friend with the subject line: “Utter disaster,” according to a copy of the email.

Persons: Biden’s, Biden, Ron Conway, Laurene Powell Jobs, Jill Biden Organizations: Democratic, Democratic National Convention Locations: America, Silicon Valley, California

☆ David Knezevich: Husband of American woman reported missing in Spain pleads not guilty to kidnapping charge
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Carlos Suarez | Elizabeth Wolfe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Before Knezevich’s arrest in May, his attorney, Kenneth Padowitz, told CNN that his client “has never been to Spain” and had nothing to do with the incident. Padowitz, however, told CNN in February that the split was amicable. Prosectors allege video shows a man resembling David Knezevich in a Madrid hardware store on February 2, 2024. She was planning a trip to Barcelona with her friends on February 5, her brother told CNN, but she abruptly stopped communicating and never showed up for the trip. I’ll call you when I get back.”Henao and Rameau had spoken by phone just hours before her disappearance but she had not mentioned meeting a dreamy stranger, he told CNN.

Persons: David Knezevich, Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, Knezevich –, Kenneth Padowitz, “, Spain ”, Knezevich, he’d, Padowitz, Henao, Ana Henao's, Prosectors, Sanna Rameau, ” Henao, Rameau, she’d, Karimi, Al Goodman Organizations: CNN, FBI, Ana, Attorney’s, Peugeot, Investigators Locations: Florida, Spain, Madrid, Salamanca, Serbia, Miami, Turkey, Belgrade, Ana Henao's Madrid, Colombia, Barcelona

cut ties to at least a handful of informants and issued warnings about dozens of others after an internal review prompted by concerns that they were linked to Russian disinformation, current and former U.S. officials said. The review was carried out in 2020 and 2021 by a small group within the bureau’s counterintelligence division, with the findings then passed along to field offices, which handle informants. The review was conducted during and after the 2020 election, when concerns about Russian meddling were running high, and at a time when the United States was closely monitoring whether Russia would invade Ukraine. The episode highlighted a tricky balance: The more access informants have to valuable intelligence, the higher the risk that they could knowingly or unknowingly be used to channel disinformation. This is particularly true with regard to post-Soviet countries, where shifting alliances among oligarchs, politicians and intelligence services have far-reaching consequences that can be difficult for Western governments to discern.

Persons: — Locations: Russia, United States, Ukraine

☆ A White-Collar Indictment Shatters a Congressman’s Blue-Collar Image
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | Kitty Bennett | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Over the years, Representative Henry Cuellar often harked back to the small house in Laredo, Texas. It was there that his parents, one-time migrant workers who spoke no English, raised him and his seven siblings to value hard work and beware the dangers of debt. The references in speeches, campaign advertisements and interviews were intended to forge affinity with the largely Hispanic residents of his hometown. Mr. Cuellar had become the hub of a bustling small enterprise that blurred the lines between his political operation, his businesses and his family, affording him trappings of affluence even as he sometimes strained to make ends meet. He took on an increasing amount of debt, and his net worth declined.

Persons: Henry Cuellar, ”, Cuellar Organizations: Navy Locations: Laredo , Texas, Laredo, Nationals

☆ Corporate America Is Going Un-Woke: Reversing DEI, Sustainability Plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Plenty of companies are reining in their rhetoric and in some cases action on issues such as sustainability and diversity. Over the past decade, many corporations have at least professed to take a more active role in social issues, under pressure from their customers and, more importantly, employees. After last year's Bud Light debacle, which was a real blow to its business, executives fear they'll be the next target of some anti-woke outcry. For the fourth quarter of 2020, 131 companies mentioned ESG, and 34 mentioned DEI or diversity and inclusion. This may be a great un-wokening, but maybe corporate America was actually never that committed to the idea in the first place.

Persons: Paul Polman, It's, Naomi Wheeless, Eventbrite, Donald Trump, Larry Fink, George Floyd's, ESG, Andrew Jones, there's, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, haven't, Philip Mirvis, Bud, they'll, they'd, Jones, it's, Fink, FactSet, — we're, wasn't, Alison Taylor, University's, we've, Roe, Wade, Taylor, isn't, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light's, Kenneth Pucker, Emily Stewart Organizations: Unilever, Unilever wasn't, Unilever isn't, Companies, Business, Sporting Goods, Conference Board's ESG, Morningstar, Babson, AIG, Amazon, ExxonMobil, University's Stern School of Business, Anheuser, Busch, Fletcher School, Tufts University Locations: Plenty, America, ESG, New, Charlottesville

☆ A can of paint. Stolen license plates. Odd messages. How the FBI charged a Florida man with kidnapping his wife in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Faith Karimi | Al Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But the FBI said this week they’ve arrested the mystery man who entered her Madrid apartment building that night: her estranged husband. Knezevich’s attorney, Kenneth Padowitz, told CNN in February that his client is innocent and “has never been to Spain.” Padowitz declined to comment Wednesday after Knezevich’s arrest. She was planning a trip to Barcelona with her friends on February 5, her brother told CNN, making her sudden lack of contact more concerning. Spanish firefighters entered her apartment for a welfare check and she was nowhere to be found, court documents said. And they were written with the help of another Colombian woman Knezevich had met on a dating app months earlier, court documents said.

Persons: Ana Maria Knezevich, Henao, they’ve, David Knezevich, he’d, Kenneth Padowitz, “, ” Padowitz, Knezevich, ” Henao, Padowitz, Ana Maria Knezevich Henao, Manu Fernandez, James Marshall, they’re, ” Marshall, ”, Sanna Rameau, ” Rameau, she’d, — Knezevich, Knezevich’s, CNN’s Pau Mosquera, Denise Royal, Carlos Suarez Organizations: CNN, FBI, Miami International Airport, EOX Technology Solutions Inc, Peugeot, AP FBI Locations: Madrid, Spain, Florida, Barcelona, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Serbia, Spanish, Turkey, Belgrade, Salamanca, Colombia, Colombian, Bogota

☆ Charges Against a Congressman Lay Bare Foreign Government Influence Attempts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As tensions flared over disputed territory in the Caucasus region in the summer of 2020, Azerbaijan’s squadron of high-priced Washington lobbyists scrambled to pin the blame on neighboring Armenia and highlight its connections to Russia. Unbeknown to members of Congress, Azerbaijan had an inside man who was working closely with the Azerbaijani ambassador to Washington at the time on a parallel line of attack, according to text messages released by federal prosecutors. Azerbaijan’s ambassador responded enthusiastically. “Your amendment is more timely than ever,” the ambassador, Elin Suleymanov, wrote to Mr. Cuellar. “It is all about Russian presence there,” added Mr. Suleymanov, who referred to the congressman as “Boss.”

Persons: Unbeknown, Henry Cuellar, Elin Suleymanov, Cuellar, ”, Suleymanov Organizations: Azerbaijan’s, Texas Democrat, Russian Locations: Caucasus, Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Washington, Texas, “

☆ Pro-Israel Lobby Faces Challenges Amid Gaza War and Shifting Politics
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Kate Kelly | Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

AIPAC, the pro-Israel group that has long been among Washington’s most powerful lobbying forces, is facing intense challenges as it seeks to maintain bipartisan support for Israel amid the war in Gaza — even as it alienates some Democrats with its increasingly aggressive political tactics. The tension has been exacerbated by divisions in the Democratic Party over Israel against the backdrop of a rising civilian death toll in Gaza and the barriers placed on humanitarian aid by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AIPAC has also had to confront the tangled politics of foreign aid on Capitol Hill, where money for Israel is caught up in the dispute over providing assistance to Ukraine. It is a standoff that the group has so far been unable to help resolve. “It gets disguised by their formidable ability to raise money, but their life has become very complicated.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald J, Trump, ” Martin, Indyk, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama Organizations: Israel, AIPAC, Democratic Party, Capitol Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, U.S

☆ The Informant Turned Defendant Who Took Aim at the Bidens
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Kenneth P. Vogel | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For more than a decade, he played a double game, giving the F.B.I. In 2020, Mr. Smirnov told his F.B.I. handler what prosecutors say was a brazen lie — that the oligarch owner of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had arranged to pay $5 million bribes to both President Biden and his son Hunter. The explosive claim was leaked to Republicans, who made Mr. Smirnov’s allegations a centerpiece of their now-stalled effort to impeach President Biden, apparently without verifying the allegation. Last week, Mr. Smirnov, 43, was indicted on charges that he lied to investigators about the Bidens.

Persons: Alexander Smirnov, Smirnov, Burisma, Biden, Hunter Organizations: Soviet Locations: Soviet Union, Ukrainian

He found a house for Hunter Biden’s new family, paid divorce costs to Mr. Biden’s ex-wife and helped resolve a paternity lawsuit from a third woman. He footed the bill for Mr. Biden’s security, back taxes and car payments, facilitated the publication of a memoir and the launch of an art career, and provided emotional support as Mr. Biden dealt with scrutiny from prosecutors and political adversaries. In recent years, no one has been more influential in helping Hunter Biden rebuild his life after a devastating battle with addiction than the Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris. But Mr. Morris’s role has now become a flashpoint of its own. His influence in shaping an aggressive legal and public relations defense for the president’s son against criminal indictments and Republican attacks has rankled President Biden’s advisers inside and outside the White House.

Persons: Hunter, Biden’s, Biden, Hunter Biden, Kevin Morris, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Hollywood, Republican

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