Key Points
- Peter Schweizer’s new book ‘Red-Handed’ found 23 former congressmen with ties to China.
- After retirement, they go on to lobby for Chinese military and intelligence agencies.
- Former House Speaker John Boehner worked as a strategic adviser to a foreign agent of the Chinese embassy.
In Peter Schweizer’s new book Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, no one is safe (if they have ties to China, that is). We’ve already covered Hunter Biden’s business ties to the CCP and abuses of his father’s office —but Biden is just the tip of the iceberg.
More than 23 former members of congress have ties to China, going on to lobby for the Chinese military, Chinese intelligence agencies or both. Some even advocated for China while serving the American people.
Take for example, former Ohio congressman and Speaker of the House John Boehner.
In 2011, while the 112th Congress was trying to pass a currency manipulation bill —one that would hit China right in the wallet, holding them accountable for driving its currency down to drive its exports up —China hired law firm Squire Patton Boggs (SPB) to block the bill.
SPB received $35,000 a month to make sure something that was in the best interest of America and the American people didn’t happen. Despite SPB’s efforts, the bill managed to make it through the Senate with a 63-35 vote —a solid bipartisan effort. But Boehner wouldn’t bring the bill to the floor in the House.
“It’s a pretty dangerous thing to be moving legislation through the U.S. Congress forcing someone to deal with the value of a currency,” Boehner said at the time.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said it would be dangerous not to move on the legislation.
“The Republican Party embraces free trade, and I am going to vote for the free-trade agreements, but I am not going to be a Republican who turns a blind eye to currency manipulation and intellectual property theft, simply because we don’t want to offend a trading partner that has economic power over the United States,” Graham said. “What’s dangerous,” Graham continued, “and I love John Boehner, is to continue to allow them to cheat.”
Boehner continued to be an opponent of the legislation and, after retiring from office in 2015, took up a job with some old familiar friends: Squire Patton Boggs. Boehner became a strategic advisor to SPB who, by then, had registered as a foreign agent of the Chinese embassy.
“SPB advised and helped Beijing navigate ‘issues that will threaten their interests,’ according to Schweizer. This includes guidances on the defense appropriations process, the 2020 general elections, and American policy on Hong Kong, Taiwan, Xinjiang, human rights, immigration, trade, and sanctions legislation,” Breitbart reports.
“SPB also has strong ties to the highest echelons of the Chinese government; Nick Chan, a senior partner for SPB in China, is also a member of the ruling National People’s Congress (NPC),” Breitbart adds.
“The NPC is the highest organ of state power in [the] People’s Republic of China,” SPB explained recently.
Another politician caught red-handed.
Dive deeper into how China infiltrates America’s elites in Peter Schweizer’s new book ‘Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win.’ Available now.
