Francis "Frank" Biden is turning to his big brother for help promoting a law firm he advises.
President Biden's younger sibling touted his ties to the Biden administration during an Inauguration Day advertisement for the Berman Law Group based in Boca Raton, Florida. Biden is a non-attorney adviser to the firm.
The ad, which focuses on a Berman Law Group lawsuit against the sugar industry for alleged environmental violations, features a photo of the younger Biden, along with quotes discussing his ties to the new presidential administration.
Biden denied cashing in on his brother's status, asserting his lack of political involvement in an email to CNBC.
“I have never used my brother to obtain clients for my firm. Our firm has long been involved [with] this lawsuit. Social justice is something I have been involved in for years,” Frank Biden said. “I will never be employed by any lobbyist or lobbying firm.”
The Berman Law Group declined to address whether Frank Biden will invoke his brother's name in future ads, instead praising the adviser's work for the firm in a separate email to CNBC.
“Frank Biden has been with the Berman Law Group for years. He is a champion for social justice, advocating against corporate behemoths that prey on the little guy,” co-founder Matthew Moore said. “The big sugar case has been around for more than 2 years and is the poster child for corporate influence. We are honored to have Frank Biden stand with us as leaders for social justice."
Biden, an advocate for green policies in the same vein as his older brother, faced criticism for publicizing his ties to the powerful politician in the past. In 2019, the law firm filed a lawsuit alleging detrimental health effects from cane field burns on the same day then-candidate Biden announced his clean energy plan. Frank Biden denied that there was any connection between the lawsuit filing and the policy announcement.
“There was absolutely no coordination,” he said at the time, calling the simultaneous developments “absolutely serendipitous.”
Another member of the family, President Biden's son, Hunter, has drawn scrutiny for his work, including a federal tax investigation looking into his Chinese business dealings and other transactions.
An email obtained last year by the New York Post appeared to show communication between Hunter Biden and an associate of a consulting firm purportedly outlining a “provisional agreement” with a Shanghai-based conglomerate in which 80% of shares in the new company would be dispersed among four people, one of whom, "H," apparently refers to Hunter Biden.
The email then asked, “10 held by H for the big guy?” Tony Bobulinski, a former business partner to Hunter Biden, identified the "big guy" as the 46th president.
Federal authorities were also conducting a criminal investigation into a hospital business that has ties to James Biden, another brother of President Biden, according to a Politico report in December.
The president has repeatedly denied involvement in any untoward business dealings. “I have not taken a penny from any foreign source ever in my life,” Biden said during an October 2020 presidential debate with former President Donald Trump.
