FACT CHECK: Viral Image Claims To Show Joe Biden With Burisma’s CEO

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook over 1,800 times allegedly shows Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden golfing with his son, Hunter Biden, and Ukrainian energy company Burisma’s CEO.

Verdict: False

The image depicts Joe Biden with Hunter Biden, one of Burisma’s board members and another man that works in finance. Burisma’s CEO is not pictured.

Fact Check:

In recent days, social media users have been sharing an image of Joe and Hunter Biden on a golf course with two other men. “On 60 Minutes, Joe said he never met with Hunter and the Burisma CEO,” one such Facebook post reads. “Well, here he is with both… Lying POS!!!!”

The New York Post on Oct. 14 published supposed content from a laptop that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani alleges belonged to Hunter Biden, according to USA Today. Biden recently sat down for an interview with “60 Minutes” journalist Norah O’Donnell, who asked about material from the laptop. Check Your Fact has not independently verified the alleged laptop’s material.

The image shows Joe and Hunter Biden with Devon Archer, who served on Burisma’s board with Hunter Biden, Fox News reported in September 2019. The other man pictured does not resemble Burisma CEO Taras Budeiniyi or founder Mykola Zlochevsky. PolitiFact identified the man as Ralph Rasucci of Netrex Capital Markets LLC.

Joe Biden did not mention the Ukrainian energy company during the recent “60 Minutes” interview, a review of the transcript shows. The Daily Beast, however, did report in 2019 that Joe Biden previously said he had never spoken with the younger Biden about his overseas business dealings. Hunter Biden told The New Yorker the same year that they discussed Burisma just once.

The claim may have originated in October 2019 when President Donald Trump tweeted that the image showed Joe and Hunter Biden playing golf with the “company boss.” (RELATED: Was Hunter Biden Paid As Much As $50,000 For His Work With Burisma?)

“The Biden family was PAID OFF, pure and simple! The fake news must stop making excuses for something that is totally inexcusable,” the tweet reads. “Sleepy Joe said he never spoke to the Ukrainian company, and then the picture came out where he was playing golf with the company boss and Hunter.”

None of the men in the image are the CEO of Burisma, and Joe Biden did not mention Burisma in his recent “60 Minutes” interview. We rate this claim false.

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Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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