'Volatile' GOP impeachment witness accused of causing sick father’s death: report

House Oversight Chair Representative James Comer's (R-KY) leading witness scheduled to testify in this month's GOP-led impeachment hearing against President Joe Biden "is so problematic that his presence could torpedo the inquiry's desperately needed comeback," according to an exclusive report from The Daily Beast exclusively reports.

Per the Beast, Tony Bobulinski, an ex-associate of President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, "has a history as a spiteful litigant, including suing his own cancer-stricken father, stepmother, and their esteemed local children's charity for $900,000."

According to the report, "While Tony was trying to chisel money back from his dying father, and then his dad's estate and widow, over what Virginia court records indicate was a misunderstanding about a $25,000 donation, he was simultaneously pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money—including in emergency loans—into a failing offshore U.S.-Chinese branding venture operating in the Cayman Islands."

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The Beast reports, Bobulinski "had cut the check in December 2014, shortly after learning that his father's brain cancer had returned. But whatever goodwill was kindled at the time went up in smoke about a month later, when Bobulinski erupted in a text message conversation with his stepmother, accusing his parents of fraud, spending the money on themselves without his authorization."

Tony's father's wife, Alicia, texted Tony, "Thank u again for the donation we would not been able to have done it without ur help when u get a chance to visit I think u will like what was done. Have a great day the feeling of having the money to bring about a better quality of life is immeasurable."

He replied, "What? Bs," demanding "a conversation with his father and a 'line item by line item breakdown' of 'every penny' by noon the next day, 'or you can feel empowered from a jail cell as I will come after you for fraud and theft.'"

The Beast notes, "The Virginia records are riven with emails, text messages, and other documents that paint Bobulinski as a volatile and self-serving manipulator with an explosive temper. At one point, Bobulinski stormed his parents' home and forcibly shook his dad's head, having learned in person only a few weeks earlier that his brain cancer had returned, according to his stepmother's sworn affidavit in her application for a protective order."

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Over a period of two days, the news outlet adds, "Tony sent a barrage of irate messages, telling his stepmother he'd never given her the right to spend the money. 'Think about how sad the boys will be when you are sitting in a jail cell for fraud, theft, and self dealing,' he wrote."

The Beast reports:

Tony sent Alicia a text addressed to Bob, denouncing his father’s 'absurd antics' and threatening to engage 'the financial crime unit of Va beach.'

'Dad—just so you don't think your absurd antics allowed you to get away with anything my lawyers and the financial crime unit of Va beach will be following up with you directly,” Tony wrote, demanding his money back and vowing to 'pursue u for fraud, charity fraud until I get it back.'

'Then I can give it to a charity that is honest, respects their donors wishes and invests the money towards the agreed upon mandate vs whatever they want,' he wrote.

The Beast also notes, "the conflict appears to have dominated much of the final year his father and stepmother had together. Robert Bobulinski died two months after his son filed the complaint," and Alicia blamed Tony for his death.

Per the report, "The suit dragged on for months, with Tony pushing for a jury trial. All the while, however, he was working on his increasingly strained venture with the China Branding Group, advancing a total of $650,000 in loans to the struggling company, including three $50,000 installments between Feb. 2 and March 10, Cayman Islands court records show. By May, the company was insolvent."

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However, "Settlement negotiations went unresolved, and Tony ultimately withdrew the matter without offering explanation, according to court records obtained by The Daily Beast."

In an email "to her son's lawyer two month after the death," Alicia wrote, 'If Tony thinks that he can bully me still even after he was responsible for the death of my husband he is mistaken. He shot his own foot out of being mean spirited. Twenty days after we were in court my husband was in the hospital. Six days later my husband drew his last breath!!!'

The Daily Beast's full report is available at this link (subscription required).