Joe Biden’s campaign freezes donations from Indian-American businessmen

US President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and Democratic Party committees have frozen donations from an Indian-American businessman after he was accused of falsely claiming links to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

A Biden campaign official said that a $50,000 donation to the Biden Victory Fund last April from Gaurav Srivastava, who claimed to have ties to the CIA, was not approved due to its origin, Politico reported. and legality issues.

Similarly, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which received nearly $290,000 from Srivastava last year, said the committee had set aside funds for the “foreseeable future” as a precautionary measure.

The decision to freeze the funds came after media reports questioning Srivastava’s business practices and philanthropy.

President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign says, Raised $10 million in 24 hours after fiery State of the Union addresswho accused Donald Trump of threatening democracy and derailing a bill that would address America’s immigration problems.

Doubts over Gaurav Srivastava business practices

While Srivastava, who lives in Los Angeles, has been active in various philanthropic causes, a profile in The Brass Project raised doubts about his integrity, including claims of false connections to the CIA.

Politico reported that the Atlantic Council, a think tank covering international affairs, severed ties with Srivastava after efforts to verify his background.

Srivastava and his wife, Sharon, donated more than $1 million to the think tank for the Global Food Security Forum to be held in Bali in November 2022.

The businessman manages the Gaurav and Sharon Srivastava Family Foundation, a charitable organization named after him and his wife.

Founded in 2015, the foundation serves communities around the world that lack access to basic U.S. resources.

The report also questioned Srivastava’s identity and employment details.

Despite claiming in campaign documents that he works for Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations and Management (AECOM), the global infrastructure company denies employing him in the United States. Srivastava later claimed to be the chairman of security operations company Unity Resource Group, Politico reported.

SRIVASTAVA CONNECTIONS AND IMPACT

The connection between Srivastava and President Biden extends beyond donations.

United Resources Group briefly employed a lobbying firm led by former Biden aide Ankit Desai, and Srivastava reportedly met with Biden in person last year.

Gaurav Srivastava lists AECOM as his employer and donated $6,600 to Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s campaign. He also donated $3,300 to Senator Maria Cantwell, this time listing Unity Resources Group as his employer.

Both events redistribute funds to local charities.

Democratic politicians, including Sens. Mark Warner and Robert Menendez, each received $6,600 in donations from Srivastava, prompting them to move to Congress amid the controversy. Funds are diverted to charity.