In August 2001, Senator Joe Biden was admitted as a new member to the exclusive Fieldstone Golf Club by a vote of its leaders. At that time, he maintained a delicate balance, presenting himself as “Middle-Class Joe” while acknowledging his status as one of the least affluent members of Congress, reporting a combined income of $221,000 with $360 in charitable contributions, according to a Washington Post article.
Simultaneously, Biden had close connections with Delaware’s wealthy du Pont family, founders of an international chemical company. These ties included recruiting top staffers from the firm, serving alongside a du Pont in Congress, and purchasing a mansion built by the family. The Washington Post reports that Biden’s entry into the Fieldstone Golf Club, founded by a du Pont heiress, provided him access to a high-society circle in Delaware, a privilege he continued to enjoy during his presidency.
The manner in which Biden gained membership raised questions for federal investigators. Fieldstone’s founder, Lisa Dean Moseley, facilitated Biden’s entry through a firm she controlled, waiving the typical upfront partnership fee of approximately $34,000. The FBI probed whether Biden, as a senator in 2007, received an undisclosed monetary benefit, leading to a month-long investigation that included photographing Biden’s personal locker at the club. The inquiry, undisclosed until now, was ultimately closed without allegations of wrongdoing against Biden or Moseley.
This Washington Post reports that the investigation sheds light on Biden’s dual public personas—presenting himself as a financially modest politician while navigating connections to the affluent du Pont family. Raised in Delaware, Biden often emphasized the role of the du Ponts in the state’s economic stability in his family’s story.
While the White House did not directly respond to inquiries about the matter, a spokesman highlighted that President Biden was fully responsible for his golf club membership dues and associated costs, and the reported issue had been closed 15 years ago with no findings of wrongdoing.
The FBI’s scrutiny into Biden’s golf club membership, although 16 years old, stands in contrast to the legal challenges faced by former President Donald Trump regarding the valuation of his golf clubs and properties.
Biden’s historical ties to the du Pont family have been a recurring theme in his political career, with his decision to pursue a different path than a typical DuPont career, opting for law school and politics. The FBI investigation, conducted during a critical period in Biden’s career as he declared a run for president, concluded without public disclosure or any impact on his subsequent political trajectory.
The details of Biden’s membership, including whether he purchased a partnership in 2001 or pays current annual dues at Fieldstone Golf Club, remain undisclosed. The du Pont family’s influence in Delaware has been a significant aspecct of Biden’s narrative, as seen in his memoir “Promises to Keep.”
The FBI’s focus on Biden’s membership arose amid an investigation into Fieldstone and Lisa Dean Moseley’s connections to a local official who received millions in loans. Biden’s entry into the club without the usual upfront fee raised suspicions, leading to the brief inquiry.
The investigation was initiated with the examination of meeting minutes indicating Moseley’s company, Fife Hills LLC, facilitated Biden’s membership without the standard partnership fee, and he was responsible for dues and other charges. The FBI explored whether this arrangement constituted an undisclosed benefit for Biden.
Due to the special circumstances involving a sitting U.S. senator, the investigation required additional approval from officials in Wilmington, Baltimore, and Washington. Local U.S. Attorney Colm Connolly recused himself, creating a unique situation, and his top assistant, David C. Weiss, who is now Delaware’s U.S. attorney, would have been aware of the recusal.
After weeks of investigation, and following Connolly’s recusal, the Justice Department closed the case, although it is unclear whether records of the investigation still exist. Typically, case files are destroyed three to ten years after closure if no prosecution occurs.
Experts note that Biden’s acceptance of the membership warrant could have been considered a “thing of value” requiring disclosure, but it might not have led to further investigation unless there was evidence of wrongdoing. The current president’s continued association with Fieldstone Golf Club, a facility connected to the du Pont family, reflects his ongoing ties to Delaware’s privileged circles.
