World Food Program USA, a United Nations-backed charity formerly chaired by Hunter Biden, is maintaining its relationship with a Texas businessman whose group is reportedly under federal investigation for possible ties to sanctioned Palestinian organizations. The organization stated that the removal of Basil Qunibi, founder of Austin-based Atom Investors, from its website's board of directors was due to routine maintenance.
A spokesperson for World Food Program USA told The Post that both the staff and board pages were temporarily unavailable for maintenance, which was expected to conclude by the following week. The spokesperson confirmed that Qunibi remains a member of the Board of Directors.
The controversy emerged following a report detailing a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) investigation into PFF, an alleged $100 million political fund based in the UK. Federal investigators are reportedly examining the involvement of Qunibi, Australian billionaire Yasser Shahin, and Democratic fundraiser Bassema Yousef in PFF, which is described as a network that helps fund anti-Israel messaging and supports Palestinian activists. Sources indicate that authorities are tracking the entity's cross-border financial flows and potential connections to sanctioned organizations.
Shahin, a prominent motorsport champion whose family amassed wealth from gas stations and convenience stores, has been identified by sources as facing scrutiny from DHS. Yousef, an ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is also reportedly being investigated. No charges have been filed against any of the individuals mentioned, and DHS has not responded to requests for comment.
Previously, a source close to Qunibi told the Australian Financial Review that he had personally donated to the network, retracting earlier claims that he had no involvement with PFF. Qunibi's representatives have not commented on these developments.
The situation has drawn attention in Australia due to Atom Investors' connections to the country's sovereign wealth fund and Shahin's high profile. Public records also indicate philanthropic links between allies of Atom Investors and Palestinian groups. Abbas Zuaiter, an advisory board member at Atom Investors and former chief operating officer at Soros Fund Management, chairs the investment arm of the Palestinian charity Taawon. Taawon has previously partnered with Al-Haq, a West Bank legal group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel in 2021, a designation Al-Haq denies. The U.S. government sanctioned Al-Haq last September for aiding International Criminal Court efforts against Israeli officials.
Zuaiter and his wife established a donor-advised fund in 2015, which public filings show directed support to Taawon's Gaza relief projects. There is no indication that Atom Investors itself is a subject of the DHS probe, nor are there U.S. sanctions against Taawon or the donor-advised fund.
Hunter Biden chaired World Food Program USA from 2011 to 2015. The organization functions as the U.S. fundraising arm for the United Nations' World Food Programme, a global organization dedicated to combating hunger.