I get the impression they used Bobulinski, a respectable businessman with a known reputation, to set up what was essentially a shell company to accept bribes through, and/or to be a front man for foreign oil companies to operate through to get US government contracts without being identified as foreign. When his half of the money never came through, I think he figured it out, and they expected him to either go along with it or fade away.
Your explanation makes sense to me.
One downfall of people who are thoroughly corrupt is that they instinctively believe everyone else is no different than they are....
I agree...Bobulinski made a comment that really struck me, the one leading up to the James Biden “Plausible Deniability” comment, that makes me think the guy is on the up and up.
I admit I could be mistaken, but the guy seemed to me to have the feel of truth to him.
You get the exact correct impression.