Below is my column in The Hill on the continued media blackout on evidence of influence peddling and corrupt practices by the Biden family. The coverage of the recent disclosure of dozens of LLCs and bank accounts used to funnel up to $10 million to Biden family members captured the growing concerns over a de facto state media in the United States. Under the current approach to journalism, it is the New York Times that receives a Pulitzer for a now debunked Russian collusion story rather than the New York Post for a now proven Hunter Biden laptop story.
Here is the column:
This week, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) tried to do the impossible. After he and his colleagues presented a labyrinth of LLC shell companies and accounts used to funnel as much as $10 million to Biden family members, Donalds tried to induce the press to show some interest in the massive corruption scandal. “For those in the press, this is easy pickings & Pulitzer-level stuff right here,” he pleaded.
The response was virtually immediate. Despite showing nine Biden family members allegedly receiving funds from corrupt figures in Romania, China and other countries, The New Republic quickly ran a story headlined “Republicans Finally Admit They Have No Incriminating Evidence on Joe Biden.”
For many of us, it was otherworldly. A decade ago, when then-Vice President Joe Biden was denouncing corruption in Romania and Ukraine and promising action by the United States, massive payments were flowing to his son Hunter Biden and a variety of family members, including Biden grandchildren.
Last year, I wrote a column about how the media were preparing a difficult “scandal implosion” to protect the Bidens and themselves from the backlash from disclosures of this influence peddling operation.
The brilliance of the Biden team was that it invested the media in this scandal at the outset by burying the laptop story as “Russian disinformation” before the election. That was, of course, false, but it took two years for most major media outlets to admit that the laptop was authentic.
But the media then ignored what was on that “authentic laptop.” Hundreds of emails detailed potentially criminal conduct and raw influence peddling in foreign countries.
When media outlets such as the New York Post confirmed the emails, the media then insisted that there was no corroboration of the influence peddling payments and no clear proof of criminal conduct. It entirely ignored the obvious corruption itself.
Now that the House has released corroboration in actual money transfers linking many in the Biden family, the media is insisting that this is no scandal because there is no direct proof of payments to Joe Biden.
Putting aside that this is only the fourth month of an investigation, the media’s demand of a direct payment to President Biden is laughably absurd. The payments were going to his family, but he was the object of the influence peddling.
The House has shown millions of dollars going to at least nine Bidens like dividends from a family business. As a long-time critic of influence peddling among both Republicans and Democrats, I have never seen the equal of the Bidens.
The whole purpose of influence peddling is to use family members as shields for corrupt officials. Instead of making a direct payment to a politician, which could be seen as a bribe, you can give millions to his or her spouse or children.
Moreover, these emails include references to Joe Biden getting a 10 percent cut of one Chinese deal. It also shows Biden associates warning not to use Joe Biden’s name but to employ code names like “the Big Guy.” At the same time, the president and the first lady are referenced as benefiting from offices and receiving payments from Hunter.
Indeed, Hunter complains that his father is taking half of everything that he is raking in.
None of that matters. The New York Times ran a piece headlined, “House Republican Report Finds No Evidence of Wrongdoing by President Biden.” That is putting aside evidence against all the family members around Joe Biden. It also ignored that other evidence clearly shows Biden lied about his family not receiving Chinese funds or that he never had any knowledge of his son’s business dealings.
The fact is that the Times may indeed be trying for another Pulitzer Prize. The newspaper previously won a Pulitzer for the now debunked Russian collusion story. It was later revealed that this story was based on a dossier funded by the Clinton campaign and placed in the media by Clinton officials. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bob Woodward warned the co-winner The Washington Post that the story was unreliable but was ignored. The Pulitzer Committee refused to withdraw the award.
What Donalds fails to appreciate is that this is sometimes how Pulitzers are made. Roughly 100 years ago, New York Times reporter Walter Duranty won the Pulitzer for his coverage of the Soviet Union despite serving as an apologist for Joe Stalin. Duranty refused to report on actual conditions from mass killing to starvation in the “worker’s paradise.”
Thus, when the Soviets were starving to death as many as 10 million Ukrainians, the Times ran a Duranty story with the headline “Russians Hungry but Not Starving.” He not only spinned Stalin labor camps that killed millions but also attacked reporters who sought to uncover the truth.
Years later, Ukraine and various groups demanded that Duranty’s prize be rescinded, but the Committee insisted that there was no “clear and convincing evidence of deliberate deception.”
What is most impressive about this week is that all but a few outlets seem to be angling for the next Duranty Pulitzer.
In discussing modern Russian propaganda, researchers at the Rand Corporation described it as having “two distinctive features: high numbers of channels and messages and a shameless willingness to disseminate partial truths or outright fictions.”
Sound familiar?
Today we are seeing a much more dangerous phenomenon. The coverage this week has all the markings of a state media. The consistent spin. The almost universal lack of details. The absurd distinctions.
It is the blindside of our First Amendment, which addresses the classic use of state authority to coerce and control media. It does not address a circumstance in which most of the media will maintain an official line by consent rather than coercion.
The media simply fails to see the story. Of course, it can always look to the president for enlightenment. Just before his son received a massive transfer of money from one of the most corrupt figures in Romania, Biden explained to that country why corruption must remain everyone’s focus. “Corruption is a cancer, a cancer that eats away at a citizen’s faith in democracy,” he said. “Corruption is just another form of tyranny.”
It is just a shame that no one wants to cover it.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanTurley.
This isn’t a USA only problem.
In the UK we have all of the media, even the nominally right wing media, pushing the same agenda. And this is after 13 years of a nominally Conservative government.
We had two PM’s kicked out under very, very dubious circumstances ( Boris Johnson for eating cake during lockdown – it has come out that the “investigation” was rigged ) and Liz Truss who, if the media is to be believed, oversaw a financial collapse despite the facts not agreeing with that statement.
I unsubscribed from The Times ( of London ) after they pretended that you could read market sentiment from looking at currency movements on the scale of 0/100th of a US cent.
If it was just America then it would be something that could be undone eventually, but it’s not. And I’m quite worried about where this is going to go.
Further to that, we also had our share of “Russian disinformation” hoaxes regarding ( the establishment opposed ) brexit.
An Observer (The Guardian on Sunday) columnist has finally lost a libel case for lying about a prominent brexiter’s supposed relationship with the Russian government but there has been very little mention of it in the press, despite her initial fabricated claims being shouted from the rooftops.
We also have a Conservative government being blocked from implementing the policies they were elected to implement by a Civil Service that seems to be intent on delivering “Official Civil Service Policy” rather than Government policy.
How is the left able to do this?
Britian and Europe in general are strange to those of us in the US.
Left and right mean completely different things on this side of the atlantic.
US conservatism has always had a strongly libertarain Bent,
While there is almost no libertarainism in politics at all in Europe.
TODAY the left/right gap in the US is significantly larger than Europe.
There is more left dominance of European politics – but that european leftism is more centrist than the US.
But the great global danger today is the threat to free speech in the US.
Broad freedom of speech despite past problems has always distinguished the US from the rest of the West.
If Free speech dies here – that will be catastrophic for the world.
My point is that while it is a bigger deal that it’s happening in America ( although I am British ), it’s an even bigger deal that it’s happening everywhere at the same time.
Britain does have it’s libertarian wing of the Conservative party but it’s much smaller than Americas. Currently the “Conservative” party is being controlled by the centre-left after kicking out the two non-centre-left PM’s with very dubious justifications.
We had the same “Russian collusion” plot, for example. We had our media telling us that Boris Johnson was a Russian stooge. The hope is that this was just lazy copying ( it worked in America, we might as well give it a bash ).
But realistically there are too many things going on at once that there isn’t more to this. Eg: The WHO pushing sex lessons for three year olds. That’s just bizarre. But it’s exactly what the far left are doing in Britain and America. So who is behind it all? It’s one hell of a coincidence if it isn’t related.
We have NGO’s in France helping illegal migrants get into Britain ( small boats ), just like you have your NGO’s working against your border policies.
Part of me wants to think that it’s all Russia or China because at least that would be simple.
“When media outlets such as the New York Post confirmed the emails, the media then insisted that there was no corroboration of the influence peddling payments and no clear proof of criminal conduct. It entirely ignored the obvious corruption itself.”
They only confirmed ONE email. The NY post initially refused to publish the article because they could not corroborate the story. They literally had to hunt for someone to put their name on the story because it lacked any credibility at the time.
“Moreover, these emails include references to Joe Biden getting a 10 percent cut of one Chinese deal. It also shows Biden associates warning not to use Joe Biden’s name but to employ code names like “the Big Guy.” At the same time, the president and the first lady are referenced as benefiting from offices and receiving payments from Hunter.”
LOL!! This supposed deal occurred when Joe Biden of out of office. And it was one of the Chinese deals that fell thru meaning nothing came of it. Getting 10 percent of a deal that was legal at the time means what exactly? There is still no evidence or anything the republicans have provided that points to any sort of quid pro quo deal involving President Biden. It’s the same sort of vagueness that Republicans ignored when Trump as president engaged in a quid pro quo with president Zelensky’s government when he withheld military aid to force him to dig up dirt on Biden. If mere insinuation is enough to declare corruption by Turley why didn’t he call out Trump as being corrupt and peddling influence?
Turley is upset that this BS story about the Bidens is being ignored because everyone outside of his political hackery knows it’s BS. He’s essentially arguing why isn’t the media not buying the BS? Perhaps because they are smart enough to know it’s …BS. What a shocker.
Oh, and those bank records? Turns out they show nothing that points out anything criminal occurred. Only that they made money which is not illegal or wrong. Republicans promised MORE bank records are going to be subpoenaed because this first batch had nothing. It’s literally a fishing expedition in search of a crime they cannot prove.
Rep. James Comer and Rep. Byron Donalds said that ⅓ (33%) went to Biden et.al., presumably Pres. Joe Biden got 10% of that.
Meaning the Other Bidens split up ~23.3333% of the Graft.
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6327476204112
https://youtu.be/ct5_ylpoYwo?t=1642
Svelaz is upset that this his BS story about the Bidens is being ignored because everyone* outside of his political hackery knows it’s BS. He’s essentially arguing why other commenters are not buying the BS? Perhaps because they are smart enough to know it’s …BS. What a shocker.
*ALMOST everyone. I exclude Gigi, Dennis, Anonymous, and the Anonymous who is Svelaz
Svelaz, what is your explanation for over 100 suspicious activity reports to the principals involved in these companies?
Lion Hall Group, LLC
5/26/1998
Owasco P.C.
1/19/2006
Robinson Walker, LLC
2/28/2008
Skaneateles, LLC
7/18/2008
Seneca Global Advisors, LLC
8/12/2008
Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC
6/25/2009
Rosemont Seneca Principal Investments, LLC
7/29/2009
Rosemont Realty, LLC
2/12/2010
Rosemont Seneca Global Risk Services, LLC
10/4/2010
RSP Holdings, LLC
9/15/2011
Rosemont Seneca Technology Partners, LLC
10/19/2011
Rosemont Seneca Thornton, LLC
5/28/2013
Rosemont Seneca Advisors, LLC
7/2/2014
Rosemont Seneca Bohai, LLC
9/18/2014
JBB SR, INC.
9/3/2015
RSTP II Alpha Partners, LLC
12/17/2015
RSTP II Bravo Partners, LLC
12/17/2015
Owasco, LLC
12/21/2015
Hudson West III, LLC
4/19/2016
Hudson West V, LLC
5/27/2016
CEFC Infrastructure Investment (US), LLC
5/11/2017
All of them are involved with the same individuals. Can you tell us what these companies do?
Kudos to You – S. Meyer
As Rep. Byron Donalds said: Can you tell us what these companies do?
– Bravo Sir –
Thank you.
Will Svelaz answer? Of course not. He will dance and if he replies, he will do so with nonsense. That is Svelaz’s modus operandi. He cannot answer the pertinent questions and deflects in a silly manner. He knows nothing and things himself a genius.
S, Meyer YOU think there are Romanian Dollars. There’s a good chance that YOU don’t know squat.
That you don’t understand the use of the word “dollars” demonstrates stupidity, deflection and dishonesty
Anonynous, YOU said “Romanian dollars”. There is no such thing. It seems you don’t understand what the word “deflection” means either. Try again.
As I said: “That you don’t understand the use of the word “dollars” demonstrates stupidity, deflection and dishonesty.”
…poor ‘Svelaz…. (“S. Meyer YOU) ..can dish it out.. but… so ‘touchy feely’ when called out for his ‘BS..’ LOL
18, I couldn’t figure out what you were saying. Can you repeat?
I should add that the international currency is the dollar. Many nations use the dollar in trade. Svelaz is unaware of these things. He is of low intelligence, whereas the blog probably has higher intelligence than average.
S. Meyer, what do they do? Who cares? What they are NOT is illegal companies. What these SAR’s still don’t show is any evidence of any crime. YOU don’t know, I don’t know. Unless there is actual evidence of a crime instead of insinuations and assumptions there is nothing else that says a crime was committed. What crimes were committed S. Meyer? How is having these multiple companies illegal? Trump has many companies like these. LLC’s are a dime a dozen. What is illegal about having these LLC’s?
Suspicious activity is not proof or evidence of a crime. So what is the crime or illegality that has been committed that so many republicans keep saying was committed? Can YOU articulate what was committed? I don’t think you can.
“What they are NOT is illegal companies.”
The companies were created legally . Is that your argument despite the criminality that surrounds these companies?
Trump provided the needed documents.
You agree an investigation of records is warranted, right? The charge, who knows but bribery would be one consideration.
Why wouldn’t bribery be a reasonable charge?
Anonymous,
“ The companies were created legally . Is that your argument despite the criminality that surrounds these companies?”
What criminality? You keep missing that important component that you can’t prove.
“Trump provided needed documents”. When? To who?
“ You agree an investigation of records is warranted, right? The charge, who knows but bribery would be one consideration.”
Why would an investigation be warranted? What was the crime? You don’t even know what the crime is. Nothing about what is alleged, making money or creasing LLC’s is illegal so what is the crime?
You say bribery is a reasonable charge. According to what evidence? You’re looking for a crime to fit the “evidence” you think you have. That’s not how things work in reality LOL!!
“What criminality?”
Some have been found guilty and sentenced.
Yes, the companies are surrounded by criminality. SAR until explained create the appearance of criminality.
What don’t you understand? Are you saying people have not been convicted?
““Trump provided needed documents”. When? To who?”
You don’t know?
Not even that but he permitted Whitehouse officials to be interrogated. What type of fool are you?
“Why would an investigation be warranted? What was the crime? “
You don’t even know what a suspicious activity report is.
How can you make so many statements when you know nothing?
“You say bribery is a reasonable charge. According to what evidence?”
Look at the money transfers. They look suspicious of bribery.
You are such a hypocrite. All your arguments that failed against Trump are true with regard to a need to investigate Biden.
How much of you is a hypocrite? All or 99%?
Congratulations professor!
Not only did the Hill post your article, Just The News also is running an article on it too!
Blackout on Biden corruption allegations ‘markings of a state media,’ top law professor says
https://justthenews.com/government/white-house/blackout-biden-corruption-allegations-markings-state-media-top-law-professor
“. . . a de facto state media in the United States.”
It really is stunning.
Trump gets a jaywalking ticket, and it’s a “bombshell” with wall-to-wall coverage. Biden (the “Big Guy”) sells out his country to the *communist* Chinese — crickets.
Who needs state-controlled media, when you have propagandists parading as journalists.
Turley: “wolf, wolf, wolf”
Jim Jordan: “wolf, wolf, wolf”
James Comer: “wolf, wolf, wolf”
Sean Hannity: “wolf, wolf, wolf”
Mainstream media: “we reported on the wolf the last few times you told us there was a wolf, now show us this wolf”
James Comer: “well, the wolf disappeared.”
Turley: the MSM is covering up the wolf story.
Did you listen at the facts (yes, strange things for democrats) laid out?
And to use your analogie: “When exactly did the MSM reported on the wolf?”
They only reported that they could not find the wolf, despite of the many many facts laid out in front of their noses.
But that can hardly sound strange, after all: you need to look at the facts to find the wolf.
Anonymous. What facts are those? You keep saying “facts”, but don’t show what these facts represent? It’s the “wolf” they are talking about. Even you can’t show what this alleged “wolf” is.
MSM: Russia!Trump!Russia!Trump!Russia!Trump!
Are you saying the banks falsified the banking records showing the payments to the Biden family? Or, are you saying that payments to the Biden family by foreign entities no big deal even though there is no evidence they did anything in return for that money (other than selling influence with the VP)?
Biden can look a reporter in the eye and lie like a pro. He can gaslioght a group of college graduates without even blinking. He can defend a criminal son as though he were a choir boy. There is something eerily psychopathic about Biden. The conservative media keep talking about his senility, but they disregard his psychopathy. And he has his finger on the nuclear button.
“-Move 75% of DC to Heartland”
Yes, there is no reason to have all the Executive branch agencies located in DC. They all need to be scattered to the winds. None should be within 150 miles of each other.
Wow. Turley is really grasping at straws now? It’s not surprising. This whole Biden family “scandal” that isn’t has essentially blown up in his face and he is now trying to “save face” by blaming the media as engaging in some sort of concerted effort to ignore this “scandal” that everyone but Turley and the republicans know is nothing but a long running inept attempt at digging up dirt on the Biden’s. The media is not ignoring it. They know it’s BS and Turley is frustrated that they are not “biting”. He seems to think that they should be required to cover it because HE thinks it should be covered. The media has been covering the “scandal” but not the way he wants them to. They are pointing out that even the Republicans admit they have no evidence of their claims and that so far it’s be a whole lot of nothing. Even Fox News is getting tired of the three card monte BS they are playing and calling them out for their lack of evidence.
Turley has been relying pure insinuation and innuendo to lend credibility to the claims being made. It’s making Turley look really stupid. He’s getting closer to nut job Rudy Giuliani territory every time he indulges in this nonsense.
“The House has shown millions of dollars going to at least nine Bidens like dividends from a family business. As a long-time critic of influence peddling among both Republicans and Democrats, I have never seen the equal of the Bidens.”
What a load of BS. Trump is right at the top of the list. Millions of dollars have gone to the Trumps from family business in foreign deals, even billions. And yet Turley has “never seen” it because he is willfully ignoring it. The strange thing is everything they are being accused of is not even illegal. Making money off foreign deals is illegal how? Republicans keep saying they have “smoking gun” evidence but always fail to deliver on this alleged evidence. What Republicans and Turley are doing is playing three card monte on their audience. “Look for the evidence. It’s there you have to look for it” while shuffling around the cards that are never going to show any evidence. Only the gullible idiots who keep thinking there is evidence among the cards keep playing the stupid guessing game to keep them in suspense over nothing.
No one is suggesting that Joseph Biden should be shot in a firing squad for his treason
No one is suggesting Hunter and the rest of the Biden crime syndicate should be hung for treason
Is it too much to ask that their Nazi apologists be gassed in a chamber much like Nazis covered for Auschwitz?
Asking for Jewish survivors who remember Nazi apologists like you
Millions of dollars have gone to the Trumps from family business in foreign deals, even billions
You explain the difference right in your comment. Trumps are doing business in foreign Nations.
Bidens grandchild is involved in what specific business?
Why are there ZERO, SAR For Trump enterprises?
What does it matter what specific business Hunter engaged in? Engaging in business is not illegal. If the Trumps are making Billions doing business with foreign nations when they were members of trumps administration it is not seen as corruption but when Hunter Biden who was never a member of Joe Biden’s administration or even a government official is? There is no difference and Republicans saw no issue when the Trumps did it. Meaning this whole thing is a BS attempt at making it look like a crime when it’s not.
That is quite some pretzel logic you are presenting. Of course, there are no actions by the Biden administration which you will criticize, and no actions by the previous administration which you did not only criticize but also call illegal or corrupt. The banks filed over 150 SARS reports for SOME reason. Are you saying the banks themselves were mistaken in all those instances, or the banks were part of the conspiracy to falsely accuse the Bidens of suspicious financial activity?
The Trump family members all had businesses prior to Donald Trump being elected and they simply continued those businesses. No SARS reports have ever been known as filed by any of those family members. The Biden family had no businesses providing a service or product prior to Biden being elected VP. What service did they suddenly provide foreign entities that was worth payment of millions of dollars, with most of those payments being made just after Biden had visited that country or being named as the point-man on deciding American policy regarding that country?
Cloftthewoods, SAR’s are a legal requirement. There are always suspicious transactions, none of it means they are all illegal transactions. Just because we don’t know Trump has any SAR’s it does not mean there none.
I can’t criticize what is not illegal. Influence peddling is not illegal, but that does not mean I agree with it. Republicans don’t care about it either because they do it all the time and that includes Trump. Is it corrupt as Turley claims. Sure. But Turley is being dishonest with his criticism. He only sees influence peddling as corrupt when it involves Biden. But is dead silent on Trump. He says both sides do it, but he’s never raised the issue when it comes to republicans or Trump. Which makes him a massive hypocrite. He is feeding the rage of his gullible readers because it generates “hits” on his blog and the most reliable viewers are the most gullible ones. Like Trump supporters his enablers.
Trump did nothing wrong.
“ Trump did nothing wrong.”
The evidence suggests otherwise. He’s already been indicted on 34 counts of fraud. He’s already under criminal investigation on multiple violations state election laws and federal laws on presidential records. He’s done plenty wrong. How many criminal investigations is Joe Biden under?
“He’s already been indicted on 34 counts of fraud.”
It’s actually one count expanded to make fools like you think that the 34 counts is more meaningful.
This indictment was by a fraud who lets criminals roam free and indicts a man who stopped a lunatic from accosting people. That lunatic was arrested 44 time before for violent behavior. Bragg didn’t use a grand jury because the chances are the members ride the trains and would applaud Penny.
An indictment doesn’t mean absolute proof of criminality or fraud. Take note hypocrite that you use this as an argument against Trump, but deny the same argument against Biden.
Do you see why you are called a hypocrite or will you try to change the subject again?
“ It’s actually one count expanded to make fools like you think that the 34 counts is more meaningful.”
No. It’s 34 individual counts. Every single instance is a violation. There’s 34 different instances where he falsified documents.
“ An indictment doesn’t mean absolute proof of criminality or fraud. Take note hypocrite that you use this as an argument against Trump, but deny the same argument against Biden.”
What has Biden been indicted with? Can’t be the same argument when President Biden has not been indicted on anything dumba$$.
“No. It’s 34 individual counts. Every single instance is a violation. There’s 34 different instances where he falsified documents.”
That type of indictment makes a mockery of our justice system. Competent and ethical DA’s don’t do that. You have no morals or ethics so that is something you will not understand.
Biden hasn’t been indicted, but he could be. However, you are lost and do not understand that “An indictment doesn’t mean absolute proof of criminality or fraud. “
“How many criminal investigations is Joe Biden under?”
That is the $10 million dollar question.
They are lying about Trump.
They are fabricating cases against Trump, turning misdemeanors into felonies, extending statutues of limitation, media blackouts on all things Biden, etc.
They will not cease until Trump is buried alive under lawsuits, charges, indictments, arrests and convictions.
And media propaganda.
They intend to destroy Trump no matter what, no matter how.
Biden is a criminal sleezebag of the worst kind, who sells out his country to the highest foreign bidder…and lies about it.
and everyone in the World knows it.
They are lying to the public to protect Biden…for reasons the public is beginning to understand (WEF, Great Reset, NWO, etc)
They will continue to lie about Biden’s “innocence.”
Biden will continue to lie to the American people.
Biden is being protected.
Trump is being persecuted.
They know Trump is innocent.
They know Biden is a criminal.
They know Biden is treacherous.
They know Biden took bribes.
They know Biden is credibly accused of sexual assault and rape.
They know Biden is a pathological liar.
They know Biden is the Big Guy.
They know Biden is compromised.
They know Biden is corrupt to his core…that he has no core…that he is for sale.
And…
Biden knows that no one can touch him. Or his family.
That’s why he can say, with certainty, “No one F’s with a Biden.”
Until now.
The country is turning on him.
The country is turning on his lawless and corrupt administration.
FJB.
Your ranting is getting hilarious.
“ They are fabricating cases against Trump, turning misdemeanors into felonies, extending statutues of limitation, media blackouts on all things Biden, etc.”
It’s clear you’re just plain nuts.
Engaging in business is not illegal.
But collecting money from foreign entities for NOT doing business is taking bribes.
“ But collecting money from foreign entities for NOT doing business is taking bribes.”
Nope. You don’t know if they did any business. Consulting is a legitimate business. A Private individual doing business and collecting money from it from a foreign entity is still very much legal.
“Consulting is a legitimate business. “
20+ companies doing consulting and being paid in a manner usually associated with money laundering.
What consulting were these 20+ companies doing? What did the CCP get for their money?
Let me quote.
“For those wondering why Joe Biden is soft on China, consider this never-before-reported revelation: The Biden family has done five deals in China totaling some $31 million arranged by individuals with direct ties to Chinese intelligence — some reaching the very top of China’s spy agency.”
“Nobody could possibly miss the fact that the Bidens are behaving here like people with something big to hide. At least when a country like Qatar contributed a million or two to the Clinton Foundation, they just sent in the money. Hey, this was a “charity” (even if Bill and Hillary skimmed 10% for “salaries” and personal expenses). Here it’s intermediaries and shell companies and, when given to individuals it’s given in increments of say $10,000 to $50,000. Nobody would bother with this if it was on the up and up.
And could it possibly be that the Bidens provided some sort of legitimate service for the money? No. If they did, they would immediately come forward and say what the service is. And even if you might believe that Hunter Biden provided some legitimate service (preposterous!), how about Jim Biden or Hallie Biden?
And the fact that the banks filed some 150 SARs is significant. I have suggested to several bank in-house regulatory lawyers (i.e., my former associates) that they should file many more SARs than they do, as a way of covering their asses in the event of predatory government enforcement actions. And they have patiently responded that filing SARs is a difficult and time-consuming process. The fact that 150 of them were filed on the Bidens is truly extraordinary. Clearly the banks were not fooled by the shell companies and dividing the payments into smaller amounts.”
Small excerpts from Peter Schweitzer’s book.
If you “consult” with a Chinese person or company, you are “consulting” (i.e. following the orders of) with the Chinese Communist Party.
You are, de facto, a communist; you are, de facto, a traitor and a direct and mortal enemy of the American thesis of freedom and self-reliance, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, actual Americans and America.
Even the people in China (i.e. Taiwan and Hong Kong) desire freedom, separation and secession from the Chinese Communist Party.
The Chinese people know and understand that the Chinese Communist Party is a brutal, totalitarian dictatorship and a direct and mortal enemy of freedom, free enterprise and self-governance.
Lol!!! Nothing you posts shows anything new. You still can’t say what crimes were committed and what evidence shows that to be true.
Again you haven’t considered the answer posted multiple times. This is what you do when you don’t like the answer and want to pretend.
https://jonathanturley.org/2022/01/21/the-other-big-lie-democrats-fuel-doubts-over-the-legitimacy-of-the-coming-elections/comment-page-1/#comment-2153325
Iowan2,
“ Why are there ZERO, SAR For Trump enterprises?”
What makes you think there aren’t any? All the republican committee has to do is subpoena any SAR’s on Trump. Of course the won’t. That does not mean they are do not exist.
What makes you think there aren’t any Just like Trump Taxes, if there was a crime there, the agencies would have leaked the evidence. Congress getting Trump taxes was always meaningless. If there was a crime, the IRS would have leaked the proof, long before congress asked for them.
Each post of yours is more stupid than the preceding post.
Iowan2,
“ If there was a crime, the IRS would have leaked the proof, long before congress asked for them.”
OR, they could just be more disciplined than you think. They are still investigating that and since you nor I have heard anything about it can mean they are doing their job and NOT leaking. Crazy huh?
Svelaz: Proof positive that one side is diametrically opposed to the other side. How you can ignore the selling out of America to this family is really beyond belief. Will you be happy to see your Chinese overlords banging on your door someday? The groundwork is being laid right now.
Randy, selling WHAT out? That is the problem isn’t it? What exactly was “sold out”? Everyone keeps saying that but can’t articulate exactly what has been “sold out” or what was the “quid pro quo”. Do YOU know?
Svelaz, can you explain the troubling relationship between Ye Jianming, CEFC, and Hunter Biden? Ye is an agent of the CCP who cultivates relationships with foreign leaders, bribing them. Ho, an agent of Ye was convicted of international bribery working for CEFC. (Biden lied when he said the Biden family received no money from China.)
S. Meyer, what about it? You don’t know much about it. What evidence is there that a crime was committed? See? Your still have that problem. Guessing and assuming a crime was committed is not evidence. “ Biden lied when he said the Biden family received no money from China.)
Lying is not a crime either. Trump lies all the time. So what is the problem?
Ah, that Ye is an important official for the CCP and his agents have been jailed for bribery is meaningless to you?
He is part of at least one of the shell companies under investigation.
“Lying is not a crime either.”
An, now you admit Biden knows about these activities. His knowledge connects him to the crimes.
Trump has nothing to do with Biden criminality. Trump released the necessary documents proving your type of accusations were lies.
Provide your arguments not ‘whatabouts”.
You are admitting to all the pieces of the puzzle and that Biden was knowledgeable. What is your argument?
“ Ah, that Ye is an important official for the CCP and his agents have been jailed for bribery is meaningless to you?”
It’s meaningless to everyone. That’s why nobody is paying attention to it. What relevance does it have in relation to president biden?
“ Lying is not a crime either.”
An, now you admit Biden knows about these activities. His knowledge connects him to the crimes.”
I didn’t admit anything. What crimes? You keep saying “crimes” what are they. Bribery? What was he bribed for? What is the evidence that a bribery occurred? See? You StILL run into that pesky problem of providing clear and convincing evidence of your allegations.
“What relevance does it have in relation to president biden?”
Ye is integrally involved in at least one of the shell companies Biden is involved with. Ye is closely affiliated with CCP military intelligence and has agents elsewhere who were convicted of bribery.
Why do you think that is not important?
“I didn’t admit anything. “
When you realized Biden made the statement I discussed suddenly you changed your voice which admits that at first you lied. Now you are backtracking. That is a sure sign that you are lying.
Which is it? Your last paragraph shows you asking for evidence which has been provided and then you make an about face and say it isn’t proof enough.
Which is it?
I am not convicting Joe. At the present time, all I can say is the evidence is mounting and that the Bidens should be forced to release all data involved with the SAR and other evidence. Don’t you agree?
Anonymous,
“ Ye is integrally involved in at least one of the shell companies Biden is involved with. Ye is closely affiliated with CCP military intelligence and has agents elsewhere who were convicted of bribery.
Why do you think that is not important?
Nobody thinks it’s important.
“Nobody thinks it’s important.”
Your N=1 is evidence to you, but anyone that understands N=1 recognizes you as a fool.
Those nobody’s are investigating in the House while you ignorantly utter meaningless words.
“Wow. Turley is really grasping at straws now?”
Svelaz, what is your explanation for the $10 Million Romanian dollars going to members of the Biden family?
S. Meyer, what is the problem with making $10 million Romanian dollars? What is the exchange rate for a Romanian dollar vs. a U.S. dollar? Last time I looked it’s not illegal making Romanian dollars. BTW Romanians don’t use “Romanian dollars”. They use Lei. That’s just a bit over $2 million. What’s the crime?
“What’s the crime?”
What did they do for the money?
Let’s see some invoices or contracts since the same people involved are involved in suspicious activity reports. SAR’s are used to detect crimes and when seen lead to investigations.
S, Meyer,
“ What did they do for the money?
Let’s see some invoices or contracts since the same people involved are involved in suspicious activity reports. SAR’s are used to detect crimes and when seen lead to investigations.”
What business is it of yours what they do for the money? What is the crime S. Meyer? What possible reason would you have to butt your nose into Hunter Biden’s business? You have no probable cause or anything close to it. So what other reason bedsides, “we need to look if there was anything illegal”? You do realize that it’s still a private citizen’s business, right? What right to you have to look into his business deals without evidence of a crime other than being suspicious? What do YOU suspect was the crime and what is your evidence that it was committed? You’re looking for a crime you can’t articulate. That’s the literal definition of a witch-hunt.
“What business is it of yours what they do for the money?”
Criminal activity seems to surround these companies. Are you suggesting that because Joe Biden is President they shouldn’t be investigated?
“ Criminal activity seems to surround these companies.”
What criminal activity? “Seems” shows us even YOU are not certain of the claim.
“ Are you suggesting that because Joe Biden is President they shouldn’t be investigated?”
Investigated for what? Hunter Biden is not the president. Your still can’t articulate exactly what these crimes are and how are they relevant? That someone else may have or seemed to have been committing crimes means what? How does that relate to president Biden?
“What criminal activity? “Seems” shows us even YOU are not certain of the claim.”
Educated people do not draw final conclusions when all the evidence isn’t in but they can recognize where the evidence is heading.
You are not educated. You believe N=1 is proof and that evidence isn’t evidence until the person is indicted. That is why most on the blog consider you a fool and those on your side don’t run to protect your stupid ideas.
“What possible reason would you have to butt your nose into Hunter Biden’s business?”
Joe Biden if involved is selling American secrets.
Do you think the President VP or even a private individual should be creating a way to provide American secrets to an enemy of the US?
You should be anxious to exonerate Joe Biden, but first you say he didn’t lie and then you admit he did.
Why did you lie? Why did Joe Biden lie?
Anonymous,
“ Joe Biden if involved is selling American secrets.”
BWAHAHAHAH!!!!!!
IF involved. So you are claiming that President. Joe Biden may be selling American secrets. THAT is your suspicion? No wonder you’re nuts.
“ Do you think the President VP or even a private individual should be creating a way to provide American secrets to an enemy of the US?
You should be anxious to exonerate Joe Biden, but first you say he didn’t lie and then you admit he did.
Why did you lie? Why did Joe Biden lie?”
What makes you think the “President VP” is “creating a way to provide American secrets? Wow. You’re definitely way in the nut job spectrum of conspiracy theories.
Trump was friendly with a lot of our enemies. Putin, Kim, Even China’s Xi. He was caught hoarding classified top secret documents and YOU think Biden was looking for ways to sell american sescrets? BWAHHAHAHAHAAH!!!!!!!! Trump would have been more suspect since he is the one who kept blurting out our secrets to our one enemies. He wouldn’t be above selling them some for a good price.
He didn’t lie about what you claimed, that still doesn’t make lying a crime. Obviously you have difficulty making that distinction. Because….you think Biden is looking to sell American secrets….BWAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!
“may be selling American secrets.”
Yes, even without his knowledge. Due to the influence and dealings with Chinese officials and these shell companies an American company with secrets changed hands opening those secrets to the Chinese military.
That is the answer to your question, ‘why I should care’. The above is not proven to have created a transfer of secrets. It is a reason for caring. Once the question arises we should all care. Why don’t you?
“Hunter Biden’s Business Dealings Created ‘Counterintelligence And Extortion Concerns,’ Senate Report Says”
https://dailycaller.com/2020/09/23/hunter-biden-senate-report-ukraine-china-burisma/
“What makes you think the “President VP” is “creating a way to provide American secrets? “
Biden has proven himself to be a risk. Look at how papers that should never have been in his private hands were open to his son and other people that entered his home. Questions arise could those papers have been used inappropriately by others for payment?
Don’t you think Biden should be more careful with his papers and what his drug addict son was permitted to know?
Aren’t drug addicted and sex addicted people more prone than other of bribery?
“Trump was friendly with a lot of our enemies. Putin, Kim, Even China’s Xi. “
What does Trump have to do with Biden? Trump new how to deal with these dictators. Our tensions with Kim decreased. Xi was paying a lot of tariffs and moving in the right direction. Ukraine would not have been attacked by Putin. The Afghanistan withdrawal would have been cleaner lacking the data and destruction caused by Biden.
Yes, stupid people don’t know how to get along with their enemies. Trump did and that is why he was successful.
“Trump would have been more suspect since he is the one who kept blurting out our secrets to our one enemies.”
Since you say Trump blurted out secrets you should be able to tell us what those secrets were and why they were secrets in the first place. You know nothing about international policy. You prove yourself to be an ignoramus with every response.
S. Meyer, SARs are just reports of suspicious transactions. They are not evidence of a crime. Unless there is more than mere suspicion they can’t do anything legally. They must have supporting evidence that a crime may have been committed. So far none has been put forth. Mere allegations and insinuations are not evidence of a crime.
“SARs are just reports of suspicious transactions. They are not evidence of a crime.”
The Democrats found none against Trump yet they tried to convict him. Here we find around 150 SAR’s. The SAR’s and the number of SAR’s are evidence that the companies and principles involved must release all their documents and explain why the SAR’s were legal.
Why is the Biden family lying and preventing access to all their records?
Romania’s unit of currency is the leu. There is no such thing as a Romanian dollar.
How much is the biden cartel allowed to make off this deal: the White House has stopped requesting that American think tanks disclose funding from foreign governments. “This is not the policy of the U.S. State Department,” an agency spokesperson said last month.
The dude is scum, face it. He will sell you out for a nickel. He is owned.
Biden apologists say that no crime has been proven. Actually there is an obvious crime right in front of us: accepting money from a foreign government for performance of his employment. 18 USC 209.
Edward, huh?
Accepting what money? All the money being made is by Hunter Biden. He’s not employed by the government. Just making money is not a crime either.
“b) Nothing herein prevents an officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States Government, or of any independent agency of the United States, or of the District of Columbia, from continuing to participate in a bona fide pension, retirement, group life, health or accident insurance, profit-sharing, stock bonus, or other employee welfare or benefit plan maintained by a former employer.”
Oops. It’s seems it’s legal after all. Thanks. “Nothing prevents an officer or employee of the executive branch of the United States Government or any independent agency…from continuing to participate in a bona fide pension, retirement, group life, health or accident insurance. PROFIT SHARING, STOCK BONUS or other benefit plan maintained by a former employer.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/209
Looks like it’s not illegal to make money still. Thanks for proving my point Ed.
Svelaz – Joe Biden accepted money from foreign governments while he was employed br the USA. The fact that the money was to a surrogate (his family members), or came from surrogates of a foreign government, should make no difference. The law cannot be avoided that easily.
“ Svelaz – Joe Biden accepted money from foreign governments while he was employed br the USA. The fact that the money was to a surrogate (his family members), or came from surrogates of a foreign government, should make no difference. The law cannot be avoided that easily.”
Joe Biden didn’t accept any money. That’s the problem everyone who is trying to accuse Joe Biden has. What proof do you have that he accepted the money? His son made some money and that is NOT illegal. What is the crime? What law was violated? You stated 18 USC 209, but that law ALLOWS government officials to make money. If you actually read thru the whole statute you would learn that it is not illegal or a crime. Besides Hunter Biden is the one making the money, not Joe Biden. The statute does not even apply to him
Turley needs to organize his valuable insights on free speech into a book. The work should recount the historic struggle for this right as a tenet of western civilization. A particular milestone of discussion is Mill’s ON LIBERTY. The work should next recount the massive retreat from these principles in the last few decades.
Footnote 2 here
https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/115294/witnesses/HHRG-118-FD00-Wstate-TurleyP-20230209.pdf
has a couple volumes “forthcoming 2023” plus his recent definitive paper, “Harm and Hegemony”.
I’ll say this for the communist media in the United States, they are loyal to the cause if nothing else. Lie, cheat, steal, and if necessary, refuse to run the biggest corruption story in history of the Biden family sucking foreign cash like cows at a trough. Even the FBI ignores congressional subpoenas like they are a sovereign country and above any oversight. The tail is officially wagging the dog in America. It’s time for the dog to bite back. Hard. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article.
It’s more than a shame Professor. The Twitter files showed that it was a conspiracy at least on Twitter. The rest of the mainstream media does not need to be told to suppress the news because they do it willingly. ABC and NBC are beyond repair and CBS occasionally gets a piece of news and reports it but mainly it reports puff pieces and whale songs on it’s nightly news. My son and wife still watch it and it’s painful and embarrassing to watch when you have already seen the daily news stories on other media. If I want left wing media without major suppression, I go to the BBC online. I know they are left but they still report the stories. That has been going on for decades. As far back as the Viet Nam war. Having grown up in that era I had many friends who served and relayed to me what was was said in the news and what actually happened. The TET offensive was blown up in the US as a major victory for the Viet Cong, when it was, in fact, a major defeat and destroyed the Viet Cong and the war was carried on by the North Vietnamese army. You heard none of that at home yet it was known. The Viet Cong had some spectacular raids at first but then they were destroyed over the subsequent weeks in the areas around Saigon and Hue. All the news talked about was casualties and not the gains of the US Army and Marines. And Walter Cronkite (the most trusted name in news) was complicit. It would have been like reporting the Normandy Landings had failed because of OmahaBeach was rough the first day yet the other 4 Beaches were incredibly successful and then Omaha made up ground and moved on. It’s just been downhill since. That’s why the original Fox News was such a breath of fresh air and has been attacked by the rest ever since.
I’m older than you professor with even a longer perspective.
Thank you, Professor Turley, for framing the issues so well. The problem is multi-faceted. First: We have an executive branch whose ostensible leader is inept and corrupt. We have an administrative state that has the power to shape policies that are not in the best interests of the citizens of our great country – DHS, EPA, DOJ, FBI, and yes, even the SEC. The legislative branch is attempting to fulfill its obligations under the system of checks and balances, but is encountering extraordinary resistance from the executive branch. Yesterday morning, Maria Bartiromo interviewed James Comer about the document that the FBI has refused to provide. During the course of that interview, it was revealed that the “source” is apparently missing. It was a chilling moment. Now, give. the collusive arrangement between the mainstream media and the government, most of the citizenry will not ever know about these developments. But the DOJ and the FBI are on “inquiry notice” of the corruption involving the Biden family. They have a responsibility to investigate and do the right thing here. It’s time for a Special Counsel to be appointed. If Merrick “the mouse” Garland won’t do that, we should all be very afraid.
The problem with the “state media” and “censorship” argument, there is no evidence the progressive clowns want to know, or even try to know – they are happy in their ignorance. The media gives the mentally ill progressive college educated women validation, that is all they want. That and 36 week abortions and sterilizing young children with puberty blockers.
Come’on!
If the NYT can get a Pulitzer for their so-called reporting of Russiagate, and then ignore it their failure you know MSM is going to ignore this real Pulitzer prize winning journalism piece.
But they would have to be real journalists in the first place.
This column will certainly bring replies of “What about Trump?”
Many people on the road to perdition unfortunately. Easy answers? No, no, there are none. I used to think, “Well, if we could only elect so and so…” I don’t think that anymore. Too much evil in this world. Jesus Christ is the only answer that can save us from this mess.
When these Congressional committees finally stop choking their chickens, put some serious beef on the table and refer to the DOJ, we’ll know who’s coming to dinner and who isn’t… As one left-leaning spokesperson suggested yesterday….after 5 years its time to sh’t or get off the pot.
Blinken and Wray/Garland have now defied House subpoenas. There are three possible responses:
1. Negotiate accommodations;
2. Seek judicial assistance;
3. Impeach them; and/or
4. Partially defund.
At this point, given the lengthy judicial process, including appeals, I would do a combination of 3 and 4.
Anyone left out there who DOESN’T think the Dims are the Crime Party?
I think it’s time to admit, WE (The U.S. Citizens) are now all inside a Soft Coup (Soft Coup d’état).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_coup
The Deep State Powers, Democratic Party, and RINOs have shown that They are the Puppeteers engaging in Democratic Backsliding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_backsliding
Cont.
It remains to be seen that 2024 National Election becomes a Constitutional Coup.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_coup#United_States,_2000
Re: Ackerman, Bruce (2001). “Anatomy of a Constitutional Coup” (PDF). Yale Law Review – via Yale.
https://ylr.law.yale.edu/pdfs/2002/Coup.pdf
Cont.
Stonewalling the Biden Probe
FBI Response to Subpoena 2023-05-10 [TO: The Honorable James Comer Commitee Chair]
https://www.scribd.com/document/644592064/FBI-Response-to-Subpoena-2023-05-10#download&from_embed
I really don’t care about the corrupt media
I however REALLY care that the DOJ, FBI, IRS, DHS, CDC, many DC judges, etc are 100% corrupt for Democrats
Time to dismantle DC
-Impeach entire Cabinet, President and VP
Plan 2023
-Cut 50% of Fed gov
-Move 75% of DC to Heartland
-Remove entire leadership of DOJ, IRS, DHS and FBI
-5% tax Gross wall street trans & money goes offshore
-Tax all non-profits anyone gets $100k: colleges, hospitals, etc
-Ban fed aid/loans cities, states & college, make them fund themselves
-Jail Russian Hoax, COVID liars & Biden protectors, etc
-Ban public unions $ politics, only voters can fund politics
-Remove tax credits renewables, affordable housing, etc
-voting 1 day, in person, with ID, I don’t care if you vote, I care if you cheat
– 12 year limit on federal office….judge, president, senate, congress