Below is my column in the New York Post on how the Justice Department took five years to “resolve” the long-standing problem with Hunter Biden. The effort to “resolve Hunter” has been a concerted effort by the political and legal establishment. It may not however work in light of newly released evidence from the House involving allegations of an effort to delay and deter charges by high-ranking officials. The Justice Department is denying the allegation that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss was somehow prevented from bringing cases in two other jurisdictions. That should be a simple matter to disprove and the whistleblower could be mistaken or misinformed. However, there are also communications from Hunter Biden (and well as other allegations) that have not been previously disclosed and need to be addressed.
Here is the column:
“Hunter is resolved.”
Those words yesterday from Hunter Biden’s counsel, Chris Clark, were confident and certain. He declared the “five-year investigation” effectively closed even as the Justice Department insisted the investigation is “ongoing.”
If none of this seems to make sense, it is because it doesn’t.
For years, the political and media elite have struggled to “resolve” the disaster that is Hunter. They have finally done so with a long-predicted “controlled demolition” of the scandal by having the president’s son plead guilty to a couple of minor tax violations without a serious threat of jail time.
They even threw in a phantom felony allegation that will evaporate once Hunter completes a diversion program.
The diversion program is particularly insulting to the intelligence of the American people. Hunter is reportedly no longer an addict, having attended treatment and taken up painting. Yet he will be treated like he is a junkie picked up in a drug sweep, and everyone will pretend that this is about addiction rather than corruption.
The Justice Department continues to refuse to confirm what it means by an “ongoing investigation,” but it had often used this claim to refuse to share material with Congress.
There is reason to be suspicious. First, no one can explain why it took five years for the investigation of two minor tax counts and a gun allegation that could have been confirmed in a month.
Indeed, an IRS whistleblower alleged that Hunter was given preferential treatment and that the whistleblower’s team was removed from further work on the case by the Justice Department.
Hunter also never faced any charges after videotaping himself engaged in interstate violations involving a host of prostitutes and drugs. That is now simply material for his scrapbook.
There is a glaring omission of any charge under the Foreign Agents Registration Act despite the Justice Department using this charge freely against associates of former President Donald Trump like Paul Manafort.
However, again, it would not take five years to establish this crime (which was done in little time with Manafort). Hunter seems to have been simply given a pass on what was likely the greatest concern for the White House.
The most notable omission is the failure of any apparent investigation into the expanding scandal surrounding the influence-peddling operation of the Biden family.
Despite the release of evidence by the House Oversight Committee showing potentially millions of dollars in transfers to Biden family members from foreign sources, Attorney General Merrick Garland has blocked any appointment of a special counsel.
This refusal has continued even with references to President Biden as “the big guy” who was supposed to receive a percentage of the deals and the recent disclosure of bribery allegations by a trusted FBI source.
Notably, in his interview, Clark not only declared “the five-year investigation into Hunter … resolved,” he confirmed that he had no recollection of ever being asked about his client’s abandoned laptop by the investigators in Delaware.
If true, the Justice Department succeeded in spending more than five years investigating Hunter while avoiding the two most significant allegations: influence peddling and working as an illegal foreign agent.
It is akin to driving in a bumper car and avoiding any contact at all with another car … for over five years. It takes real skill.
It was clearly a good day for Hunter and the Bidens. At the same time that he was given a pass by the Justice Department, Hunter cut a deal to reduce his child support for his daughter Navy while getting her mother to drop her request for the girl to actually be called a Biden.
It is not clear what is a greater relief for the Biden family: that Hunter will not be known as a felon or Navy will not be known as a Biden.
What is particularly chilling is that the establishment in Washington is not even trying to rebut the widespread view of a two-tiered system of justice. Garland has failed in his pledge to restore trust in the Justice Department, which is now lower than it was under his predecessor, Bill Barr.
The media is again burying stories on the evidence of millions in payments to the Bidens.
In Congress, Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY), who has opposed efforts to investigate Biden influence peddling, even praised Hunter for his courage. Goldman said that Hunter “should be commended for taking accountability and accepting responsibility.”
That’s right, Hunter is actually commendable for, after over five years, pleading to two misdemeanors with no likely jail time. For a Biden, that apparently is the very profile of courage.
It simply does not matter that the public now views both the Justice Department and the media as politically compromised. The important thing is President Biden has again declared that he is “proud of my son.”
He should be. No one but a Biden could have avoided any meaningful consequences for the litany of corrupt and criminal allegations against Hunter. It takes a true Biden to do that. Not a Navy, of course. She is not a true Biden.
After all, the 4-year-old just got her clock cleaned in court. No Biden worth the name would ever let that happen.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
I read this article. I think You put a lot of effort to create this article. I appreciate your work. 5 Timers Club Jacket
As they say, “The facts are not in dispute, the only question is ‘can we sell it?’”
..has anyone else noticed that most of the uber-critical trolls here are not only rude & disrespectful in the way they ‘challenge Prof. Turley – in his own forum no less… but they obviously haven’t done the research to enlighten themselves before opening their woke mouths…? ..so glaringly off base re: the Biden Crime Family that it actually hurts to read their arrogant rubbish………….
“It’s the [communist ‘free stuff’], stupid!”
– James Carville
_____________
Nothing matters except the employment of any and all tactics which will potentially result it the maximal acquisition of “free stuff.”
Dennis The Meanass and his “partner,” NUTCHACHACHA, aka Gigi, are tasked by the communist party daily with free-form “oppo” ops in which they throw all the mud they can against the wall simply to determine which of it sticks, if anything at all.
The don’t subscribe to the American thesis of freedom and self-reliance, but the communist slogan, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
18, they are either paid partisans, we sure saw it on Twitter, partisan hacks or just contrarian nuts. Dennis is the new Svelaz and he, like Svelaz, is easy to ignore. That is why I wish everyone would pick a name and eschew being called Anonymous. Come on folks, pick a name.
how about creating an account and using YOUR OWN NAME…. and stop hiding behind made up trolling handles you “pick”?
That is if you want a little honest discourse and not the endless partisan trollfest this comment section usually consists of…
Yep we’re all jews now according to the seditious democrats extremophiles in the DC swamp. Bend over America is their platform for their DNC….
Buh buh freedom.
This is a well written well stated piece. But I wonder how many actually are conscious enough to be cognizant of the fact they are watching a play play out, and they are being played.
Those that are are also aware that in 2 months there will be another well written well stated piece in Huffington Post, or whatever blog the liberals frequent these days, talking about how Trump got off scot free or with a slap on the wrist also.
He’s not going to jail either. Then half the country can’t vote for him and no one wants that. They want you to vote for him. They want the wokesters to vote for Biden, or whoever they get to replace him.
They want you, …us, …America, ..voting for one or the other. The LAST thing they want is for you to ignore the corporate darlings they put in front of you for someone who’s actually going to, … you know, … do something.
Especially if they’re doing it to them.
Who’s them? Who’s they?
That’s the question you need to be asking yourselves, if you don’t know already.
If you don’t already realize that what you’re seeing is a play. A combination of a well choregraphed musical and a well choreographed wrestling match. The contestants are just caricatures, like Hulk Hogan or the Iron Sheik.
They put on a great show. But its just a show.
No the Iron Sheik didn’t hit the Hulkster in the head with a chair really, and no no ones going to jail here, really.
Its a show.
In wrestling used to be they could go into the ring and just do some throws, a few elbows and a head bash into the turnbuckles once or twice and the audience would lap it up. But as audiences grew bored they upped the spectacle. Made it more salacious and personal between the contestants and their fans. Personal attacks and insults, obvious cheating, distracting the ref then pouring salt in their opponents eyes, etc.
But they’re not really doing it. They’re not really bashing each other over the head with metal chairs, and the DOJ is not going to send a former US president to jail over a common practice of mishandling documents that all Presidents are guilty of.
Its a show.
And you’d not watch it, if it weren’t salacious and entertaining.
6 months ago no one was watching. Folks got burnt out on Trump fever, and all the sideline cheerleading by the media to get us to side with one side or the other, Fox pushing the right, MSNBC and CNN and the rest pushing the left. Egging you on….. like a kid in a schoolyard playground… “hey…did you here what so-and-so just said about you?….”…. egging you into the fight. Their fight. The staged fight they want you in. So you keep buying tickets.
Nothings going to happen to Trump either. Its a show.
No there aren’t flying saucers at the Pentagon, or anywhere else unless we built em… no we’re not going to WWIII with Russia, … yes the pandemic was a scamdemic, all about money and control and no, nothings going to change whether you vote for Donald Trump or the drugged dementia patient they currently sit in front of the cameras to recite lines for you.
Its a show. Question is, when are folks going to actually wake up and realize it.
Its not sexy after all, …not like a Friday night smackdown with Trump vs Biden…. no nothing so salacious and enticing.
Instead just boring corporate Oligarchs running the bought and paid for puppets they put into place.
And watching us, the audience, cheer and applaud, hiss and boo.
This isn’t politics we see, its the WWE.
I wonder sometimes why some people go to law school in the first place–is it to use their talents to secure justice, particularly for those who are the victims of other’s negligent or criminal conduct, or is it for the money? In Turley’s case, it is obviously the latter. Here’s one of his assignments: to feed into the trope that both the Justice Department and the media are politically compromised. Here’s on example: “….any meaningful consequences for the litany of corrupt and criminal allegations against Hunter.” Turley KNOWS that there aren’t any “consequences”, much less “meaningful” consequences for nothing more than suspicions or “criminal allegations”. Mainstream media does NOT have the agenda to report this kind of nonsense, which is the bread and butter of alt-right media, of which Turley has chosen to participate, so he, too, attacks MSM. Hunter has been investigated for years–and has pleaded guilty to a firearms charge and failure to pay taxes–he has since paid them. But, that’s not enough because there’s nothing proven against JOE Biden.
And, Turley’s attacks on media are based on–what, exactly? Because they don’t harp on the “Hunter Biden Scandal”, or because they don’t try to defend Trump against the crimes he committed–which we’ve all seen–including fomenting an insurrection because he lost a free and fair election, his efforts to get state election officials to “find” nonexistent votes, paying off an adult actress with campaign funds and then falsifying records, and his deliberate theft of classified documents. Turley can attack Hunter Biden all day long, but what has JOE Biden done that is criminal, and where is the proof? Republicans and their media allies haven’t come up with anything other than “allegations” and innuendo. which Turley is paid to promote, but all he can come up with is “allegations” and other qualifying language that basically says nothing substantive. Turley wants to whine about government being used for political purposes, but what about the endless efforts of the House to try to rehabilitate Trump’s image, including trying to “expunge” his two impeachments, multiple baseless efforts to impeach Joe Biden, its endless attacks on Democrats, it’s phony claims that government has been “weaponized”–all to what end? To try to promote the failed political career of a malignant narcissist who cannot legally win the votes of the majority of Americans, especially after the disasterous 4 years we as a country suffered under his “leadership”–a rotten deal to turn loose 5,000 Taliban prisoners and draw down our troops to only 2,500, a pandemic out of control, trade war with China, resulting in shortages of consumer goods and computer chips, businesses, schools and restaurants closed for about 2 years, fractured relations with our EU and NATO allies, and decimation of our once-thriving economy. Turley has decided to sell his services to support the agenda to re-elect this loser–who, BTW, cheated to get into office. Because of his appointments of radical right-wing judges, women have lost the right to choose, and GYN physicians report that the Dobbs decision is affecting their ability to provide quality care to their patients. And, Turley wants to use his talents to try to get this person back into a position of power, and/or to avoid being held accountable for his conduct? It’s pathetic, really.
Liked by 1 person
that upvote: SMH
Peter, you are just angry Hunter Biden did not grab you in the ass. He’s just not that into you
😜
Hunter Biden kicked out of $10K sex club for ‘grabbing women’s asses,’ acting like a ‘spoiled child’
https://nypost.com/2023/06/22/hunter-biden-kicked-out-of-sex-club-for-grabbing-womens-asses/
Honey, Say it with us real slow….Biden….was….installed…..he was not….elected.
Trump is one of the greatest presidents of YOUR lifetime.
“Hunter is resolved.” is the new Lets Go Brandon.
I know I will recall that phrase election day 2024.
I will remind all my friends and family.
JT
I bet you aren’t getting any more invitations to cocktail parties from your former leftist friends. And I’m just waiting for the first one to call you a ‘nazi’ too.
Welcome to the dark side.
antonio
Huh? The truth is the truth—- regardless who reveals it. Truth is not relative…..it is absolute! Eat your crow and live with it, el malo.
[QUOTE] The most notable omission is the failure of any apparent investigation into the expanding scandal surrounding the influence-peddling operation of the Biden family. [/QUOTE]
Yes. The FBI used a doctored FISA application to surveil Carter Page. Once that was in place, those who were in Carter’s circle were surveilled, as were people they conversed with.
[SARC] Odd how restricted Hunter’s case has been. It’s almost as though the DOJ didn’t want to expand it to inlude other bad actors! [/SARC]
Note to the “Bumpkin From Bakersfield”:
Dear Squeaker HicCarthy, “[t]he House of Representatives shall…have the sole Power of Impeachment…” of “[t]he President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States…” for “…[t]reason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
If you can’t be effective, Mr. Squeaker, at least send a message.
___________________________________________________
Article 1, Section 2
The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article 2, Section 4
The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors
In a two-tiered justice system just as it is not always the process or purpose of an “investigation” to obtain incriminating evidence and then pursue it for the probability of further condemnatory evidence, neither is an “ongoing investigation” always the process or purpose to obtain incriminating evidence and then pursue it for the probability of further condemnatory evidence. Turley hammers the nail in one decisive blow suggesting the actual purpose of an “ongoing investigation” is often a ruse simply to keep evidentiary facts from the public.
Where is John Sirica when we need him more than ever?
(Wiki) “Judge John Sirica did not believe the claim that they had acted alone, and through the use of provisional sentencing strongly encouraged them to give information about higher-ups before final sentencing. One defendant, James W. McCord Jr., then wrote a letter describing a broader scheme of involvement by people in the Nixon administration.”
Also, we read here “Hunter is reportedly no longer an addict, having attended treatment and taken up painting.” He’s getting $75,000 per print anf $500,000 per original for his infantile finger painting, and refusing to disclose the buyers. This smells mightily of a money laundering scheme. I suspect a lot of the money is coming from those numerous accounts the Bidens set up to hide their millions in bribes from Ukraine, Russia, Romania, China et al.
Would the IRS let your average American finger-painter get away with this without opening an investigation? Not a chance.