Below is my column in the Hill on the growing controversy surrounding the investigation of Hunter Biden. I previously wrote on the failure of Attorney General Merrick Garland to restore public trust in his department. This is far more serious. Someone is lying. The allegations raised against the Department now have potentially criminal and impeachable elements. As such, the authority of Congress to investigate is at its apex. If U.S. Attorney General David Weiss was denied the ability to bring charges in two other jurisdictions and was denied a request for special counsel status, Garland’s past statements to Congress stand contradicted. Alternatively, these whistleblowers (who offered detailed accounts, including the names of other witnesses) have lied to Congress. Even if past statements are untrue or misleading, Garland may not be aware of contradictions given his seemingly shrinking presence at Justice. Despite the unanimous vote opposition of Democratic members on the Committee, the House must move forward and demand answers from Garland, Weiss, and others. It should also finally call in Hunter Biden, if necessary under compulsion, to end the obfuscation over these messages. The solution to what I have called the “seven-percent solution” is a congressional subpoena.
Here is the column:
“I’m not the deciding official.”
Those five words, allegedly from Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, shocked IRS and FBI investigators in a meeting on October 22, 2022. This is because, in refusing to appoint a special counsel, Attorney Garland Merrick Garland had repeatedly assured the public and Congress that Weiss had total authority over his investigation.
IRS supervisory agent Gary A. Shapley Jr. told Congress he was so dismayed by Weiss’s statement and other admissions that he memorialized them in a communication to other team members.
Shapley and another whistleblower detail what they describe as a pattern of interference with their investigation of Hunter Biden, including the denial of searches, lines of questioning, and even attempted indictments.
The only thing abundantly clear is that someone is lying. Either these whistleblowers are lying to Congress, or these Justice Department officials (including Garland) are lying.
The response from both Hunter Biden’s counsel and the attorney general himself only deepened the concerns.
Christopher Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, responded to a shocking Whatsapp message that the president’s son had allegedly sent to a Chinese official with foreign intelligence contacts who was funneling millions to him.
“I am sitting here with my father,” the younger Biden wrote, “and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
President Biden has repeatedly told the public that he had no knowledge or involvement in his son’s dealings. He maintained the denial despite audiotapes of him referring to business dealings, photos and meetings with his son’s business associates, as well as an eyewitness account of an in-person meeting.
Clark did not deny that the above-quoted message had been sent. He only said that it was “illegal” to release the text (he did not explain why) and then added that “[a]ny verifiable words or actions of my client in the midst of a horrible addiction are solely his own and have no connection to anyone in his family.”
Most of us expected a simple denial. Yet, after five years, Hunter has never even denied that the laptop was his. His team has continued with the same non-denial denials.
The transcript also details how investigators wanted to confirm the authenticity of the Whatsapp message through the company. The Justice Department reportedly shut down that effort.
If Hunter Biden was evasive, Garland was irate. He denounced the allegations as “an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy, and essential to the safety of the American people.”
The statement bordered on delusion. Polls show that a majority of the public now views the Justice Department as politically compromised and even engaged in election interference. The level of trust in the department under Garland is now lower than it was under his predecessor, Bill Barr.
These questions are not an attack on the institution, but on what some are doing with it. Garland’s reaction is akin to doctors responding to malpractice lawsuits as attacks on medicine itself.
As in the past, Garland continued to insist that the public must trust him and his department, because “You’ve all heard me say many times that we make our cases based on the facts and the law.” Once again, he reminded citizens that “these are not just words. These are what we live by.”
For those us who once supported Garland’s nomination as Attorney General, it was another maddening moment. Garland has done little to change the view of his department or to address the political bias that has plagued it and the FBI for years. That record has resulted in blistering reports from the Inspector General and most recently Special Counsel John Durham.
Garland does have a motto. Yet, as these allegations pile up it is becoming more and more of a meaningless mantra.
The attorney general has a growing problem. For years, many of us have criticized him for his inexplicable refusal to appoint a Special Counsel on the Biden influence peddling scandal. Indeed, I have written over a dozen columns on why such an appointment seemed unavoidable, given the references to the president under various code names as a possible recipient of money and other benefits from foreign deals.
Even after a respected FBI source detailed allegations of a bribery scheme involving Ukrainian figures, Garland still refused to make the appointment. Such an appointment would not only expose Joe Biden to high-risk interviews, but would also allow the Special Counsel to issue a report on influence peddling by his family.
Garland was willing to appoint a Special Counsel to look into classified records found in Biden’s various offices, yet he continues to bar an appointment on major corruption allegations implicating the president.
It was impossible to investigate these matters without tripping over the president and other family members. The whistleblowers detailed repeated occasions in which they were told to back off.
Even the narrow tax issues addressed in Hunter’s recent plea bargain relate to those broader issues, given the source of these funds. Influence peddling may be lawful, but it is also corrupt. Indeed, it is the favorite form of corruption in Washington and a virtual family legacy of the Bidens.
It is the concealment of the corruption that often results in crimes, from false statements to tax evasion to unlawful financial transactions to unlawful work as an unregistered foreign agent.
The whistleblowers allege that the Justice Department consistently cut them off in seeking searches or answers related to President Biden. However, the line that stood out the most was this: “U.S. Attorney Weiss stated that he subsequently asked for special counsel authority from Main DOJ at that time and was denied that authority.”
If true, that means that Garland was not just hearing from experts and members of Congress calling for an appointment, but that Weiss himself also saw the need for such an appointment. Moreover, the report indicates that others in the investigation believed that there was a need to create such separation from the Justice Department in light of what they viewed as the special treatment given the president’s son.
These accounts could explain why the Justice Department took five years to secure a guilty plea to two misdemeanors that could have been established in the first month of the investigation.
It would explain why there is no evidence of serious investigation into the influence peddling or a charge under FARA. It would explain why Hunter’s lawyer cannot recall ever being asked about the laptop.
It would explain why the problem is not the Justice Department’s motto, but the man who is tasked with fulfilling it.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law for George Washington University.
Going to need quite a bit more info on dates. If Weiss made a request, when did he do so? And when exactly were the whistleblowers frustrated at getting go-aheads? Garland doesn’t enter the picture until March, 2021. And Bill Barr was extremely cautious about action in this area during 2020 due to DOJs internal policies on probes that might interfere with an election.
Yet more evidence, along with the Durham report, and Barr’s subsequent criticism of Trump with regard to the documents subpoena, that Barr was exactly the OPPOSITE of the liberal garbage tossed around about him.
SteveJ, while I have a lot of respect for Barr I am coming to the conclusion that his failure to investigate Biden or warn the country about him led to Biden’s election as president:
1. Barr allowed the FBI and DOJ to sit on the laptop, despite its having been verified in November 2019. This was before Trump’s impeachment for asking Zelensky to investigate Biden’s corrupt activities in Ukraine.
2. Barr did nothing to investigate the money laundering activities and network of the Biden family, now revealed by Comer, despite all the SARs sitting at Treasury.
3. Barr did not take vigorous action to investigate the credible allegation of bribery/extortion involving Joe Biden revealed in the June 30 2020 Form 1023, referring it to Weiss instead, where he allowed it to be buried. So far, there is no evidence that these allegations were ever investigated.
4. Barr allowed the FBI to help censor the NY Post revelation of the laptop, despite its verification, and made no comment about the letter published by the 51 former intelligence officers.
Imagine if Barr had done his job and launched serious investigations in late 2019. Imagine if he had alerted the country to the credible evidence of Biden’s bribery/extortion and money laundering.
There is obviously a concern about the launching of politically sensitive investigations and the disclosure of those investigations and the information they uncover. By the same token, there is a concern about covering up highly suspicious conduct that involves the possible corruption by foreign interests of a presidential candidate. Barr appears to have given great weight to the former and virtually none to the latter. By doing so he helped get Biden elected.
Daniel, Steve wrote, “And Bill Barr was extremely cautious about action in this area during 2020 due to DOJs internal policies on probes that might interfere with an election.”
However, he didn’t seem concerned when he permitted himself to be interviewed about Trump and was happy to play the IF game. He also seemed to lean the other way when things favorable to Trump appeared in 2000Mules and even downgraded its veracity by using the wrong metric. He is very smooth. I read a good portion of his book, heard him speak, and even had a few comments with him. He knows how to play the game. Does he play that game too well?
His interview wasn’t a DOJ investigation subject to internal DOJ policy.
It wasn’t, but it is about the man and how he wishes people to see him. He is very smooth, sometimes so smooth it causes one to wonder. I so happen to like Barr, but I worry. Is he promoting the law without bias, or is he that good that it is everywhere unseen? He has perfected his outer layer so well it is near impossible to see through it.
I believe he was a solid Bush guy. Maybe some of what I felt were improper actions were his loyalty to the Bush family, which shows through without him being aware. Maybe not.
Well first, there is a difference between birbery/extortion and influence peddling. Influence peddling may well be a matter for the House, but it’s got nothing to do with DOJ. As for things DOJ related, it’s not at all clear what Barr had. You’d certainly hope Turley isn’t claiming that a Special Counsel should be formed during an election year. He seems to love them like a fish to water, but it’s just begging for disaster.
And in regards to influence peddling, the House has had 6 months of Republican rule. Get on with it and produce.
SteveJ, the allegations in the June 30 1023 are explicitly about bribery/extortion. That is a crime. They were made before the 60 or 90 day period in the alleged DOJ policy kicked in. The SARs were sitting at Treasury for years. They appear to show a sophisticated money laundering operation. The laptop was verified in November 2019. It implicates Joe Biden in Hunter Biden’s “businesses.” There was more than enough to open a criminal investigation into Joe Biden long before the November 2020 election date.
I agree that Comer and Jordan need to get on with it. But Barr should have acted when he had the power and the evidence. Now, with Biden controlling the executive branch, it is difficult to overcome the stonewalling. That Biden now does control the executive branch may well be in part attributable to Barr’s failure to act.
Yeah. It’s a 1023 of unverified unspecified general information. What do you want Barr to do about it?
An alcohol fueled night out to a London Bar, launched an investigation into a Presidential campaign. The 1023 carries much more weight.
“long before the November 2020 election date.”
Daniel, I think it is near impossible to prove Barr acted inappropriately, but you are moving the dial.
@Daniel,
You have the SARs but you need to tie them together.
Company A pays Company B (1 SAR)
Company B pays Company C (another different SAR)
Company C pays Bidens. (another SAR)
Now these SARs are for different amounts and the businesses do multiple things so its going to be hard to show a pass through unless you’re specifically looking for it.
That is to say… the evidence is hiding in plain sight but you would never know.
-G
Well written!
To 3. In early ’20, Barr “found” ’17 “leftovers” from Sessions and passed it over to Brady in Pittsburgh, PA. On 6/30/20 they create “1023” after they interviewed confidential. Brady closed the case, returned it and Barr decided that Weiss should overlook it for a 2nd time. $$$ have flowed, case about “influence peddling” is ongoing but Barr manages to give the impression of how committed he was to advancing the case. And it looks like he’s succeeding in court of public opinion.
What did Barr do when FBI agents dismissed Grasley/Johnson’s report as “Russia disinformation” prior 2020?
Dear Prof Turley,
Lies, damned lies, and the NYT.
Everybody knows there are good lies and bad lies. And everything in-between. It’s not even a lie ‘if you believe it’ (see @ ‘how to pass a lie detector test’.). For example, I believe Joe Biden thinks he is going to construct a railroad from the Pacific all the way across the Indian Ocean and build a golden bridge from the West to the East. I believe it .. it’s just not very likely, and it takes such long time.
Lets say, for the sake of argument, I say Sen. Feinstein ‘looks breathtakingly lovely’ today and Joe Biden has a mind ‘like a steel trap’. Obviously, I don’t really believe either of those things. I’m just trying to be nice, like you. This is called a good lie (aka the little ‘white’ lie.).
The biggest lies are for your own good. NDI (National Defense Information) and National Security stuff, mostly. These lies are usually classified tip top, and can say and do anything. For example, it was reported today Trump not only had TS/SCIF/NOFORN documents, but also SAP (Special Access Programs) documents. These SAP files are so secret even the classification is secret. Only a handful of people know they exist, and none of them are Trump. These lies are called the ‘dark arts’, and there is no public defense. .. although Trump will scream bloody murder and howl at the moon.
As president Biden’s hand-picked Attorney General, I’m confident Garland will continue to choose truth over facts in all these matters. .. for the good of the country.
*”The two whistleblowers also told Congress that the allegations made in an unverified FBI-generated FD-1023 that Hunter Biden and then-Vice President Joe Biden both received $5 million bribes from the head of Ukrainian energy giant Burisma were never relayed to the IRS or the FBI investigators on Hunter Biden’s case in Delaware.
The alleged bribes would have been for Joe Biden to pressure Ukraine to fire then-Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was apparently investigating Burisma, in which Hunter Biden was a board member.”
Everybody knows Joe Biden did his job impeccably, you can ask president Obama .. . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXA–dj2-CY
“it was reported today Trump not only had TS/SCIF/NOFORN documents, but also SAP (Special Access Programs) documents”
Information about the SAP classifications was included in the indictment, and it’s been public for even longer (see, e.g., https://lawandcrime.com/trump/national-archives-letter-says-trumps-lawyers-tried-to-delay-fbi-involvement-in-recovery-of-documents-at-the-highest-levels-of-classification-from-mar-a-lago/ ).
Judge Cannon ordered a CIPA hearing in July, so if Trump wants to argue that he declassified all of the documents in his possession, he should do so before the CIPA hearing; if none of them are classified, there’s no need for a CIPA hearing.
“These lies are called the ‘dark arts’”
What lies? You’ve made no argument that they were lying about the SAP classification or anything else.
I was unaware, until today, ‘SAP’ documents were found at Mar a Largo, nor their significance.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ex-cia-official-highlights-most-frightening-top-secret-docs-pilfered-by-trump/ar-AA1d2Tom
“These are programs or activities so sensitive they require enhanced safeguards and the strictest access requirements,” wrote Pfeiffer. “Even those who go through the arduous and sometimes years-long process of obtaining a Top Secret clearance often require additional security adjudication for to gain access to SAPs. Details of SAPs are usually limited to the bare minimum number of people with a ‘need to know.’ Some are divided into several compartments with individuals given access only to those compartments requiring their expertise or knowledge; only a select few — a dozen or so, maybe fewer — might have access to the totality of the SAP.”
>”What lies?”
With respect to ‘SAP’ information, absent further information, I guess we will just have to trust – ‘a dozen or so, maybe fewer’ – bare minimum number of people with a ‘need to know’. It doesn’t say who needs to know, but we can assume president Trump is not one of them.
I can tell you that every terrible and horrendous thing U.S. [leaders] have done over the last 20 years – from illegal wars, rumors of war, torture, rendition, ubiquitous spying – including members of government, and God only knows what else – was all classified Top Secret. And probably still is.
To the extent ‘private’ industry was/is involved, such as major data carriers, in 2009 Congress enacted the ‘retroactive immunity law’ and established the section 702 workaround for U.S. citizens.
Three courts cases (that I know of) have subsequently ruled the ‘classified’ information Ed Snowden disclosed – “the crown jewels of National Security” – to be ‘illegal and unconstitutional’.
Over 50 top intelligence said the laptop has “all the classic hallmarks of Russian disinformation”. That’s a lie.
*perhaps you know if it is against the law to classify ‘illegal/unconstitutional’ information?
“The Assistant Attorney General has advised me that there is no precedent for an assertion of executive privilege by a former President against an incumbent President to prevent the latter from obtaining from NARA Presidential records belonging to the Federal Government where ‘such records contain information that is needed for the conduct of current business of the incumbent President’s”
This is a replay of every fraud the govt has fabricated in the “get Trump” play book. These are not original documents, they are copies.
It is clear, the President before he leaves has the plenary power to determine between Presidential Records, or Personal records. There is not a third category of ‘federal government records’. That just the lie the left is pushing.
A simple Hello, Senator Feinstein, or, Nice seeing Senator. Everyone would know you’re lying.
More like a tight lip and a frown .. . and that’s the truth.
*trying to be nice.
Gigi, it is a violation of copyright to copy multiple paragrahs into this blog, even from Wikipedia. At most a paragraph and then just give the link.
Thank you.
Actually, David, Wikipedia makes clear on every page that “Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0” (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), so she can legally copy as much of the text as she wants, as long as she attributes it to Wikipedia and links to the license.
Nony Mouse —- Ordinarily I ignore nony mice but I am of the opinion that there is nothing in the copyright law that allows for exclusions. In any case Gigiu didn’t link to the license.
I would be happy to see opinions from lawyers on this matter, not nony mice.
Ignore me to your heart’s content.
Or you can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights (note: WP page URLs that contain “Wikipedia:” followed by one or more other words are pages that describe WP policies; their purpose and content is different from the WP “encyclopedia” pages that people more often cite).
As that page notes, “The text of Wikipedia is copyrighted (automatically, under the Berne Convention) by Wikipedia editors and contributors and is formally licensed to the public under one or several liberal licenses” (emphasis added).
Nony Mouse — Thank you.
You’re welcome.
No need for lawyers here!
Most accept code of ethics, a few bad apples don’t attribute the work of others and give the impression of having written it!
“Influence peddling may be lawful, but it is also corrupt.”
What?!?! Influence peddling may be lawful?? It may be legal in the world of celebrities selling their endorsements, but I’ve never heard of it being legal in the world of government, where coercion is always and ever in the background of everything–the source of government influence is not fame, it is power.
And, if it is “also corrupt” then, according to the very first definition of “corruption” provided in the online Merriam-Webster, it is also very likely illegal:
“1a: dishonest or illegal behavior especially by powerful people (such as government officials or police officers).”
I’m not a lawyer, but common sense tells me that since government is simply a group of citizens with the legal authority to use force/coercion against their fellow citizens, any dishonesty by any government official should be unlawful. If that’s not the case, then there is more wrong with the legal profession than I ever imagined.
Turkey is wrong. It is unlawful, in certain circumstances. See:
18 U.S.C. § 1346
“Well, ya got trouble, my friend, right here, I say, trouble right here in River City”
– The Music Man
______________
A vote for Biden, Garland et al. is a vote for rancid corruption, which was never the intent of the Founders.
The Framers established voting restrictions by States in the Constitution for good reason – avoiding rancid corruption in the White House was but one.
Turnout was 11.6% in 1788; State voting criteria in that year were male, European, 21, 50 lbs. Sterling/50 acres generally.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
“the people are nothing but a great beast…
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.”
– Alexander Hamilton
_________________
“The true reason (says Blackstone) of requiring any qualification, with regard to property in voters, is to exclude such persons, as are in so mean a situation, that they are esteemed to have no will of their own.”
“If it were probable that every man would give his vote freely, and without influence of any kind, then, upon the true theory and genuine principles of liberty, every member of the community, however poor, should have a vote… But since that can hardly be expected, in persons of indigent fortunes, or such as are under the immediate dominion of others, all popular states have been obliged to establish certain qualifications, whereby, some who are suspected to have no will of their own, are excluded from voting; in order to set other individuals, whose wills may be supposed independent, more thoroughly upon a level with each other.”
– Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, 1775
_______________________________________
“[We gave you] a [restricted-vote] republic, if you can keep it.”
– Ben Franklin, 1787
_________________
You couldn’t.
Obama’s Political Commissar and Hatchet “Man” is Always Proud and that’s no Bull—-!
“Mia Marie Pope says that Barry Soetoro ‘always portrayed himself as a foreign student.’ While Soetoro was a little older than her and didn’t always run around with the circle of friends that she had, Pope says that he “very much was in sort of the ‘gay community,’” which she says that even back then was ‘thriving.’ ‘We knew Barry as, just common knowledge, that girls were never anything that he was ever interested in, and as a young teenager….as a young girl…..it was clear to me that Barry was strictly into men,’ Pope said. She also indicated that she had no desires for him and said that they didn’t get along, largely in part to the fact that he was ‘a pathological liar, even back then.’ Pope said that Soetoro’s lies were ‘egotistical’ and always to ‘boost himself.’ Ms. Pope said that Barry Soetoro was always ‘getting with these older white men.’ She recognized that he was one that had cocaine, which she said was “newsworthy” in the groups she hung out in. They then began to believe it was Soetoro’s engagements (ie. Homosexual acts) with these older white men is how he ‘procured’ cocaine. ‘In other words, he was having sex with these older white guys, and that’s how he was getting his cocaine to be able to freebase,’ she told Manning. Mia Pope also said that she actually saw Obama dress up as a transvestite. She remarked that it was during the era of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, that this took place.”
– The Washington Standard https://thewashingtonstandard.com/bombshell-obama-high-school-friend-barry-soetoro-portrayed-himself-as-a-foreigner/
“(Garland) denounced the allegations as “an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy, and essential to the safety of the American people.””
Translation: “HOW DARE YOU! (Greta should be Garland’s new Spokesteen.)
“It’s the [Gestapo], stupid!”
– James Carville
______________
Notice that Garland does not vigorously expound that the rights, freedoms, privileges and immunities of actual Americans, and that the severe restrictions and limitations on government, which are provided by the Constitution and Bill of Rights, are imperative and of prime importance.
Right? Who, if they’re paying attention, could not notice, George?
So, on Sunday House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said they are ready for a impeachment inquiry for AG Garland.
In light of the testimony presented by the whistleblowers and the evidence they have, what is Garland to do?
If he denies all wrong doing, then an investigation is likely.
Unless the Biden admin tries to stop it. Then that move will be on full display.
Investigation goes forward, what are Garland’s options?
I am thinking he is between a rock and a hard place. Not a good place to be. I actually feel for the man.
Of course he could flip on the Bidens in exchange for immunity and a lot of his problems go away.
Yep!
Waitin’ on the “Bumpkin From Bakersfield!”
You’re gonna be there a while.
Time to impeach Joe. He is unfit mentally and morally.
“Of course he could flip on the Bidens in exchange for immunity and a lot of his problems go away.” All but the threat of Arkancide.
“So, on Sunday House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said they are ready for a impeachment inquiry for AG Garland.”
This was his tweet [1]:
“We need to get to the facts, and that includes reconciling these clear disparities. U.S. Attorney David Weiss must provide answers to the House Judiciary Committee.
If the whistleblowers’ allegations are true, this will be a significant part of a larger impeachment inquiry into Merrick Garland’s weaponization of DOJ.”
[1] https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1672994001459490817
1) Though Weiss’ still ongoing “sportsman” investigation covers a much broader spectrum, the two IRS agent talked only about tax evasion part. They also admitted, that there was a healthy tension between investigators and prosecutors.
2) In 12/19 FBI informed IRS that “Laptop from Hell” likely contained evidence of tax crimes (p 12.)
3) In 3/20, it was planed to seek approval for search warrant in AR, CA, DC, and NY. DOJ slow-walked case (p 13).
4) In 8/20,IRS obtained the legendary “I am sitting here with my father” WhatsApp message fron 7/30/17 (!!). “Communications like these made it clear we needed to search the guest house at the Bidens’ Delaware residence where Hunter Biden stayed for a time.” (p 14) AUSA Wolf: “there is no way we will get that approved.” (p 15)
5) In 12/20 “FBI agent tried to get Rob Walker in AR to talk about the “ten held by H” email while not directly contradicting AUSA Wolf’s direction not to ask about the “big guy”. – Walker: “I certainly never was thinking at any time the VP was a part of anything we were doing.” Walker shared his impression that Hunter orchestrated the personal appearance of former VP at a CEFC meeting to bolster the business. Inexpertly, FBI agent changed subject (p 19-20)
6) 5/3/21 memo from Sharpley: ” “This investigation has been hampered and slowed by claims of potential election meddling. Through interviews and review of evidence obtained, it appears there may be campaign finance criminal violations. (p 22) The agent shared is sentiments that AUSA Wolf opposed the investigation (“on 10/21/21 she told us it will get us into hot water if we interview the President’s grandchildren”)
7) From 3/22 through 10/7/22, Sharpley was under the impression that, based on AG Garland’s testimony before Congress and statements by U.S. Attorney Weiss
and prosecutors, that they were still deciding whether to charge 2014 and 2015 tax violations (p 25)
8) “Oversight” had identified a bunch of LLC that was linked to Hunter, the IRS agents testified that most of them were under investigation (p 49-52)
9) IRS agents were not aware of “1023” (p 52)
10) 9/3/20: Memorandum of Conversation (Exhibit 7, after p 109)
11) Of 12 witnesses IRS agents remembered Kathleen Buhle, Joan Mayer, Kevin Morris, Eric Schwerin, and Rob Walker (p 118-119)
12) On 12/3/20 in Weiss’ office AUSA Wolf didn’t allow questions about “the big guy” (p 119). Interview with Rob Walker on 12/8/20 (Exhibit 8, after p 120).
13) Two main controversies occurred [see Exhibit 10 (after p 148)]:
* The statute of limitations of ’14 and ’15 taxes caused by investigative breakdowns and disputes of competence.
* The personal disappointment that Weiss communicated on 10/7/22 that he “is not the deciding person on whether charges are filed”, which was seen as “inconsistent with DOJs public position and AGs testimony”.
* If “Oversight” wants to clear this up, then an interview with Weiss seems appropriate first. Whether they are doing him a favor is difficult to judge from a distance. However, Weiss doesn’t seem to have brought any particular vigor to the process, rather the path of “muddling through”.
[1] https://waysandmeans.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Whistleblower-1-Transcript_Redacted.pdf
Just in: “Either Weiss lied to his top investigators, or Weiss and Garland deceived Congress. There’s no other way around it.”
[1] https://thefederalist.com/2023/06/26/irs-whistleblower-emails-suggest-david-weiss-misled-congress-in-letter-claiming-charging-authority/
CK, if Garland gave Weiss the authority to charge anywhere, Garland could now make that readily apparent by publishing his order to all the USAs in the country to do as Weiss requested. He has not done so, suggesting to me that there was no such order and, accordingly, that Weiss had no such authority.
Chairman Jordan to Weiss on Fri 6/22/23 letter:
we ask that you provide the following information:
1. A list of individuals who drafted and assisted in drafting your June 7, 2023,response to the Committee’s May 25 letter ;
2. Who instructed you to sign and send your June 7 letter to the Committee;
3. When you first learned or were made aware of the Committee’s May 25 letter to Attorney General Garland;
4. Who at the Department of Justice forwarded you the Committee’s May 25 letter to Attorney General Garland; and
5. Whether you had any discussions with Attorney General Garland or any other individual at the Department about the Committee’s May 25 letter .If so, please provide details of these conversations and/or documents or communications referring or relating to those conversation.
FWIW, tough MLCA 1986 [1] (aka “influence peddling”) is rule of law, Barr did neither care how Hunter “earned” $$$, and than VP promoted his “business dealings” apparatchiks blocked everything. Without holding him accountable, Biden still “insisted he and Hunter never talked foreign biz” [1]
12/8/20 Gary Shapley recalled an interview with Rob Walker in AK (p. 20):
“And yet it was clearly valuable for the investigators to ask about Hunter Biden’s dad, as Walker went on to describe an instance in which the former Vice President showed up at a CEFC meeting. Walker said: “We were at the Four Seasons [in DC] and we were having lunch and he stopped in, just said hello to everybody. I don’t even think he drank water. I think Hunter Biden said, ‘I may be trying to start a company or try to do something with these guys and could you?’ And I think he was like, if I’m around and he’d show up.”
The FBI agent asked: “So you definitely got the feeling that that was orchestrated by Hunter Biden to have like an appearance by his dad at that meeting just to kind of bolster your chances at making a deal work out?”
Walker answered: “Sure.”
The FBI agent continued: “Any times when he was in office, or did you hear Hunter Biden say that he was setting up a meeting with his dad with them while dad was still in office?”
Walker answered: “Yes.”
And, inexplicably, the FBI agent changed the subject.”
Sorry, I stopped riding a merry go round. Until 7/6/23: no ifs, ands, or buts
https://nypost.com/2023/06/26/biden-insists-he-and-hunter-never-talked-foreign-biz-despite-mounting-evidence/
What about Lisa Monaco – Obama and Biden’s legal dirt bagger?
The Big Media interfered with the election. Not reporting Hunter’s crimes, and not investigating/covering them as the result of conspiring together with their news cohorts, and with the Bidens, has done more damage to the free election status and integrity of our nation than any/every attempt by a foreign country combined and for that they should face the most severe sanctions and other penalties.
Obama’s Political Commissar and Hatchet “Man” is Always Proud and that’s no Bull—-!
“Mia Marie Pope says that Barry Soetoro ‘always portrayed himself as a foreign student.’ While Soetoro was a little older than her and didn’t always run around with the circle of friends that she had, Pope says that he “very much was in sort of the ‘gay community,’” which she says that even back then was ‘thriving.’ ‘We knew Barry as, just common knowledge, that girls were never anything that he was ever interested in, and as a young teenager….as a young girl…..it was clear to me that Barry was strictly into men,’ Pope said. She also indicated that she had no desires for him and said that they didn’t get along, largely in part to the fact that he was ‘a pathological liar, even back then.’ Pope said that Soetoro’s lies were ‘egotistical’ and always to ‘boost himself.’ Ms. Pope said that Barry Soetoro was always ‘getting with these older white men.’ She recognized that he was one that had cocaine, which she said was “newsworthy” in the groups she hung out in. They then began to believe it was Soetoro’s engagements (ie. Homosexual acts) with these older white men is how he ‘procured’ cocaine. ‘In other words, he was having sex with these older white guys, and that’s how he was getting his cocaine to be able to freebase,’ she told Manning. Mia Pope also said that she actually saw Obama dress up as a transvestite. She remarked that it was during the era of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, starring Tim Curry, that this took place.”
– The Washington Standard https://thewashingtonstandard.com/bombshell-obama-high-school-friend-barry-soetoro-portrayed-himself-as-a-foreigner/
Ignoble depravity and communism – rancid corruption and the “dictatorship of the proletariat” – are NOT all right.
It is long past time to “poll the jury.”
The American Founders would have commenced and completed their Revolution by now.
Whatever on God’s green earth are actual Americans waiting for, more “proof?”
What, actually, is it going to take for patriots to provide “new Guards,” which are the old guards of the conservative “manifest tenor” of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”
– Declaration of Independence, 1776
It just never ends, does it, Turley? Let’s see, now, we have a malignant narcissist who cheated his way into office by enlising the help of Russian hackers who stragegically spread lies about his opponent so he could “win” the Electoral College but still lose the popular vote. This person is someone who cannot even manage to turn a profit from running a casino without help from his father, and who, after his father’s funds were encumbered by a guardian due to dementia, started filing bankruptcies–six of them to date–but still maintains he’s a “self-made” “very stable genius”. The US fared poorly under his “leadership”, resulting in a pandemic out of control with unncessary deaths due to lying about the seriousness of the risk of COVID and pushing fake cures, a trade war with China, started after he couldn’t bully them, resulting in shortages of computer chips and consumer goods, an economy in the toilet, with unemployment over 10%, a deep recession, and he never even captured a 50% approval rating in 4 years’ time. Consistent with all polls, he lost “re-election” (he was never validly elected in the first place–cheating shouldn’t count). With a massive ego that cannot handle the truth that most Amercans see him for the loud, braggadocious liar and failure that he really is, he begins lying, even before Election Day, that his “landslide victory” would be “stolen by a rigged election”. Turley has yet to comment on the breadth and extent of damage this lie has caused to America, and not just the physical damage to the Capitol building and persons injured in the ensuing insurrection resulting form his lying, but causing citizens to question the integrity of elections and the integrity of the FBI and DOJ, all without anything resembling proof. Not only that, but Turley uses whatever credibility he has to help in the effort to sow doubt about the integrity of the DOJ and FBI–based mostly on what? The “Hunter Biden Scandal”–but, there’s still NO proof of any wrongdoing by JOE Biden, and Turley knows that.
To top it all off, this person deliberately stole classified documents so he could still pretend he was a big shot, privy to our most-precious secrets, and/or to possibly leverage the information financially, resisted efforts to return them, lied about returning them, kept them in unsecure locations, discussed the contents with people without security clearances, and has been charged criminally. He also lost a civil suit in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and then defaming her. What to do? Let’s go after the Justice Department–yeah, that’ll work–get the disciples to fall for the “deep state conspiracy” by accusing them of not going after Hunter Biden as aggressively as his employer does. This person once occupied our White House (never mind the fact that it was contrary to the wishes and votes of most Americans), so he is entitled to be treated differently from any other ordinary citizen who wrongfully possesses classified documents, refuses multiple polite requests to return them. Therefore, any criminal prosecution MUST BE politically motivated–a message pounded daily by alt-right media, including Turley’s employer. So now, Turley has the temerity to not only suggest that Merrick Garland has done a terrible job of restoring trust in the DOJ, but today, that he “may” be lying, based on disgruntled former employees. And, based on comments, the disciples are buying it.
What is the end game for all of this, Turley? To try to get the worst POTUS in recent history back into power, so that he can put us in a FULL depression next time, totally alienate ALL of our allies, help Putin kill more Ukrainians by withdrawing aid, clearing the way for Putin to go after Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which will start WWIII. How about completely eliminating taxes for the wealthiest, outlawing teaching about US slavery, banning all abortions, and persecuting LGBTQ people–none of which is supported by the majority of the American people? THAT’s what’s at stake here–but, that’s not all–with there being no prospect of getting re-elected, plus his promise of exacting vengeance on his perceived enemies, plus the plan to DEMAND personal fealty to him–the damage to our country will be incalculable. .
NUTCHACHACHA, employs the BIG LIE technique.
I don’t think that makes NUTCHACHACHA a Nazi, does it?
You go, girl!
__________
“A big lie (German: große Lüge) is a gross distortion or misrepresentation of the truth, used especially as a propaganda technique.[1][2] The German expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his book Mein Kampf (1925), to describe the use of a lie so colossal that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.”
– Wiki
Her rewrite of history is quite impressive.
Her TDS is outstanding and not in a good way.
Seriously Natacha, get some help on the magnitude of a team of psychiatrists, serious medication or electro-shock therapy and consider perhaps seeking religion. Does not matter which one.
Personally I lean more towards Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism. But that is just me. To each their own.
Upstate Farmer: List ONE thing I wrote that is not supported factually. Come on, you can do it. The cutesy personal attacks are just as pathetic as those of your hero, but they don’t change the truth, which you cannot handle.
who cheated his way into office by enlising the help of Russian hackers who stragegically spread lies about his opponent so he could “win” the Electoral College
You cant get through your first thousght without a lie. I moved on after that.
Russia never hacked anything.
Yes, they did. They hacked Hillary’s email account and that of the DNC: From “Newsweek”, 2/14/2022:
A Russian who claimed in 2017 that he was ordered to hack the U.S. Democratic National Committee (DNC) and steal emails linked to Hillary Clinton has been sentenced to 14 years for cyber fraud.
Konstantin Kozlovsky, the leader of the hacking group Lurk, was ordered by a court in Yekaterinburg to spend 14 years at a “maximum security prison colony” after the group used Trojan malware to steal more than 1.2 billion rubles ($15.6 million) between December 2015 and April 2016.
He was arrested in 2016 and charged with illegally accessing computer information, organizing a criminal association, and with cyber fraud. Others members of the group were handed sentences of between five and a half years and 13 years, RBC reported.
What else did I allegedly get wrong?
Gigi, would that be the email account that Hillary Clinton kept on her illegal bootleg server, the server she kept in her bathroom, where people with zero security clearance had access to it, and which she backed up to the Cloud, the server with classified information on it? The server that circumvented the closed State Department email system, which was designed to prevent hacking. Would that be the email and server to which you refer?
The Russian Collusion story was a hoax, paid for by Hillary Clinton, in which she planned to undermine Trump in an October Surprise. Since Trump did not collude with Russia, he did not lie, cheat, or steal his way into winning the election. You also regularly condemn winning the electoral college, while losing the popular vote as some sort of cheating. It has been explained to you numerous times that the rules state it’s the electoral college votes that elect a president. Someone can win the popular vote by carrying New York and CA, enormously populated Democrat supermajority states, and still lose the electoral college. This is to prevent one or two over populated, single party states from becoming king or queen makers, leaving the rest of the states to become dumping grounds. You may not like the rules, but following the rules is not cheating. Again, you keep using that word. It does not mean what you think it means.
It’s just sad that you keep promoting debunked propaganda. Even Pravda editors would blush.
The only “hoax” is the orange thing you worship. It was Trump, goaded by Giuliani, who planned an “October surprise”–they thought they could make Joe Biden look bad in the debates by springing information obtained from the “Hunter laptop”–they thought it would cause Biden to stumble in the debates. According to polls, allegedly “demented” Joe Biden cleanly kicked Trump’s enormous behind in all of the debates. And, the issue with the laptop is that Giuliani took possession of it, copied the hard drive multiple times, distributed copies to all Republican members of Congress, and only after all of this, turned it over to the FBI, which, naturally, questioned the authenticity. Under the circumstances, what reasonable person wouldn’t? And, BTW, Giuliani’s law license has been suspended over misrepresentations to various courts on behalf of Trump, when his second effort to cheat his way into office, relying on the Big Lie, failed.
Hillary had NO criminal intention vis-a-vis the email server–she was thoroughly investigated–she shouldn’t have handled it that way, but it was unintentional–unlike your hero, who deliberately stole classified documents after being told he couldn’t take them, lied about returning them, and forced a search warrant. He continues to lie about having the right to possess these documents, and gullibles like you continue to believe the lies.
Trump KNEW he couldn’t win the hearts and minds of most Americans because most of us see him for the braggadocious, defective. lying, womanizer, racist and xenophobe that he really is–so his campaign concocted a plot to circumvent the popular vote by using the Electoral College–based on insider polling information to determine where support for Hillary was softest–they directed a campaign of spreading lies about her on social media, using Russians. This was the ONLY way he could get into office–and it is CHEATING. Plotting to circumvent the will of the American people to obtain power in this manner, knowing there is no other way to win the presidency, is wrong. Every fact I report is true.
Gigi, are you aware that it was Russia, that corrupt country under the control of Putin, which jailed Kozlovsky, for bank fraud?
Also, he couldn’t have hacked into Hillary Clinton’s email server, if she hadn’t broken the law, had a bootleg server in her bathroom, stored classified information upon it, lied about it, and then destroyed evidence while under subpoena, by wiping it with BleachBit, and smashing her Blackberries and laptops with a hammer. Also, convicted sex offender Anthony Weiner would never have gotten his mitts on that classified information if Hillary Clinton hadn’t illegally circumvented the closed State Department email system, designed to prevent State employees from hiding or deleting communications, which would allow criminal activity.
Who knows if Kozlovsky did what he claimed, and lifted the information Hillary Clinton laid bare to our global allies and enemies in her quest to circumvent the tracking of her communications? He claims he did, but investigators disagreed. I wouldn’t put my trust in the Russian government, frankly, as you appear to have done. If he did hack her email, it was because Hillary Clinton broke the law and mishandled classified information, with the full knowledge of former President Barrack Obama, who emailed her private email address using a pseudonym.
“Kozlovsky claims that he was recruited by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) in 2008 to take part in a number of high-profile hacks, including the hacking of the DNC servers and Hillary Clinton’s campaign during the 2016 presidential election, as well as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and U.S. military enterprises. He alleges that former FSB officer Dmitry Dokuchaev oversaw his work.
However, investigators found no such connection between Lurk and the FSB, nor did they find that Kozlovsky stole data from U.S. government servers using malware, Interfax reported.”
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/02/15/russia-jails-hacking-ringleader-for-14-years-a76380#google_vignette
5 Studies Find Wikipedia Bias
Five studies, including two from Harvard researchers, have found a left-wing bias at Wikipedia:
A Harvard study found Wikipedia articles are more left-wing than Encyclopedia Britannica.
Another paper from the same Harvard researchers found left-wing editors are more active and partisan on the site.
A 2018 analysis found top-cited news outlets on Wikipedia are mainly left-wing.
Another analysis using AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ found that pages on American politicians cite mostly left-wing news outlets.
American academics found conservative editors are 6 times more likely to be sanctioned in Wikipedia policy enforcement.
https://www.allsides.com/blog/wikipedia-biased
lin, “Reality has a liberal bias.”
You have the wrong crime
Crowd source testified to congress. They testified, after a full forensic examination of the DNC servers, the emails were never hacked by internet access.
Gigi – I stopped after your second sentence where you repeated an earlier statement: “[W]e have a malignant narcissist who cheated his way into office by enlising [sic] the help of Russian hackers who stragegically spread lies about his opponent so he could “win” the Electoral College but still lose the popular vote.” This is just warmed-over Russiagate nonsense. Despite opinions of some people in the US government, there is no conclusive evidence that the DNC or Podesta emails were hacked by anyone in Russia, let alone Putin. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/wikileaks-julian-assange-no-proof-hacked-dnc-emails-came-russia-n616541 Assange has repeatedly denied that Russia was the source. Wikipedia “Julian Assange” (text at footnote 289). Even if there were Russian hackers, Trump did not “enlist” them. He found out about the DNC and Podesta emails when the rest of us did. Next you refer to “lies” about his opponent, Hillary Clinton. Please elucidate what “lies” were spread about the Queen of Graft by Trump. Gratuitously, you suggest that there is something illegitimate about Trump’s victory because he lost the popular vote but won the vote of the states. That has been our system for almost 250 years. Anyone who does not accept the legitimacy of this part of our Constitution is the real “insurrectionist”.
See response above. Does the 14-year prison sentence handed down for hacking Hillary’s and the DNC’s e-mail accounts convince you? That they were directed WHERE to spread the lies by Trump’s campaign is also true: From “Insider”:
There are now more than 101 known points of contact between the Trump campaign and Russian-government linked people or entities, including 23 meetings or calls.
Sixteen Trump campaign officials are known to have had direct contact with a Russian government official or a Russian-linked operative, and at least an additional nine campaign officials were aware of these contacts.
Trump campaign officials had meetings, calls, and digital correspondence with high-level Russian government officials, billionaires linked to Putin, an accused Russian spy, and hackers enlisted by Russian intelligence to meddle in the 2016 elections.
Gigi – according to you, this gentleman was sent to prison because “he used Trojan malware to steal more than 1.2 billion rubles ($15.6 million) between December 2015 and April 2016.” When was he ever convicted, or charged, with hacking the DNC and Podesta emails? As a financial embezzler, why would he even want to hack a bunch of nitwits like the DNC? And what is your source for the statement that this person “clamed” he was ordered to hack DNC emails? Your reference to “101 known points of contact” between Trump and “a Russian government official or a Russian-linked operative” tells us nothing substantive. You seem to from a delusion that it is a sin to consort with “foreigners.”
“Seriously Natacha, get some help on the magnitude of a team of psychiatrists, serious medication or electro-shock therapy and consider perhaps seeking religion. Does not matter which one.” –UpstateFarmer
Better yet, All of the Above.
JAFO: Seriously, you Trumpsters who continue to believe the lies put out by alt-right media are the ones who need help–WHY do you believe lies? What need does believing in a seriously defective person like DJT meet in your psyche? THAT’s the real question here.
George, I’ll bet she wears a leather skirt and knee high leather boots and carries a riding crop. And she has ways of making us talk. She sounds like a peach!
NUTCHACHACHA in a leather skirt and leather, knee-high jackboots – I do not want to see that.
I was totally unaware there were “affirmative action” equestrian activities available to NUTCHACHACHA and her ilk – I’ll bet the “riding crop” was thrown in as a communist bonus.
NUTCHACHACHA is the consummate consumer of communism and ardent adherent to Karl Marx’s slogan: “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
If there’s a Nazi here, George, it’s you, not her. You’re the one who advocates white nationalism and thinks of women as brood mares.
TL; DR: 🤡
And, don’t forget, as you and yours have done for 40 years, that the serial sexual assaulter and rapist is responsible for the deaths of nearly 1,000,000 innocent, unarmed civilians.
JT states: “The solution to what I have called the “seven-percent solution” is a congressional subpoena.”
That’s right. Just like Kamp Kenan deals with ticks on tortoises. The DOJ needs major tick treatment. Ticks are the worst.
I believe Garland has been promised a Supreme Court Appointment which is only valid as long as he follows orders. This promise is only good while the Democrats control the Senate and thus why the drum beats of trying to force a resignation on the court.
We’ll know who’s lying when we find out whose body ends up in Fort Marcy Park.
Garland will turn 72 in November.
Interesting theory. I doubt that there are 50 Senate votes for Garland, particularly in the lead-up to an election in 2024 or 2026.
Main story has never been about Hunter Biden’s darkness, depravity, tax crimes.
It’s about where associated money came from, for what, who it flowed to, how it compromises the POTUS in dealings with every major adversary — and therefore our survival.
Then come the cover-ups @bhweingarten
Watergate was so tame.
These denials and obfuscations will continue, without any accountability, because the 3 letter agencies have been compromised, the Democrats have united to oppose investigations, and there’s another presidential election on the horizon.
I’m going to assume that the NSA and many other initialed entities monitor Turley’s blog —- when are they going to come for Turley? I hope they never do!
Richard Lowe,
Interesting question.
It would be a dark day indeed.
And likely a clear sign the leftists attempt to secure their power by any means necessary. They have to stifle any and all opposition, free speech and demand complete and total loyalty to the party.
I don’t see why they would “come for Turley,” he is fighting a rearguard action in defense of Garland:
“Even if past statements are untrue or misleading, Garland may not be aware of contradictions given his seemingly shrinking presence at Justice.”
“Merrick Garland is a person with unimpeachable ethics and integrity.” (8/16/22)
“Clark did not deny that the above-quoted message had been sent. He only said that it was “illegal” to release the text (he did not explain why) and then added that “[a]ny verifiable words or actions of my client in the midst of a horrible addiction are solely his own and have no connection to anyone in his family.”” Well, as Juan Williams said, Hunter was only a kid (47 yrs old) with a terrible addiction. As Hunter described his addiction–crack and vodka, etc, heck he is lucky to be alive today.
Why would an employee of the DOJ come forward as a whistleblower? Doesn’t it come with expenses: loss of job and income, attorney fees, media attention, and, if lying conviction and jail? Whereas, when certain government officials lie, make up false stories, they get suspended with pay.
yes, and…
Certain government officials who lie, under oath, get to step down, with full government benefits and perks. They also may get lucrative book deals, book tours, and lucrative contracts as cable analysts getting paid to spin their own lies and crimes.
It’s grotesque corruption.
Biden’s family criminality and corruption AND his administration’s blatant corruption, takes it all to a whole new level.
This country has never had a sitting president more deserving of being impeached, convicted and sent to prison than Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
We know that won’t happen.
So impeach Garland.
Impeach Wray.
Impeach Mayorkas.
Just freakin’ impeach somebody already, you lame a$$ Republicans.
Wait! Is this a trick question?
“He denounced the allegations as ‘an attack on an institution that is essential to American democracy, and essential to the safety of the American people.’” This sounds like the rhetoric of a political zealot rather than an experienced, former judge. I suspect it comes from the White House.