Below is my column in the New York Post on one of the most damaging moments in yesterday’s hearing on the IRS whistleblowers alleging special treatment for Hunter Biden in their criminal investigation. What was most remarkable was not just the content but the cause of the incriminating statement. Rep. Dan Goldman’s friendly fire incident produced Dresden-level damage for the Biden defense.
Here is the column:
One of the most basic lessons that we teach law students is that you should “never ask a question you don’t know the answer to.”
The peril of the poorly crafted question was on display in Wednesday’s hearing with two whistleblowers on political interference in the Hunter Biden investigation.
Most Democrats avoided any questions on the substance of the allegations, focusing instead on everything from systemic racism to the use of the term “two-tiered system of justice” and, of course, Donald Trump.
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) often goes where wiser members fear to tread. On this occasion, Goldman may have delivered one of the most damaging moments for the Democrats.
In the course of just a few minutes, the freshman New York congressman seemed to demolish the defense of President Biden.
Goldman was trying to get the witnesses to say that there is no evidence that President Biden was personally involved in the alleged felonies of his son.
He raised the shocking WhatsApp message that Hunter had allegedly sent to a Chinese official with foreign intelligence contacts. In the message, Hunter wrote:
“I am sitting here with my father 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.”
Most Democrats have avoided the message, which is incredibly damaging and seems to contradict the President’s long denial of any knowledge or involvement in his son’s dealings.
Goldman pressed veteran IRS investigator Gary Shapley about his suggestion that Joe Biden discussed the foreign dealing with his son. Shapley eagerly said that he would be happy to explain but Goldman cut him off and said that he did not have time for such explanations.
At this point, most lawyers would have reversed engines out of troubled waters, but Goldman plowed full speed ahead. He said that the references to Joe sitting next to his son does not mean that they actually discussed his business.
Goldman then went even further and raised a “lunch where Joe Biden came to say hello at the Four Season’s hotel to a lunch that he was having with CEFC executives.” He then reads from the record in how Biden associate Rob Walker described the origins of the meeting with the Chinese officials to get his dad to stop by: “Hunter told his Dad that ‘I may be trying to start a company or try to do something with these guys.’ “
Goldman then pounced and said slyly “Now let me ask you something, that doesn’t sound much like Joe Biden was involved in whatever Hunter was doing with the CEFC if Hunter Biden is telling him that he is trying to do business with them, does it?”
That is when Shapley stated the obvious: “No, but it does show that he told his father that he was trying to do business and . . . ”
Goldman finally hears the train whistle and tries to get off the track: “OK, well that is true that Hunter Biden does try to do business, that is correct.”
Too late. Goldman was citing the testimony of Walker that Joe Biden not only came to a lunch on Hunter’s foreign dealings, but did so after being told that Hunter wanted to lay the foundation for such a deal.
This is the same Joe Biden who has repeatedly told the American people that he never discussed any of Hunter’s deals and had no knowledge of such deals. He has maintained that denial as evidence has mounted contradicting him. Even when he flew his son to China where Hunter cut lucrative deals, he insists that they never mentioned that deal.
There are also repeated references to President Biden as the “Big Guy” in emails who was to receive a 10 percent cut on a deal with the Chinese as well as other benefits. There are other references to Hunter Biden paying portions of his father’s expenses and taxes.
People apparently were told to avoid directly referring to President Biden. In one email, Hunter’s business associate Tony Bobulinski was instructed by Biden associate James Gilliar not to speak of the former veep’s connection to any transactions: “Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u [sic] are face to face, I know u [sic] know that but they are paranoid.” Bobulinski gave testimony that he met with Joe Biden and discussed these deals with him.
There are also the disclosures that Biden met with at least 14 of Hunter’s business associates from the US, Mexico, Ukraine, China and Kazakhstan over the course of his vice presidency.
Then there is the audiotape message from President Biden for Hunter that specifically discussed coverage of those dealings.
Finally, there is another audiotape of his uncle, Jim Biden, telling Hunter that he and his father had discussed his collapsing financial position and could arrange a “safe harbor.”
The culmination of this evidence was Goldman matter-of-factly eliciting testimony on how Joe Biden came to a lunch with Chinese businessmen after being expressly told it was meant to cut new business deals with them. His son was even thinking of creating a corporation with the Chinese despite a glaring lack of expertise for such a venture.
The meeting was previously described by witnesses and discussed by these whistleblowers, but Goldman brought it all together at the end of the hearing.
Unfortunately, that is when Goldman’s time ran out.
A few more minutes and we might have had an open-and-shut case for the appointment of a special counsel.
You might remember the agents wanted to use geo tracking to find out if Joe the Plumber was really in the room. Just to give you an idea how dirty Barr was. He was asked on camera what he thought of 2000 mules. He said someone driving by a ballot box 5 times was no big deal He li”. The mule was at the ballot box at least 10 times during voting days. Then they were at Dem office 10 times before drop to pick up ballots and took a picture putting ballots in box . Then they had to go back to Dem office to get paid with Zuck bucks. Then to keep your mule status you had to then not go anywhere near the ballot box’s after counting day. The small amount of vide’s that they were able to get their hands on. Showed the mule. Every box was supposed to have video and saved for 23 months. Barr was in on the fix. Just another Garland, except way dirtier and a much bogger ra’
This is the hilarious crap these lying bags of crap spewed out while the overnight fraud boxes were getting delivered aligned and falsely tallied up for the turnover:
“The 2020 presidential contest is “the most secure election in U.S. history,” acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Tuesday, while urging voters to be patient for results and rely on trusted sources of information as they await updates on the outcome.”
A chad wolf – even his name is part of the joke.
I’m still sitt’in here on the bank, watch’in the river flow, carrying all the B.S. flotsam and jetsam out to who knows where. Wake me when there’s an indictment and intention to proceed at the bar. There’s certainly evidence abound to warrant it.
10-4, Rumplestiltskin.
Preamble: “Rep. Dan Goldman’s friendly fire incident PRODUCED Dresden-level damage for the Biden defense.” (Emphasis added)
Body of article: “…SEEMED to demolish the defense of President Biden.” (Emphasis added)
Which is it? One is a definitive statement the other uses a qualifier: might or might not have demolished. I’ll go with the second version only because it SEEMS that crickets follow every blockbuster moment in this saga. Gary Hart paid a bigger price in his political career for the misdeed of having a woman other than his wife sitting on his lap. Pity Biden was able to recover from the plagiarism incident that should have ended his political career. Nixon resigned following the coverup of less serious behavior. Still cannot believe what I am seeing.
Dan Goldman proves that the “other affirmative action” , legacy admissions, is just as bad as racial AA. This rich moron got into the top schools based on his family’s wealth and as a product of legacy type of admissions and it showed up yesterday as well as many other times that he has spoken in public.
Nepotism has probably done more damage since it is less easy to spot, that is until the moronic family member really steps in it – but (like hunter biden) their are plenty of paved avenues available to save the sorry *ss and place him/her in some other innocuous but lucrative position.
This issue presents a good opportunity to take a nostalgic stroll down memory lane. Remember ABSCAM, an FBI sting in the late 1970s and early 1980s focused on politicians and in which undercover FBI agents bribed various members of congress who, in turn, backed private immigration bill to allow entry of fictitious Arab sheiks who, in turn, were alleged to be interested in investing in various enterprises in the various districts of the members of congress. The concept for ABSCAM began with an FBI confidential human source named Mel Weinberg, a convicted swindler and international con artist. The FBI used him to create a phony business that became a magnet for attracting greedy politicians to the undercover scheme. In the end, seven members of congress, six of whom were Democrats, were arrested by the FBI. Another four state-level politicians, all Democrats, also were arrested, as was a high-ranking INS official.
Congress got even with the FBI by enacting laws that in various ways controlled investigations of politicians. To appease Congress, several successive Attorneys General beginning with Benjamin Civiletti in 1981, constructed “guidelines” to govern FBI activities.
Fast forward to yesterday’s hearing on the Hill, which is the subject of Turley’s column today. We saw a brief video of a potential FBI confidential human source named Gal Luft, an Israeli professor, who in 2019 volunteered to tell the FBI about Hunter Biden and his and Hunter’s contacts with CEFC, a CCP-owned power company in China. A secret meeting between the FBI and Luft occurred in Brussels in 2019.
Just think of how easy it would have been if the FBI had used Luft to introduce undercover agents to Hunter and his Chinese CCP friends in an ABSCAM-like scenario. It would have been much easier and more productive than the bungled undercover case engineered by the same FBI against George Papadopoulos and it would have had real, not bogus, connections to national security. This, however, never happened. Instead, the FBI and Department of Justice colleagues who heard Luft’s story firsthand in 2019 in Brussels buried it and decided, instead, to indict the confidential human source, thus closing off whatever opportunity there was to investigate the alleged infiltration of the CCP – past and present – in American politics .
One might wonder if today’s corrupt and inept FBI, in effect, reflects the “revenge” of the “hapless seven” – those members of congress snared by an FBI sting more than fifty years ago?
JJC,
I was much to young to remember ABSCAM but thank you for that interesting comment.
I will go look it up later.
Jonathan Turley wrote, “Most Democrats avoided any questions on the substance of the allegations, focusing instead on everything from systemic racism to the use of the term “two-tiered system of justice” and, of course, Donald Trump.”
I watched a bunch of that hearing and the blatantly obvious whataboutisms and transparent deflections offered by the Democrats in that hearing were signature significant*. The Democrats are fools; neither Hunter or Joe Biden are worth it but here we see partisan Democrats figuratively circling the wagons around the Biden Alamo Abyss (BAA) and making this, seriously this, a hill to die on. Do these partisan political fools really think they’re invincible?
In addition; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N-NY) sounded like a complete blithering idiot parroting things she clearly doesn’t understand. She’s sounds like an idiot that’s being fed by other members of her party who are her puppet masters.
*Signature Significance: Signature significance posits that a single act can be so remarkable that it has predictive and analytical value, and should not be dismissed as statistically insignificant. SOURCE
Steve: Excelelnt comment. Reminded me of the old joke that we should only elect cab drivers, hair dressers, and bartenders because they’re the only ones who know exactly what’s wrong with this world! AOC reached the pinnacle of her professional career back when she was a bartender.
Lucky GOP leaders on in on the CRIME
They gave criminal democrats trillions for more crime…just LAST MONTH!
shame the Rule of Law was murdered in the USA
Obama installed PURE criminals
Only answer is to REMOVE funding of DC and move 75% of functions OUT OF DC!
DC is LOST!
No one ever accused Goldman of being the brightest bulb on anything.
Be careful of what you wish for. That aphorism is relevant to yesterday’s hearing. The democrats were flummoxed and prattled on and on with irrelevant things like historical (and hysterical) accounts of Jim Crow-era democrats abusing black people and Donald Trump’s colorful past. It was obvious that they could not address the issue before the committee and if and when they tried – as Goldman attempted – it backfired on them badly. A special counsel is a wishful thing to clear all this up but it comes with liability. To begin with, AG Garland would get to pick her and there’s no set period for a timetable that would resolve the major issues. Also, the appointment would afford hostile government witnesses an opportunity to claim that the matter is under investigation and they cannot discuss it (remember Chris Wray last week and his seemingly reluctance to even admit he ever heard of Hunter Biden and his famous laptop?) Furthermore, as this train wreck continues down the track, the number of people willing to switch to Trump next year grows as he, among all others, appears to be the only one that can drain the swamp. He was up against a powerful swamp alliance of leftwing media and democrats and, of course, a corrupt FBI. That was then and this is now. Trump claims that he has learned a lot from his interregnum experience and will arrive on day one ready and able – and willing – to begin really draining the swamp. The more fumbling and bumbling we see from our democrat colleagues on the Hill, the more Trump’s polls seem to reflect growing public confidence in him and his future.
JJC,
Great analysis.
“A few more minutes and we might have had an open-and-shut case for the appointment of a special counsel.”
sadly the Republicans fail to pick on this line of questioning and go for the throat
“Most Democrats avoided any questions on the substance of the allegations, focusing instead on everything from systemic racism to the use of the term “two-tiered system of justice” and, of course, Donald Trump.”
Watching Committee hearings during this Congress is hilarious. The Democrats are totally focused on Donald Trump when it comes time to question witnesses or to bloviate. I’m surprised that the committee chairs dont interrupt and tell them that they are off-topic and to stick to the subject at hand.
Progressives can no longer be willfully ignorant, they are simply stupid.
Projection is the most sincere from of Trumpism
Projection is the most sincere form of Trumpism
What does needless redundancy indicate?
Professor Turley,
Did any of that “evidence” occur while Biden was an elected official?
If not, how is any of that damning?
some evidence did take place when he was VP. Who is to say Biden isn’t making favorable decisions for the Chinese based upon past payments or payments we dont know about.
This is much like trying to get evidence that a Mafia Don was directly involved in a crime. The Dons were always the hardest to take down
What parts of the evidence referenced by Turley took place while Biden was VP or President?
Anonymous
10 held by h for the big guy was in reference to the deal struck on the infamous trip to china on AF2.
The burisma payments were while joe was vp as well. Keep trying
I’d ask the ‘legendary’ Bob Woodward why he hasn’t published any book to decipher Biden’s bribe scheme but only focus on Trump
The evidence showed a DoJ severely limiting the scope of the IRS investigation. Clearly the IRS investigators were barred from following the evidence trail to its end….if the path touched on Dad. That started with Bar, and continued with Garland, directed by Biden.
The constant red herring that Republicans leading obstruction, does not mean obstruction did not happen. Obama did a great job over 8 years seeding political operatives in protected civil service positions. More evidence of a deep state
Tax evasion, racketeering, and money laundering are felonies no matter what your employment status.
Unless your last name is Biden or you have a D after your name.
“Desden-level damage for the Biden defense.” (JT)
The Left is like the Black Knight in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”
Bleeding profusely from the stubs of two severed arms, it replies: “‘Tis but a flesh wound.”
The IRS has an incredible, using the word literally here as meaning “hard to believe”, ability to completely ignore evidence of corruption stating them in the face.
Let’s take a look at Jessie Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition. When Bill O’Reilly dared to disclose that millions of dollars on their tax non-profit returns were stated simply as “expenses” with no itemization, he was audited 3 years in a row until he learned his lesson. Don’t try that at home kids with your little businesses.
The Clinton Foundation promised to build a hospital in Haiti as they accepted a couple hundred million from foreign governments in the anticipation of Hillary becoming president. Those donations “fell off a cliff” when she failed. Don’t try to google “Clinton Hospital” in Port-au-Prince. Their tax return admitted that only 6% of their donations were used for their mission – 94% went to “expenses”. Seems coincidental that Chelsea was thrown a million-dollar wedding plus million-dollar apartment in NYC during that period. But nothing to see here by our tax agency.
Biden tried to go after waitresses though. Those little people have no political connections to the Dem party so fair game.
I watched parts of the hearing throughout the afternoon. Early on the Dems attempted to score some points. Shapely and Ziegler know the information far better than the silly talking points the Dem’s staffers fed their bosses. Both whistle blowers stuck to the facts. The dems turned to minutia that struggled to be relevant. They wanted to hammer the fact that Wiese was appointed by Trump, failing to understand the President most always cedes his power to the Senators of the States, that actualy select the nominee. Yes Trump nominated who the Democrat Senators selected. Seems like The Dems want to eliminate that courtesy.
I did learn the Black politicians lack the intellectual heft to engage on the topic, and most of them instead chose to wallow in the soup of victim hood. going back decade with their fake grievance shtick. The only have one topic, and get the facts of it wrong.
Comer keeps saying new evidence will prove their claims after saying similar things in the past only to fail to produce it. Sounds more like clickbait than real evidence. The boy who cried wolf story is an appropriate metaphor to use when it comes to republican’s claims.
It’s a long running fishing expedition that keeps turning up empty every time they say, “ this time we have the evidence, I swear.” It’s become a wasteful spectacle just to keep the noobs glued to the “scandal”.
We have had an open and shut case for the appointment of a Special Counsel Investigation….actually several of them….but we know under AG Garland that shall never happen and the Biden Family gets off any exposed hook.
The Fix is in!
No way Garland will appoint such a Special Counsel because that would be authorizing his own Impeachment and Indictment for Federal Crimes along with a host of others.
That would put paid to the Democrats holding Office for decades.
Congress, the Media, the Democrat Party, the White House crime gang…..none of them want that to happen and thus our corrupt Criminal Justice System shall continue going after its enemies and not its cadre.
Breaking my “no Hunter Biden post comments” rule, everyone in the country knows this.
Large majorities admit they know it in public polling.
We just don’t care… we think this is true of all political hacks but especially ones that have never worked anywhere but in government and yet own multiple million dollar mansions (here’s looking at you, LBJ – I loved visiting the ranch though).
This is not important to our lives. Here is what is:
– $4 a gallon gas.
– Shortages of cancer drugs and baby formula
– Out of control taxpayer expense wasted on 50,000,000 people unlawfully present in the United States
– Paying 50% more for electricity and heating oil while cutting usage in half
– Getting U.S. personnel and tax dollars involved in a civil war in Southeast Europe
– Arresting peaceful protestors
– Not teaching Algebra to any middle school kids because African and Hispanic American kids don’t do well in it (instead of helphing those kids to do better) https://www.boston.com/news/the-boston-globe/2023/07/18/cambridge-schools-are-divided-over-middle-school-algebra/
– Firing people for not taking a prophylactic gene therapy treatment for an illness that even if it manifested symptoms was a million to one shot to do any harm to anyone of working age
– No more $2.50 a fake half gallon Turkey Hill ice cream
Agree that public is more concerned with other issues. Two thoughts: (1) Corruption which possibly compromises a politician or leader; that may be present here. Hunter went to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt corrupt countries on earth, because that was where the money was, and to China, a superpower, also corrupt (because it’s communist) trying to expand its influence. Hunter’s activity did not appear to involve insider trading or sweetheart land deals in the Permian. (2) The public will accept a certain amount of graft or corruption if the politician is competent and executes policies that benefit the public. There’s no suggestion that Biden’s policies (read: Obama’s redux) are beneficial or that he is a competent or effective leader.
“This is not important to our lives.”
Foreign countries bribing a sitting VP, who is now “president,” is *not* important?! That politician selling out his own country is not important? That same politician lying to the entire country about his involvement is not important? “Justice” officials running interference for that politician’s corruption is not important? Our media covering for that scum is not important?
The only type of person who regards such despicable, impeachable behavior as not important, is a cynic who passively accepts such corruption.
how about the issue that there is NO RULE OF LAW?
I liked the mixed metaphors, sinking ships, derailing trains, very vivid. It might be said that hey had the combined effect of bursting Joe Biden’s balloon of feigned innocence.