With the new disclosures in the Biden corruption scandal, the media has, again, pivoted to avoid acknowledging the obvious. It now has a new demand before it will fully recognize or report on the scandal. Of course, after long repeating denials of Joe Biden that he ever knew about his son’s foreign business deals, the media must now recognize that Hunter was selling influence and access. So they have added yet another task: show Joe Biden actually accepting money.
It is what in literature is called the “impossible task” demand like the Slavic tale of a Tsar ordering a suitor “to go there he does not know where” and to “get that he does not know what.”
A direct bribe given to Joe Biden in an envelope or a direct deposit is obviously not impossible. Call it the “highly improbable task,” After all, former Rep. William Jefferson was found with cold-hard cash in his freezer. However, among professional influence peddlers, a direct payment to the principal would be viewed as sacrilegious — enough for a lifetime ban from the major corruption league.
Jefferson was an amateur. The Bidens have been in the influence peddling business for decades and Hunter told his Chinese contacts that they are “the best” at what these foreign figures wanted from them.
Only a certifiable moron today would deposit any of the $20 million documented by the House committees in an actual account of Joe or Jill Biden. Those accounts are subject to continual monitoring and potential subpoenas.
Instead, the Congress has found dozens of shell companies and accounts used by the Bidens to help conceal the transfer of millions to Biden family members, including grandchildren. This includes references to bills of Joe Biden being paid out of joint accounts and benefits from deals that might include free offices. At the same time, these foreign sources sent direct money to the Biden Family Fund, a financial legacy that Joe Biden would leave in the form of millions of foreign contributions. At 80 with millions in wealth, Joe Biden is likely more motivated by moving wealth to his descendants than himself.
There were also alleged deliverables. Recently, Devon Archer confirmed that Hunter’s Ukrainian clients wanted the help of the Bidens in removing Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Biden would later insist on his being fired as a condition for a billion dollars in U.S. aid.
For years, the media insisted that there was no evidence of influence peddling or evidence contradicting the President. While most of these reporters required little to push false accounts of Russian collusion or Russian disinformation (including the dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop), they are now demanding a virtual confession from the President or an actual deposit slip to his bank account.
When confronted with the transfer of millions and what Devon Archer now calls “categorically false” denials by the President, the media seems positively exasperated like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland. It is insisting that the public should not assume that the influence sold was influence realized. They just need to believe in the Bidens and the “illusion of influence.” When Alice says that she “cannot believe impossible things,” the Queen snaps back “I daresay you haven’t had much practice. Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!”
The media has shown that it is possible to believe six impossible things to avoid the reality of the Biden scandal. Accordingly, the media now will accept that there was influence peddling but will treat it as “an illusion” until a direct payment is shown to President Biden himself rather than his family.
In this final demand, the media is relying entirely on the skill of the Bidens in hiding payments and avoiding such incriminating deposits. Biden himself has laughingly taunted reporters and asked “where’s the money?”
When confronted on his calling Hunter and his business partners roughly 20 times, he and the White House have pointed out that he merely discussed the weather and pleasantries. The media has largely ignored that only a moron would conduct “business” on a speakerphone at a dinner at the popular Cafe Milano. The point of the calls was to prove the bona fides of Hunter selling influence and access to his father.
The Bidens have perfected what Uncle Earl Long said was the key to maintaining corruption:
“Don’t write anything you can phone. Don’t phone anything you can talk.
Don’t talk anything you can whisper. Don’t whisper anything you can smile.
Don’t smile anything you can nod. Don’t nod anything you can wink.”
The true illusion was the Bidens in getting this scandal to disappear in front of millions. As I wrote years ago, the key to this Houdinesque trick was to get the media to invest in the deception like audience members called to the stage. The reporters have to back the illusion or admit that they were part of the deception. Even with millions funneled to the Biden family and acknowledgments that they were “selling the [Biden] brand,” it cannot be enough.
Even the use of a ridiculously complex array of two dozen entities to transfer money without any known purpose, it cannot be enough.
It is far easier to demand to see something no self-respecting Beltway bandit would commit: that after creating this labyrinth of shell companies and accounts, the Bidens went ahead and just did the equivalent to a Venmo payment directly to Joe and Jill Biden. It may not be impossible but it is as improbable as Hunter Biden being an energy expert.
A different version of this column ran on Fox.com
OT: meanwhile Judge Chutkan granted in effect what DOJ wanted, by including ALL witness interviews as Sensitive Materials that Trump may not speak about. This goes well beyond grand jury information and precludes Trump from referring to exculpatory testimony provided to him through discovery. The judge gave no weight whatsoever to the political context of this case and the related first amendment concerns. I don’t know if this order can be appealed, but if it can be it should be.
Again: Trump wants to try this case in the court of public opinion, but he has to try it in court. He’ll be able to say what he wants about exculpatory information in his defense in court. He doesn’t get to use public statements to intimidate witnesses, taint the jury pool, …
Meanwhile the DOJ will leak whatever it likes.
Just what has the DOJ leaked, and how do you know it came from the DOJ rather than Trump?
BTW, not sure if you saw this comment to you: https://jonathanturley.org/2023/08/11/to-right-to-write-leading-law-reviews-accused-of-blackballing-conservative-student/comment-page-2/#comment-2312107
This country is officially toast. Speaking of illusions, the federal government is in the governing business like McDonald’s is in the fast food restaurant business. McDonald’s is in the real estate business and our government is one massive crime syndicate. The real “brand” of the federal government is the one the Biden crime family exposed, thanks to them using a crack addict as point man. And wherever you see defenders of this family, that is where you will find “made” members and those vulnerable to their corrupted power. Now that the curtain has been pulled back, they have no reason to hide who they really are any longer. They have their Marxist useful idiots destroying what remains of our culture and what they can’t reach, the syndicate can and will. “Saving our democracy?” That’s code for protecting the syndicate.
Has anyone fully investigated the money trail that “begat” Biden’s extensive real estate holdings?
I’m sure someone within the syndicate did a thorough investigation. sarc/off
As he does so often, Professor Turley hits the nail on the head. The media has adopted Rep. Goldman’s claim that Hunter Biden was only selling an illusion of influence. All the money paid to the Bidens? Nothing to see here, according to Rep. goldman. All these shady foreign entities were paying the Biden’s – 20 million so far – – and getting nothing in return, that’s what we are supposed to believe. What is amazing is so many reporters, who ought to know better, buy into this nonsense. What the elite media are saying, basically, is our politicians, and thier famlies, can collect all the graft you want. We have no problem with that. A lof of voters. including myself, have a big problem with that, this rank corruption that goes on in the DC swamp. Why are the Democrats condoning it?
Richard: No. As he does so often, Turley peddles whatever trope Fox (non) News is pushing–Turley has admitted in previous writings that influence peddling is not illegal–it is what “lobbying” is. However, now, Turley is pushing the theme that Biden is guilty of accepting an actual bribe–which is not the same thing as Hunter Biden “selling access”–IF, indeed, that’s what he did–there’s no actual proof in the form of hard evidence–just the laptop that might be nothing more than the puffery of a troubled individual. Turley is clutching his pearls because–gasp–non-pro-Trump media are demanding proof that JOE Biden was “bribed” before accusing him of such a serious crime–a mark of journalistic integrity lacking in his employer, which was found liable for defaming Dominion Voting Systems by lying about their equipment being capable of outside manipulation: “Of course, after long repeating denials of Joe Biden that he ever knew about his son’s foreign business deals, the media must now recognize that Hunter was selling influence and access. So they have added yet another task: show Joe Biden actually accepting money.”.
Turley is directly conflating “influence peddling” by Hunter Biden with JOE Biden accepting bribes–because he knows that the faithful don’t understand the difference, that they buy whatever attacks on the Bidens are put out by his employer–but there is all the difference in the world between someone possibly engaging in “influence peddling” and a politician accepting a bribe. So, today’s assignment is to attack legacy, mainstream media and to try to prop up the credibility of alt-right media that outright and endlessly accuses the entire Biden family of being criminals–based on nothing constituting proof that would stand up in a court of law, and despite the fact that after 4 years of investigations, no hard evidence has been surfaced. In fact, Devin Archer’s “bombshell” testimony fizzled–he said that all calls between Hunter and Joe Biden were related to travel, the weather, and innocuous topics in this vein. Rep. Goldman may be correct–all Hunter may have been selling is the illusion of influence and access. Nothing more than that has been proven–but Republicans have to have something, anything, to deflect away from Trump’s indictments and the failures of the House Republicans’ “investigations” to accomplish anything other than wasting time and money. And, they have to use every weapon at their disposal to prop up the theme that mainstream media are dishonest–to keep the faithful disciples believing the lies they peddle.
Richard: where is the proof of “all the money paid to the Bidens”? WHICH Bidens? How much? When was it paid? By whom was it paid? HOW was it paid–into whose account was it paid? What was “purchased” with “all the money paid to the Bidens”? If you can’t answer each of these questions, then you don’t know jack.
Bank records and a network of shell companies show proof of money paid….and proof of money distributed….to every member of Biden’s family….except Joe. Wait until they get the offshore bank account records. Joe Biden is a criminal. And a nasty, greedy, entitled, corrupt pos. Always has been. Always will be.
There is MORE than enough glaring evidence for the Republicans to have begun an impeachment inquiry like, last year, already! What the hell are they waiting for? Oh right, corrupt old Mitch McConnell said it wouldn’t be good for the country to impeach Biden…..or GArland….or Wray…..
So here’s what the Republicans will do to stop the corruption and criminality of Biden: exactly NOTHING.
Here is what the Republicans will do to stop Biden’s illegitmate, corrupt, lawless administration: exactly NOTHING. As usual.
Here are the hard-hitting questions and probing the corrupt fake news will do to hold President Biden accountable: “How was your vacation, sir?” “Did you enjoy some ice cream?” “May we kiss your a$$ or suck a little harder, sir?”
Democrats will continue their rampage of destruction of this country….because literally NO ONE is going to stop them.
Uniparty 4 Eva!
1 WHAT. “bank records”–where are they” What banks? Who held the sender and recipient accounts? You don’t know, do you? 2. WHAT “shell companies”? When a business entity, like a corporation, is set up, there are records showing the incorporators, the officers and agent for service of process–WHO are these people? There are public records if such companies exist. HOW are they tied to Joe Biden. You don’t know, do you? In fact, all Republicans have is a laptop from a very troubled young man going through a bad patch in his life, marked by substance abuse, following the violent deaths of his mother and sister in a car wreck, the death of his brother, and a divorce. Giuliani took the hard drive from the laptop, copied it multiple times and distributed it to Republican members of Congress before turning it over to the FBI. Republicans endlessly harp that the entries on the laptop prove that Hunter was selling influence and access to his father–including in 2017, when he wasn’t even in public office (a mistake published by Turley on this very website–pointed out by “Above the Law” –a legal commentary website that routinely cricicizes Turley)–and that Joe Biden took bribes. There’s no proof of any of these things, so alt-right media make up stories about bank accounts, shell companies–all without any proof. And…you believe it. They pick on Hunter Biden–which is just like rolling a drunk or knocking down a wobbly wino–it’s wrong. Implying that his substance abuse problem proves a lack of moral failing is also wrong. Hunter may have “sold” nothng more than an illusion of access—and, you can’t prove otherwise, but since it’s the only counter talking point against Trump’s criminal indictments and because Biden has been so successful, they go for it. Marjorie Taylor Greene even displayed nude photos of Hunter on the floor of the House of Representatives–and, you want to harp about Biden family immorality?
You accuse Joe Biden of being a criminal and other things–where’s your proof? You know you don’t have any–but any slop dished out by pro-Trump media is something you really, truly believe. Why? It’s mostly because of the stellar job Biden has done in turning around the failures of Trump–the economic, public health, and foreign relation disasters created by your hero who can’t even successfully run his own businesses–6 bankruptcies–2 of which were casinos. Biden got passed the Infrastructure Act, CHIPS Act, Debt Ceiling Act and Inflation Reduction Act. What did Trump accomplish legislatively–a tax break mostly benefitting the wealthiest individuals and corporations–which drove our national debt to record levels. He also alienated our foreign allies, insulted military heroes by calling them “suckers and losers”, and started an insurrection by lying about losing a free and fair election.
On the other hand–DJT is actually “a nasty, greedy, entitled, corrupt pos. Always has been. Always will be.” He’s worse than that–he sexually assaulted a woman and brags about his ability to grab them by their private parts.He kidnapped migrants’ children to deter other migrants from coming here. He sided with White Supremacists, calling them “fine people” after Charlottesville, after Heather Heyer got killed by one of them. He had a bad reputation before he cheated his way into our White House and is an international laughingstock. You say Democrats are on a “rampage of destrution of this country”? What the hell are you talking about? Unemployment is at the lowest level in 50 years, the stock market is up, inflation is under control, schools, businesses, restaurants, bars and leisure travel are back. Were you happier when the US set new daily records for COVID deaths and infections, schools were closed, unemployment was at 10%, and no leisure travel?
Gigi
As usual, i didnt read past “Turley bad, paid by Fox”.
I just want to know, do you still think that Texas makes their electricity from crude oil???
The fatigue is setting in.
At some point many will tune out this BS.
The bottom line. You’ve just witnessed the next stall in protecting the Bidens.
There is no way to clean house…
Years ago: Vice President Spiro Agnew stepped down because he accepted free groceries from someone.
At least Spiro didn’t say, “there’s no photos of me eating the groceries!”
How times have changed: Joe Biden is a congenital LIAR, and the MEDIA is his ENABLER!
Bad things happen when Good people DO NOTHING!
Are there NO GOOD PEOPLE in the Democrat Party?
Answer: NOT YET.
Joe Biden did, in fact, fire the Ukrainian prosecutor, as he was allegedly paid to do. He bragged about withholding US aid to Ukraine until the prosecutor was fired. Influence sold was, in fact, influence realized.
Trump got impeached for one phone call inquiring about Joe Biden’s quid pro quo.
Karen S: No. You’ve been corrected about the Ukrainian prosecutor matter before–he was CORRUPT, which is why Joe Biden and a consensus of Western nations wanted him gone–not to stop any alleged prosecution of Hunter: From USA Today: “It’s true that Joe Biden leveraged $1 billion in aid to persuade Ukraine to oust its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, in March 2016. But it wasn’t because Shokin was investigating Burisma. It was because Shokin wasn’t pursuing corruption among the country’s politicians.”
From “Rolling Stone: “From February 2015 to March 2016, Viktor Shokin was prosecutor general of Ukraine. His ouster was the result of pressure from a large consensus of Western nations, including the United States, that were concerned Shokin was at the center of a lot of the country’s corruption. Their concern peaked when, in February 2016, Shokin’s own deputy prosecutor, Vitaly Kasko, resigned, citing the corruption and cronyism within the office. “The General Prosecutor’s Office has become a dead institution, which nobody believes is independent,” Kasko said at the time.
Biden was one of the leaders of the effort to remove Shokin, and a month after Kasko’s resignation, he threatened to withhold American loan guarantees from Ukraine so long as Shokin was heading the prosecutor’s office. Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, also threatened to withdraw financial support for Ukraine unless it cleaned up its corruption problem. Pretty much everyone recognized Shokin had to go, and a month later Ukrainian Parliament voted to remove him from office.” Please stop accusindg Joe Biden of selling influence–a large consensus of Western nations worked to rid Ukraine of this guy.
Trump was impeached for the opposite reason–he withheld aid to Ukraine that was appropriated by Congress in exchange for it ginning up lies about Joe Biden. Trump wasn’t “inquring” about anything.
Gigi – the sources you cite – USA Today and Rollling Stone — may be considered disinformation at this point. Devon Archer tsaid on Tucker Carlson’s show, that Shokin was viewed as a threat to Burisma; in fact, he really was a threat, seizing assets of one of the principals.
As the NYP reports https://nypost.com/2023/08/04/viktor-shokin-was-threat-to-burisma-says-hunter-biden-partner-devon-archer/ :
“Ukrainian prosecutor-general Viktor Shokin, who was fired after then-Vice President Joe Biden threatened to pull $1 billion in US aid, was “a threat” to natural gas company Burisma Holdings, which paid Hunter Biden up to $1 million per year, the first son’s former business partner Devon Archer confirmed in an interview released Friday.
‘He was a threat. He ended up seizing assets of [Burisma owner] Nikolai [Zlochevsky] — a house, some cars, a couple properties. And Nikolai actually never went back to Ukraine after Shokin seized all of his assets,’ Archer told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
Shokin’s office won a court order to seize Zlochevsky’s property on Feb. 2, 2016, the Kyiv Post reported at the time. Shokin was fired on March 29, purportedly due to his own corruption.
Archer’s remarks are significant because they contradict the position of House Democrats that Shokin was not considered a threat to Burisma — a point likely to be hotly contested if Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) launches an impeachment inquiry, as he said last week was becoming likely.”
The “Shokin-corruption story” is just another hoax concocted by Democrats and swallowed by the MSM.
The question is, how much of an election boost did the following coordination between Democrat activists in positions of power in 3 letter agencies, and the media in 2020, and how much of a boost are Democrats getting in 2024?
1. Coordination between FBI and the media to falsely portray the Hunter Biden laptop story as Russian misinformation.
2. Refusal by the legacy press to question Joe Biden about anything of deeper substance than his favorite flavor of ice cream
3. DOJ slow walking the investigation into Hunter Biden for years, and offering a sweetheart deal
4. Treasury Department refusing to release 150 suspicious activity reports linked to Hunter Biden (https://oversight.house.gov/release/comer-blasts-the-treasury-department-for-refusing-to-provide-the-biden-familys-suspicious-activity-reports/)
5. The Biden Admin limited Congressional access to Bank Secrecy Act reports
This is a massive One Party PR campaign, as well as direct interference in criminal investigations and charges for Hunter Biden, and by extension, Joe Biden.
At some point, Hillary Clinton is going to say, “What difference did it make? It’s in the past.”
Moochhell, get that loose, nicely draping, solid black skirt out and put on a whole lotta make-up, and remember your acting coach is Barack; not to worry, what you don’t know, he can fill you in.
Goofy Gavin, you are so cute, playful, and photogenic; you are always good to go; these mindless, parasitic, dependent, goldbrick lemmings will follow you (and other people’s money) anywhere.
Stage manager, stand by to raise the curtain!
So biden now has 2 special counsels looking into his misdeeds. I won’t hold my breath for any revelations. The new special counsel just got caught trying to bury the scandal (plea deal) before being named special counsel. garland is not a funny progressive clown, he is a corrupt PoS
Time to start an Impeachment Inquiry on Merrick Garland…..start the process today!
Or….use the power of the Purse…..cut off all funding for Special Prosecutor Weiss…..and not restore it until a mutually acceptable Special Counsel is appointed.
Thank you for your coverage!
Basically, democrats are proclaiming Joetard innocent unless/until someone can get a confession out of him reminiscent of A Few Good Men, despite all evidence to the contrary. Prlobem is, these kinds of witness-stand confessions only happen in the movies:
I remember the good old days when the media was skeptical of the actions of the powerful, back when liberals had bumper stickers saying “Question Authority” and “Dissent is the Highest Form of Patriotism.” Alas, my children and grandchildren will never know such times.
Now the major media just protect the powerful, and if you question authority or express a dissenting opinion, it’s off to the Gulag with you!
(That last sentence covers both of Professor Turley’s articles today.)
The decline of the Democratic parties core vlaues – from an ethics standpoint – had been tought to watch. As a longtime Democrat voter I am just stunned at what I seeing. Rep. Goldman’s claims that there is nothing to see here in regards to the Biden family corruption is just unbelievable.
There is truly no longer any reason to communicate using words with anyone left of the dial. Might as well converse with a brick wall or that fake person on a website chat box. There is only one method left for dealing with self-righteous religious fanatics (and the prog/left are as fanatic about their ideology as any islamic jihadist is about their own faith) and we totally understand what methods we used in 9/11 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwj9YPmrLsQ&list=PLhtcf1xLeGZtTxdSJVOKGcnMBKWhk9SzY&index=5
The Earl Long quote is a classic. It is a reminder and lesson for all of us. Accordingly please use that widely.
OT: Garland’s appointment of Weiss as special counsel is part of a continuing cover up. Weiss shouldn’t be a special counsel, he should be the target of one.
Professor, please hire a new proofreader. This amateurish presentation of a “finished” article ready for publication is shockingly error-filled. Embarrassing. I can hardly believe it.
OK. I found one instance of a change in structure mid-sentence (“would are”) and a comma splice. What are you actually complaining about?
Having just appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as a Special Prosecutor in the Biden saga, is it still possible for congress to subpoena records and people as they follow their own investigation?
Or can Weiss shut down congress’s investigation on the grounds that it would interfere with the DOJ’s investigation?
Brian: good questions and good answers to your questions given by JT on FoxNews this midday. You probably can just search-engine his televised interview today. Near the end, he discusses the effect on Weiss’ ability to respond to subpoenas and questions….
Brian – I suspect that shutting down or hampering the Republican investigation is the object of the appointment. He will claim interference by them, and he will also be able to help potential witnesses prepare for appearances before the Congressional committee. He may even want to suggest areas that witnesses should avoid.
“Every piece of the puzzle will fall into place and many useless people will perish. 2023 is the year when everything is exposed and the revolution begins.” — O, 1/1/2009
There is none so blind as he who will not see.
Dems are willfully stupid.