Below is my column in The Hill on the exposure of the Biden family and its long-standing business of influence peddling. Newly released evidence from the House Committee on Ways and Means reveals over $20 million coming from 23 separate countries on four continents to at least nine Biden family members. Not only are the Biden transfers becoming clear, so is the Biden family tree in this lucrative form of corruption.
Here is the column:
President Joe Biden once famously told a state official that “no one f—s with a Biden.” It was a statement that made more sense a few years ago than it does today.
These days, it seems like everyone is…well, messing with the Bidens. The president’s son, Hunter Biden, is facing federal charges on gun violations under a law that his father has heralded. He is also looking at possible additional charges on taxes.
Joe Biden’s brother James Biden was just subpoenaed alongside his nephew over millions of dollars sent by foreign figures as part of an influence-peddling operation.
Joe Biden is now formally under investigation for possible impeachment with at least four articles of impeachment under consideration.
Finally, a media that has long shielded the Bidens is now starting to acknowledge that Hunter and others were engaged in corrupt influence peddling.
All of this scrutiny is not simply threatening the Biden sense of invincibility. It is also revealing more about the Bidens behind the scenes in an unvarnished and unflattering light.
Prosecutors often build narratives around the conspicuous consumption and the lifestyle demands of targets. Trump’s personal and financial dealings have featured greatly in litigation. The Washington Post’s Ruth Marcus and others have written about how the evidence exposed a “stunning display of Trump’s narcissism.”
The same may be true with Biden. There is a sharp disconnect between the public persona long maintained by the press and what is becoming more apparent to the public now.
Although the image of a “unifier-in-chief” quickly collapsed, the most lasting portrayal is that Joe Biden cares. Unlike Trump, he is portrayed as acting not out of greed, but an overwhelming desire to do good. In a typical article, a contributor to Forbes gushed about “How Empathy Defines Joe Biden.” The article explained that “Biden feels empathetic because that is who he is.”
That is not the image that emerges from the growing evidence about Biden and his family. The Bidens are suffering from legal exposure in actions concerning everything from withholding child support to peddling influence to federal felonies.
The investigations and inquiries often turn on questions of intent for actions taken by Biden family members, including the president himself. The motive is often all too apparent.
Hunter Biden left a long trail of emails and texts seeking millions in exchange for access to his father. He is shown in messages invoking his father’s power, threatening foreign figures to send him money. In one message, he allegedly makes a demand for an immediate transfer of cash from a Chinese businessman by saying that his father is sitting next to him to make sure the payment comes through.
Hunter Biden was burning through a fortune on drugs, prostitutes and high living. There were many eager to have the son of the vice president dependent on their largesse.
While Hunter is often portrayed as a human wreck, salvaged by influence-seekers, his uncles generated their own controversies. James has been a well-known figure among alleged influence peddlers for years in cashing in on access to his brother, Joe. Joe’s younger brother, Frank, has also been long identified as involved in the family influence peddling. Like Hunter, Frank appears to have been in dire financial straits due to his careening lifestyle and lack of any appreciable skills.
Frank’s need for money was not only great but known to his brother. In 1999, at age 43, Frank was involved in a car crash in Cardiff-by-the-Sea near Encinitas, California. He was accused of responsibility for the death of single father Michael Albano and then of evading service and responsibility in lawsuits by Albano’s surviving children. He only recently began paying what he owes.
Having had his driver’s license suspended in Florida, Frank nonetheless rented a Jaguar and had a younger man whom he had met at a Whole Foods driving him. Biden, sitting in the passenger seat, reportedly shifted the car into manual gear and encouraged Jason Turton, 25, to “punch it,” at which point he hit 80 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone.
Turton was later reportedly found to have twice the allowed level of alcohol in his system. Witnesses said everyone in the car was drinking that day and Frank was accused of telling Turton to “keep driving” after killing Albano. Frank would ultimately remain at the scene after Turton ran off by foot.
The police report suggested Frank was uncooperative with police on key points of the investigation.
Frank Biden defaulted in the action brought by Albano’s daughters, but he left California and spent decades evading payments. When attorney John F. Hayter, representing the daughters, garnished Biden’s Wells Fargo bank account in February, he found it virtually empty.
It took 20 years to get him to pay any of the $1 million he owed in damages. He was also reportedly dodging creditors.
The daughters had repeatedly asked Joe Biden to intervene, but nothing occurred for years until he was running for the vice presidency and the media began to pick up on his brother’s evasion of liability.
When Biden was still a senator, Albano’s daughter did finally get a response from Joe Biden’s staff that explained, “As you are aware, however, Frank has no assets with which to satisfy the judgment. The senator regrets that this is where matters stand and that he cannot be more helpful.”
That appeared to change just when Joe was running for the vice presidency. It was also when the Biden influence peddling efforts seemed to take off in earnest.
These cases reveal not just a family committed to corrupt influence peddling, but also strikingly similar patterns of legal and financial evasion. It also shows a family whose members had an insatiable thirst for cash and few skills beyond monetizing government service.
It is a familiar narrative in federal prosecutions. Prosecutors focused on such lifestyle demands in Paul Manafort’s prosecution, including highlighting his famous Ostrich coat.
The same is true in impeachments. When I served as lead counsel in the last judicial impeachment trial, my client, Judge Thomas Porteous, faced allegations of receiving gifts from those seeking to influence him. The House managers focused on Porteous’s lifestyle and gambling expenses to explain his seeking gifts from those with business in his court.
The Bidens had only one family business. They did not make furniture or sell groceries. They sold influence and, as Biden associate Devon Archer explained, Joe was their “brand.”
As these investigations and prosecutions continue, the public may conclude that it is not empathy but avarice that defines the Bidens.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.
It is amazing how Turley’s message changes when he is not under oath.
… you say, looking in the mirror.
Jonathan: It seems you are running out of targets for your campaign to discredit the Biden family. In your testimony before Comer’s Committee you admitted there was no evidence to impeach Pres. Biden. So now, you shift to Frank Biden who you claim was also involved in the pay to play Biden family corruption “scandal”.
You seem desperate to find something, anything, to make your case–claiming Frank Biden “has been a well-known figure among alleged (your frequent qualifier) influence peddlers for years in cashing in on access to his brother”. You have no proof so you resort to mug slinging by delving into Frank’s personal life. You say “these cases reveal not just a family committed to corrupt influence peddling, but also strikingly similar patterns of legal and financial evasion”. No they don’t.
Nothing in Frank Biden’s personal life supports any of your claims. When you testified before Comer’s Committee you claimed “Bribery” was a possible article of impeachment. Have you offered anything in this column about Frank Biden to support support that charge? Nope.
Like your prior columns this one involves guilt by association. It’s DESPERATION writ large!
Desperation is the No, NO NO, defense.
Dennis Why don’t you apprise as to how the Bidens would be entitled to receive any of these funds other than bribes via position of power. What other contingent would you provide that would entitle these Bidens to receive any funds, as emoluments are prohibited by the US Constitution? They (Bidens) sure as hell are not experts in any regards other than reviving on the Taxpayers Teat. They have never been a business people, have never run a business that employed an employee and generated a payroll. Hunter Biden apparently has /had nothing to peddle other his his father’s influence of power. I would allege that this corruption to the deepest degree and he should be remove by impeachment. What or why in the hell could Frank Biden do to be entitled to receive any funds from foreign sources, if he has no business relationship with said sources?
Gerald L Bailey: Nice to see someone else uses their real name besides me. That said, trading on the family is nothing new. It has been around for a long time. The Roosevelts, the Trumans, etc. Even the Trump family. DJT has always been proud of his “brand”. He sold it at times when that was all he had. He made millions from wealthy investors who wanted to put “Trump” on their properties. When DJT entered the WH who did he bring along? His two sons and daughter–who had no expertise in domestic or foreign policy. Ivanka made millions from using the “Trump” name to set up profitable companies. During his time as president DJT continued to profit from his properties. He sold buildings and condos to wealthy Saudi investors who sought influence from Trump. That’s “corruption” on a vast scale unheard of in American history. Funny you don’t seem concerned about that “scandal”.
Whack a mole tries to compare the Biden name to the Roosevelt name or even the Trump name.
Bwahahahahahahaha
Theres no “name” there, except that its synonymous with stupid. He’s been widely regarded as one of the lowest intellects to hold office for decades. Also known as a racist, segregationist, misogynist, and more recently a rapist and crook.
OT
Please excuse the interruption of this intractable ANONYMOUS BLOG.
It should be revealed that Kevin “The Bumpkin From Bakersfield” McCarthy told the eminently reasonable Iran that he wants his money back…now!
I bet he gets it.
The Bidens had only one family business. They did not make furniture or sell groceries. They sold influence and, as Biden associate Devon Archer explained, Joe was their “brand.”
“sold influence” sounds benign until we consider what was exchanged for money. Aldrich Ames had a “brand” that he sold for about $5 million. Robert Hanssen sold his “brand” for about $3 million. John Walker Jr. sold his “brand” for about $1 million. In those cases, it’s what they sold that was important, not how much they got for it. With 23 different countries buying the “Biden Brand”, what was it specifically that they bought? Is there a nexus between this administrations foreign and domestic policies and the “Biden Brand”?
So far, however, the evidence points to a less optimistic reading: The Biden administration allowed Malley to push an Iranian agent into sensitive national security positions because she was best equipped to carry out the administration’s own policy—to appease a terror regime with American blood on its hands. Because the number of American officials who want to be responsible for protecting Iran’s nuclear weapons program is limited, the White House went outside the federal bureaucracy for someone who was well-connected to the regime, and would relish the job of advancing its interests—an Iranian spy.
Congress needs to demand the Biden White House make Malley and Tabatabai available to testify immediately. It must also press to interview the security officials who buried evidence of Tabatabai’s covert activities, putting her in a position to endanger the lives of American civilians and special forces operators. It’s time to find out why the interests—and now the personnel—of the Iranian “death to America” regime intersect so frequently with those of America’s own ruling party.
https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/iran-spy-ring-robert-malley-lee-smith
“. . . is somehow *exclusive* to the Bidens.” (Emphasis added)
You’re lying (yet again). And smearing Turley (yet again).
Nowhere does he make the argument that such corruption is “exclusive” to the Bidens. Though what might be exclusive is a lifetime of getting away with it.
The House Democrats impeached T45 twice only to have both fail in the Senate. Their faux impeachment charges were baseless, they had no evidence, just avarice.
Mad King Joe, border-crime Biden*’s impeachment investigation has sufficient evidence to convict him outright without resorting to a trial.
When will the stuck-on-stupid Democrats wake (woke) up & throw this dementia-blunderer under the bus & save what little they have left?
You hit the nail on the head: “stuck-on-stupid Democrats” is all that they are capable of. To expect anything else is delusional, the solution is not wishing for the mentally challenged to step up, but to replace them in our society with thinking adults. Now that will be a heavy lift.
In each of those impeachments, the facts were not in dispute. Trump did exactly what he was accused of. And for the second one, facts that have come out since the impeachment are even worse then was known at the time.
With war breaking out in the Middle East, it’s good to know we have a full strategic oil reserve in case fuel becomes an issue…oh wait…Biden drained it so he could lower gas prices for the midterms. Carry on with your DNC talking points, Svelaz
I am old enough to remember the lines at the gas station, waiting a long time to get a 10 gallon maximum (1973). This will be a new experience for a generation who has never experienced a true shortage of anything.
E.M.
Good point.
On one hand many still live with their parents or are dependent on them for some kind of financial aid, paying their bills.
On the other, their parents are stress financially as it is with Bidenflation.
Reading some reports oil could go as high as $150 a barrel. With Biden’s disastrous policy to lower gas prices by raiding the SPR before the mid-terms, gas lines could return.
Those high gas prices will ripple across the economy inflicting even more pain on American’s.
Oh, will a generation who always virtue signals in angst will really finally feel what real economic pain is.
Correct.
Biden has drained the SPR to a 20 day domestic supply at normal consumption rates.
So, yes, that could be stretched to longer, but also requiring rationing, and of course more inflation on top of the inflation we have now.
The average American is not doing well in the Bidenconomics as it is.
For anyone keeping score, over the past 21 months Professor Turley has now tweeted & posted 267 times about “the Biden family influence peddling.” Yet a week & a half ago, Turley testified that after House Republicans spent 8 months investigating Biden family influence peddling allegations & interviewed Devon Archer & numerous other witnesses, Turley reluctantly conceded the current evidence would not support articles of impeachment against Biden.
In contrast, on 11 occasions Adam Schiff claimed the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. And the conservative media, which has long shielded Trump, has repeatedly buried the unassailable fact that the Mueller report “established multiple links between Trump campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government…the Trump campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts.”
Turley has definitely established himself to be the kindred spirit of Adam Schiff.
😆😂🤣
Not that it will do any good, but for the record I’d like to point out that two of Turley’s most-dishonest trolls — Thinkitthrough and UpstateFarmer — have just weighed in, referring to a poster they refer to as “Anonymous” as if anyone can tell WHICH “Anonymous” they’re SMEARING our of possibly dozens.
Will the real anonymous, please stand up. Independent Bob
Hillary Clinton likes to call Trump voters “cultists” because, despite everything Trump is supposed to have done, the people still want him as president. Yet, Democrats, faced with not only a corrupt and mentally diminished president, but one whose term has been marked by incredible incompetence and recklessness, are still standing behind him. It’s too much to ask Clinton to look in the mirror — she is the least self-reflexive person on the planet — but if there are any sane Democrats out there, now’s the time to make yourself heard.
Hopeful as you are, these are the same people who put Whitmer in as governor, fetterman in as senator, AOC in as representative – do you really think there is any common sense residing in their little noggins?
Why are we only now hearing about Frank Biden?
That’s a good question. I can only speculate that the answer has something to do with the fact that corrupt left-leaning media had no reason to mention him, and right-leaning media spends most of its time responding to left leaning media, so the subject of Frank Biden never came up before.
Peter Schweitzer has written about all the Biden’s for many years.
Funny that there is a new family member to add. Wait til he gets to the grandchildren, drawn into the corruption by the real Don.
Yesterday Anonymous informed us that the six billion dollars that Joe Biden gave to Iran would only be used for medicine and food. It seems that the President of Iran does not agree with her. President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC’s Lester Holt last month.
“This money belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” said Raisi, “and naturally we will decide to spend it wherever we need it.” Anonymous also said that she would be making fewer comments on this “garbage blog”.
How many comments has she made this morning? It wasn’t long ago when she said that Joe Biden was as white as the new fallen snow. Now what we hear is “Trump did it too.” Somehow she finds this an adequate defense for the Biden family corruption. It must take a great deal of effort to tie her brain into such a twisted knot.
WHICH “Anonymous” are you referring to, Turley troll?
“WHICH ‘Anonymous’ . . .”
There is something comical about an “Anonymous” complaining about a case of mistaken identity.
It’s not quite as funny when you realize that some of the people posting comments as “Anonymous” are doing so because this corrupt website blocks their comments when they post under their real name or their adopted pseudonym.
Not some Ralph, pretty much ALL
Definitely not all. For example, S. Meyer posts both under that name and also anonymously.
In addition to explaining WHICH “Anonymous” you’re referring to, please quote the information from which you ascertained that it’s a “she” or “her” and not a “he” or “him.”
Thinkitthrough the Troll didn’t ascertain anything. Rather, it’s intended as an insult.
Bahaha.. pot calling the kettle black.. commie
Thinkitthrough the Troll believes the liar Raisi. Hahahahahaha.
Thinkitthrough the Troll purposefully pretends that there’s a single anonymous commenter.
So far the comments from the Trump cult shows how much Hillary was right about how some of them should be deprogrammed. The rage and hate from the Trump cult is outrageous.
Warning from the DNC to JT.
If you thinking people pointing out corruption of government officials need deprogramming, you just might need deprogramming yourself.
Most of the comments not made by “Anonymous,” are quite reasonable.
The only rage and hate you see is the ones you want too.
How the heck should I know?
I quit trying to keep track.
I am only responding to you as you directly responded to me.
Otherwise, I just scroll past.
But as a result of all the hot messes that is “anonymous,” I would support a paid subscription like model to make comments like they do on The Free Press.
Maybe you should be AT The Free Press then, instead of reinforcing Thinkitthrough’s smear campaign against people who are merely following the STUPID and CORRUPT rules here in Turleyville.
“Most of the comments not made by ‘Anonymous,’ are quite reasonable.”
By inference, you’re smearing everyone following this degenerate crapsite’s moronic rules, and when I ask WHICH “Anonymous” you’re referring to, you respond “How the heck should I know?”
That’s brilliant. Whatever Turley is paying you, it’s WAY too much.
“…is the ones you want too…???”
Come n deprogram me.. I invite you to.. I mean, come deprogram me and I guarantee you, I will rearrange your mellon.
“This is why republicans will not succeed in their endeavors to impeach the president.”
Small minded people think thats the goal. They know that democrats wouldn’t convict if they had a confession from tha POS.
They are exposing him for what he is, and voters are listening.
“No, republicans are making fools of themselves.”
Says the booger eater making a fool of himself.
Waaaaaaaa
The FBI and the IRS should have been conducting this investigation but they didn’t. Just a smidge of window dressing for the mainstream media so little Chrissy Wray could say that “it’s under investigation”. That it took the House Oversight Committee to actually DO something really illustrates just how deep the Department of Justice has been corrupted. And Merrick Garland just smiles for the cameras. Paid whores all. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article.
It is also revealing more about the Bidens behind the scenes in an unvarnished and unflattering light.
Including George Soros.
It is no secret, thanks to Politico, that George Soros “Open Society Foundations” has been guiding the steps of the Biden White House regarding domestic and global policies.
George Soros, in his own words, has expressed great sympathy for Hamas. Indeed, he criticized the Bush Administration in the Financial Times for not working with Hamas to benefit the Middle East.
Opinion Terrorism: America and Israel must open the door to Hamas
George Soros
MARCH 18, 2007
The Bush administration is again committing a blunder in the Middle East by supporting the Israeli government in its refusal to recognise a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas. This precludes any progress towards a peace settlement at a time when such progress could help avert conflagration in the greater Middle East.
https://www.ft.com/content/8835d6dc-d54a-11db-a5c6-000b5df10621
Imagine telling Nelson Mandela in the 1990s that he and his followers needed to work with the South Africa President, Frederik Willem de Klerk, to broker a peaceful co-existence with Apartheid in South Africa.
Imagine George Soros installing D.A.’s across America so as to negotiate with local District Courts on behalf of violent offenders so that diversity, equity and inclusion could prevail. Oh wait….ANTIFA, BLM, Leftist DA’s across the nation ….all funded, nay led, by George Soros machinery. George Soros Left Hand has even been guiding Biden’s White House, per Politico.
An honest news media would investigate George Soros role in Biden freeing $6 Billion to Iran in exchange for bombing Israel via Hamas. Afterall, in the words of George Soros, Hamas are friends of Israel
“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.”
― G. Michael Hopf
Joseph R. Biden is a very very weak man, and Iran – Hamas knows it.
Man, it didn’t take long for Turley’s no-rules comment section to drift off-topic and into the usual ad hominem BS.
We are, and generally have been, long aware of the slimey nature of biden and his clan. What is so troubling has been the apparent disinterest in those notions by our nation’s LEOs. Yet we watch show trial after show trial against anyone slightly involved in what we could call “the MAGA” movement. The putrification of almost half of our population by this progressive ideology that has ground our notion of the “rule of law” to a hault is a greater threat to our nation than any foreign entity as it has left us, and especially our military, ill prepared to defend us from attack or invasion. Of we are made to close our eyes to the gross misconduct of the bidens and others then we are no longer a functioning nation/society and chattering about how poorly this evidence appears without reaction indicates our slide into irrelevance as a culture.
Anonymous the stupid is on a rampage today. It would seem that Trump gets dragged into everything whether he is part of it or not. Despite this I have failed to see any charges placed in court or convictions of Trump and his Children for influence peddling. With Federal charges in D.C., and Miami and state charges in New York City and Atlanta, I have not discerned one charge of influence peddling. Conspicuous consumption is one thing and is not illegal and is often in the eye of the beholder or someone who is envious of that consumer. If a person makes money legally then it’s their’s to spend as they see fit. If done illegally then that is a different question.
Some people out there always seemed to assume that if someone was rich then they were a crook and stole the money but we seem to forget that this country was built on capitalism and a free market. If you’re smart and willing to take risks then you can become rich. Work hard and point your career wisely and you can become rich. Getting to be rich (whatever definition you use) is hard work with many failures and sometimes despair but persistence often pays off. It only takes one stupid child or a very stupid decision to lose it all. And once you achieve your riches, it is even harder work to keep it.
I don’t despise the rich or the successful, only asking for legality in their quest for success and equal treatment before the law.
For politicians influence peddling is a betrayal of the trust of their voters and I can think of no better punishment than to make them poor and penniless. Betrayal is the key. They were entrusted with the hopes and trust of their constituents and cast that trust into the dirt. I think Dante placed the emphasis on Betrayal in his Divine Comedy as, if memory serves me well, Cassius, Brutus and Judas occupied the lowest ring of Hell with Satan himself for “Betrayal”.
And I have failed to see any charges placed in court or convictions of Biden and his Children for influence peddling.
“Republicans constantly make this point in front of the Supreme Court and successfully get rulings in their favor,”
Even with a little truth on your side, you gotta turn it into a lie. Nice job.
Yiu can go back to eating boogers now
First, influence peddling is not illegal.
It is when the influenced is the one peddling