Hunter Biden Tinfoil issues

[Typical Lax Dad]

Well whaddya know - Rudy Colludy had a lien placed on his Palm Beach Condo by the IRS for failure to pay income taxes - over $1 million to date.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurk ... 81cc633ca3

Certainly Saltine Warrior will be all over this posthaste

Who cares ? When was the last time Rudy held public office ? Has he declared bankruptcy yet, due to his legal bills ?

He's held more public office than Hunter Biden ever has. Hubter Biden was and still is a private citizen as is former mayor Colludy.

So why are you making the irrelevant whatabout comparison. They're both being pursued for not paying their taxes. Rudy just doesn't have a Hollywood sugar bro to bail him out. He's no longer bankable.

He’s pointing out your ridiculous hypocrisy.

What hypocrisy ? I'm not claiming that Rudy should not be pursued for failing to pay his taxes. I'm not defending him in any way.

“Who cares”….

[a fan]

Well whaddya know - Rudy Colludy had a lien placed on his Palm Beach Condo by the IRS for failure to pay income taxes - over $1 million to date.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurk ... 81cc633ca3

Certainly Saltine Warrior will be all over this posthaste

Who cares ? When was the last time Rudy held public office ? Has he declared bankruptcy yet, due to his legal bills ?

He's held more public office than Hunter Biden ever has. Hubter Biden was and still is a private citizen as is former mayor Colludy.

So why are you making the irrelevant whatabout comparison. They're both being pursued for not paying their taxes. Rudy just doesn't have a Hollywood sugar bro to bail him out. He's no longer bankable.

He’s pointing out your ridiculous hypocrisy.

What hypocrisy ?

FFS, OS. You are blind as a freaking bat.


With Giuliani and taxes? Your response is "who cares".

With Hunter and taxes? You won't shut the F about it, and have been complaining about Hunter for MONTHS now. Conspiracy theories are established, complaints that his treatment isn't harsh enough.....everything you can throw at him. Demanding six years of investigations, and how the House is at at it...and you're cheering them on.



Can anyone here explain to me why the F 2023 Republicans have nothing---zippo----in the tank when it comes to self-awareness?

Here's Old Salt, telling the Forum that he treats Democrats and Republicans the exact same.

What hypocrisy??

[old salt]

Well whaddya know - Rudy Colludy had a lien placed on his Palm Beach Condo by the IRS for failure to pay income taxes - over $1 million to date.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurk ... 81cc633ca3

Certainly Saltine Warrior will be all over this posthaste

Who cares ? When was the last time Rudy held public office ? Has he declared bankruptcy yet, due to his legal bills ?

He's held more public office than Hunter Biden ever has. Hubter Biden was and still is a private citizen as is former mayor Colludy.

So why are you making the irrelevant whatabout comparison. They're both being pursued for not paying their taxes. Rudy just doesn't have a Hollywood sugar bro to bail him out. He's no longer bankable.

He’s pointing out your ridiculous hypocrisy.

What hypocrisy ?

FFS, OS. You are blind as a freaking bat.

With Giuliani and taxes? Your response is "who cares".

With Hunter and taxes? You won't shut the F about it, and have been complaining about Hunter for MONTHS now. Conspiracy theories are established, complaints that his treatment isn't harsh enough.....everything you can throw at him. Demanding six years of investigations, and how the House is at at it...and you're cheering them on.

Can anyone here explain to me why the F 2023 Republicans have nothing---zippo----in the tank when it comes to self-awareness?

Here's Old Salt, telling the Forum that he treats Democrats and Republicans the exact same.

What hypocrisy??

What difference does it make ? I'm not defending Rudy. He's already facing a $148 million judgement & an upcoming criminal trial in GA.
Now the IRS is after him for taxes. He's filing for bankruptcy. What is there left to say ? They can fight over the scraps & pick his bones clean.
He might welcome incarceration for room & board. What do you want from me, a cry for ritual execution ? I'm not making excuses for Rudy or claiming that everybody does it.

[a fan]

Well whaddya know - Rudy Colludy had a lien placed on his Palm Beach Condo by the IRS for failure to pay income taxes - over $1 million to date.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurk ... 81cc633ca3

Certainly Saltine Warrior will be all over this posthaste

Who cares ? When was the last time Rudy held public office ? Has he declared bankruptcy yet, due to his legal bills ?

He's held more public office than Hunter Biden ever has. Hubter Biden was and still is a private citizen as is former mayor Colludy.

So why are you making the irrelevant whatabout comparison. They're both being pursued for not paying their taxes. Rudy just doesn't have a Hollywood sugar bro to bail him out. He's no longer bankable.

He’s pointing out your ridiculous hypocrisy.

What hypocrisy ?

FFS, OS. You are blind as a freaking bat.

With Giuliani and taxes? Your response is "who cares".

With Hunter and taxes? You won't shut the F about it, and have been complaining about Hunter for MONTHS now. Conspiracy theories are established, complaints that his treatment isn't harsh enough.....everything you can throw at him. Demanding six years of investigations, and how the House is at at it...and you're cheering them on.

Can anyone here explain to me why the F 2023 Republicans have nothing---zippo----in the tank when it comes to self-awareness?

Here's Old Salt, telling the Forum that he treats Democrats and Republicans the exact same.

What hypocrisy??

What difference does it make ?

Please, by all means pretend you're too stupid to get the point your fellow posters made.

While you're sorting that out, I'm starting a conspiracy theory that the Deep State plotted to take it easy on Giuliani in an effort to get Trump elected.




Do you have any advice on how to concoct my Giuliani-conspiracy-theory, OS?

Oh! Oh ! I got it: "the mainstream media is refusing to run stories about how the FBI investigated and arrested Giuliani without probable cause!!!"

How's that? Sound cool? Or should I make up more ridiculous stuff to make folks like you believe it?

[old salt]

Please, by all means pretend you're too stupid to get the point your fellow posters made.

While you're sorting that out, I'm starting a conspiracy theory that the Deep State plotted to take it easy on Giuliani in an effort to get Trump elected.

Do you have any advice on how to concoct my Giuliani-conspiracy-theory, OS?

Oh! Oh ! I got it: "the mainstream media is refusing to run stories about how the FBI investigated and arrested Giuliani without probable cause!!!"

How's that? Sound cool? Or should I make up more ridiculous stuff to make folks like you believe it?

Rudy became a lost cause to me in the wake of the 2020 election.
I have not been paying attention to what's been happening to him.
I notice that Hunter's laptop hard drive turned out to be legit & not Russian disinfo.
I'm not sure the entire Rudy saga has played out. Who knows what else may come out.
I'm content to let the historians sort this one out. Since you forced me to catch up on Rudy, I found this :
https://apnews.com/article/rudy-giulian ... 4b5db5aaf5
Feds raided Rudy Giuliani’s home and office in 2021 over Ukraine suspicions, unsealed papers show
Updated 12:11 PM EST, December 20, 2023

Federal agents raided Rudy Giuliani’s home and office in 2021 because they suspected the former New York City mayor had sought the removal of the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine partly because of the prospect of a financial reward from a Ukrainian official, according to documents made public Tuesday.

The documents provide new detail on the since-concluded investigation into Giuliani’s dealings with Ukrainian figures in the run up to the 2020 presidential election. Giuliani, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was not charged with a crime as a result of the inquiry.

In a search warrant application, federal agents seeking to seize Giuliani’s cell phones, laptop and other electronic devices raised the possibility that he and three other people could be charged with acting as unregistered foreign agents.

The documents, unsealed at the request of The New York Times, confirmed past news reports that federal prosecutors in Manhattan were examining whether Giuliani had gotten anything of value in return for lobbying the Trump administration to fire then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

The warrant application said Giuliani had been “incentivized” to lobby for the ambassador’s removal in two ways.

First, it said, the prosecutor general in Ukraine who wanted the ambassador fired, Yuriy Lutsenko, had offered to hire Giuliani to lobby the Trump administration for help recovering Ukrainian assets he believed had been misappropriated by a U.S. investment firm.
“Giuliani was interested in being engaged to do that work, and proposed a retainer with a $200,000 upfront payment,” the warrant application said. “Thus, it appears that Giuliani took steps to cause the firing of the Ambassador to prove ... what he could achieve.”

Secondly, the application said, Giuliani wanted Lutsenko’s help launching an investigation that might hurt Trump’s Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Both Lutsenko and Giuliani have previously denied there was anything inappropriate about their interactions.

Prosecutors noted that the proposed $200,000 retainer was never paid, but federal agents wrote that they believed Giuliani’s worsening finances may have motivated him to consider the deal.
In their search warrant application, they cited bank records and other information showing he’d gone from having about $1.2 million in the bank and $40,000 in credit card debt in January 2018 to about $288,000 in cash and $110,000 credit debt in February 2019.

Giuliani has said he also never lobbied the Trump administration on Lutsenko’s behalf. A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with Giuliani’s spokesperson.

The search warrant application included an excerpt from a 2019 text exchange in which Giuliani expressed frustration about his lack of progress, at the time, in ousting Yovanovitch as ambassador.
“Boy, I am so powerful I can intimidate the entire Ukrainian government,” Giuliani told Lev Parnas, an associate who was serving as a liaison to Ukrainian officials. “Please don’t tell anyone I can’t get the crooked Ambassador fired or I did three times and she’s still there.”
Trump ordered Yovanovitch removed from her post later that month.

In November 2022, federal prosecutors revealed in a letter to a federal judge that Giuliani would not face criminal charges in the investigation.
“Based on information currently available to the Government, criminal charges are not forthcoming,” they wrote. They said the grand jury probe that led to the seizure of Giuliani’s electronic devices had concluded.
Giuliani tweeted soon afterward that it was a “COMPLETE & TOTAL VINDICATION.”

The contours of the investigation were broadly known even before its conclusion, but details of what evidence prosecutors were acting on when they sought to search Giuliani had not been revealed.
The Times wrote to the judge in October seeking copies of the search warrants, warrant applications, supporting affidavits and other documents.
Giuliani consented to releasing the search warrant documents, according to U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken’s order unsealing them.

The documents contained numerous redactions, with many names and other identifying information blacked out. Trump’s name appeared in the documents more than two-dozen times, mainly pertaining to Giuliani’s alleged lobbying efforts. There was no suggestion that investigators suspected Trump of wrongdoing.

In an affidavit filed with Manhattan federal magistrates to secure search warrants, investigators wrote it appeared Giuliani had been aware of FARA registration requirements for some time and had publicly stated that he believed he was not required to register because he has never lobbied the U.S. government on behalf of his clients.

The disclosure of the search warrant documents comes amid a tangle of recent and ongoing legal challenges for the Republican ex-mayor.
Giuliani was indicted in August in Georgia on charges he acted as Trump’s chief co-conspirator in a plot to subvert Biden’s victory. He was also described as a co-conspirator but not charged in special counsel Jack Smith’s federal election interference case against Trump.

Last week, a jury in Washington, D.C. ordered Giuliani to pay $148 million in damages to two former Georgia election workers who sued him for defamation over lies he spread about them in the wake of Trump’s 2020 election loss.
The former workers, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss and her mother Ruby Freeman, sued Giuliani again on Monday, alleging he continued to defame them during the trial.

The April 2021 raid on Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment and office was seen at the time as a major escalation of the Justice Department’s yearslong investigation of his dealings in Ukraine.
Giuliani accused federal authorities at the time of “running rough shod over the constitutional rights of anyone involved in, or legally defending” Trump.

Giuliani was central to the then-president’s efforts to press Ukraine for an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter.
Hunter Biden was charged by U.S. authorities in September with federal gun crimes and is scheduled to be arraigned next month on tax charges.
The federal Foreign Agents Registration Act requires people who lobby on behalf of a foreign government or entity to register with the Justice Department.
The once-obscure law, aimed at improving transparency, has received a burst of attention in recent years — particularly during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of foreign election interference, which revealed an array of foreign influence operations in the U.S.

[a fan]

Rudy became a lost cause to me in the wake of the 2020 election.
I have not been paying attention to what's been happening to him.

Have a great night.

[Seacoaster(1)]

A little summary of the GOP's dry well, so far anyway:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/p ... quiry.html

"As they search for evidence they can use to impeach President Biden, House Republicans have repeatedly pointed to evidence that they say undercuts his claims that he never had anything to do with the foreign business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden.

As vice president, for example, Mr. Biden did briefly meet with some of his son’s business associates, though there is no testimony that he had any substantive discussions with them or that he changed government policy to benefit any of Hunter Biden’s ventures.

Still, Republicans have continued to mine voluminous records related to Hunter Biden, including a trove of messages from a computer hard drive, to try to make a case that Hunter Biden’s income from abroad was at the heart of an influence-peddling operation that enriched the entire Biden family, including his father.

Republicans have used quotes culled from text messages or emails to add a confessional quality to their presentations — evidence, they say, that Hunter Biden was essentially admitting that he and his father were engaged in political corruption.

But an examination of some of the highest-profile examples cited by Republicans shows that they have been taken out of context, or that Republicans have omitted key messages in email or text chains that often cast the communications in a more innocuous light.

‘Half my salary’

In one example, Republicans point to a 2019 text message Hunter Biden sent to his daughter in which, they say, he confesses to sharing half of the millions he received from overseas business deals with his father.

“I Hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family Fro 30 years,” he wrote in the typo-filled message. “It’s really hard. But don’t worry unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Rather than referring to money Hunter Biden received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma or from a venture with a Chinese partner, Hunter Biden was alluding to his financial support for his own children and his school days, when his father allowed him to keep half the paycheck from part-time jobs but asked that he turn over the other half to help pay for room and board, according to a review of Hunter Biden’s messages and interviews by The New York Times.

‘10 percent for the big guy’

The phrase “10 percent for the big guy” is almost ubiquitous in Republican circles, stemming from the accusation that Hunter Biden gave his father a 10 percent stake in his business deals.

It originates from a 2017 email sent by James Gilliar, a business associate of Hunter Biden’s, who proposed including the “big guy” — presumably Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president — in a business venture under the name Oneida Holdings.

“10 held by H for the big guy?” Mr. Gilliar wrote.

But he told The Wall Street Journal in 2020 that his suggestion never went anywhere. The former vice president did not get involved with their business, and the proposed deal never produced any profit for anyone to split.

“I would like to clear up any speculation that former Vice President Biden was involved with the 2017 discussions about our potential business structure,” Mr. Gilliar said in 2020. “I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former vice president. The activity in question never delivered any project revenue.”

In an interview with the F.B.I., Rob Walker, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, described suggestions of getting Hunter’s father involved with the business as “wishful thinking.” He stated he “certainly never was thinking at any time that the V.P. was a part of anything we were doing.”

‘I can work with you father alone !!’

Another message Republicans have highlighted is a 2018 text sent from James Biden, the president’s brother, to Hunter Biden, who at the time was in the throes of addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine: “I can work with you father alone !! We as usual just need several months of his help for this to work.”

At a House Oversight Committee hearing, Republican lawmakers implied this message was in reference to business dealings, but another text in the chain makes clear James Biden was referring to working with Joe Biden to get help for Hunter Biden as he struggled to keep up with his bills, get sober and find a place to live.

Concerns of a bank investigator

Republicans have also drawn attention to the concerns of a bank investigator about Hunter Biden’s business activities, which involved securing millions of dollars from a Chinese firm in exchange for work the investigator flagged as potentially nonexistent.

“The activity on the account appears unusual with no current business purpose,” the investigator wrote.

But Republicans omitted other emails in the chain that were later released by Democrats on the Oversight Committee. They show a robust debate inside the bank about the legitimacy of the business activity. One response described the activity connected to Hunter Biden’s account as “reasonable and consistent with the business profile.”

$240,000 to Joe Biden

Despite assertions that anywhere from 10 percent to half of the money from Hunter Biden’s business deals went to his father, Republicans have failed thus far to show any profit for the current president.

They have documented three instances in which family members paid money to Joe Biden — while he was not in office — but they have often omitted the context that the exchanges were loan repayments, not a cut of income.

Rather than showing Joe Biden was enriched by his family’s foreign business dealings, the documents released by House Republicans so far have showed the opposite.

After leaving the vice presidency, Joe Biden made more than $15 million, mostly through speaking engagements and book sales, some of which went to support his extended family.

By contrast, Hunter Biden spent much of his money on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, fancy cars and other self-indulgent expenses and failed to pay his taxes on time, resulting in his federal indictment this month on tax charges.

James Biden also found himself from time to time in need of a loan. According to House Republicans, at one point, James Biden had just $46 in a personal account.

House Republicans have pointed to two payments — one for $200,000 and another for $40,000 — James Biden made to Joe Biden while he was not in office. They have characterized the $40,000 check as “laundered China money.” But they did not note evidence showing Joe Biden had first loaned money to his brother before being repaid.

The House Oversight Committee has also released documents that showed that one of Hunter Biden’s businesses, Owasco PC, made three payments of $1,380 to Joe Biden in 2018. But other documents indicate the money was to pay back his father for helping to cover the cost of a Ford truck.

‘I am sitting here with my father’

One WhatsApp message that has received much attention was provided by an I.R.S. investigator who testified before Congress under whistle-blower protections. In it, Hunter Biden invoked his father, who was then out of office, while pressing a potential Chinese business partner in 2017 to move ahead with a proposed energy deal.

“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to know why the commitment has not been fulfilled,” the message states. On its face, the message seemed to suggest Joe Biden was in league with his son pressuring for a payment to the family.

But Democrats have argued it is more likely an example of Hunter Biden’s bluster than an accurate statement of Joe Biden’s involvement in a shakedown. A lawyer for Hunter Biden says he does not remember sending the message.

The president has denied he was present at the time."

[tech37]

A little summary of the GOP's dry well, so far anyway:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/p ... quiry.html

"As they search for evidence they can use to impeach President Biden, House Republicans have repeatedly pointed to evidence that they say undercuts his claims that he never had anything to do with the foreign business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden.

As vice president, for example, Mr. Biden did briefly meet with some of his son’s business associates, though there is no testimony that he had any substantive discussions with them or that he changed government policy to benefit any of Hunter Biden’s ventures.

Still, Republicans have continued to mine voluminous records related to Hunter Biden, including a trove of messages from a computer hard drive, to try to make a case that Hunter Biden’s income from abroad was at the heart of an influence-peddling operation that enriched the entire Biden family, including his father.

Republicans have used quotes culled from text messages or emails to add a confessional quality to their presentations — evidence, they say, that Hunter Biden was essentially admitting that he and his father were engaged in political corruption.

But an examination of some of the highest-profile examples cited by Republicans shows that they have been taken out of context, or that Republicans have omitted key messages in email or text chains that often cast the communications in a more innocuous light.

‘Half my salary’

In one example, Republicans point to a 2019 text message Hunter Biden sent to his daughter in which, they say, he confesses to sharing half of the millions he received from overseas business deals with his father.

“I Hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family Fro 30 years,” he wrote in the typo-filled message. “It’s really hard. But don’t worry unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Rather than referring to money Hunter Biden received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma or from a venture with a Chinese partner, Hunter Biden was alluding to his financial support for his own children and his school days, when his father allowed him to keep half the paycheck from part-time jobs but asked that he turn over the other half to help pay for room and board, according to a review of Hunter Biden’s messages and interviews by The New York Times.

‘10 percent for the big guy’

The phrase “10 percent for the big guy” is almost ubiquitous in Republican circles, stemming from the accusation that Hunter Biden gave his father a 10 percent stake in his business deals.

It originates from a 2017 email sent by James Gilliar, a business associate of Hunter Biden’s, who proposed including the “big guy” — presumably Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president — in a business venture under the name Oneida Holdings.

“10 held by H for the big guy?” Mr. Gilliar wrote.

But he told The Wall Street Journal in 2020 that his suggestion never went anywhere. The former vice president did not get involved with their business, and the proposed deal never produced any profit for anyone to split.

“I would like to clear up any speculation that former Vice President Biden was involved with the 2017 discussions about our potential business structure,” Mr. Gilliar said in 2020. “I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former vice president. The activity in question never delivered any project revenue.”

In an interview with the F.B.I., Rob Walker, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, described suggestions of getting Hunter’s father involved with the business as “wishful thinking.” He stated he “certainly never was thinking at any time that the V.P. was a part of anything we were doing.”

‘I can work with you father alone !!’

Another message Republicans have highlighted is a 2018 text sent from James Biden, the president’s brother, to Hunter Biden, who at the time was in the throes of addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine: “I can work with you father alone !! We as usual just need several months of his help for this to work.”

At a House Oversight Committee hearing, Republican lawmakers implied this message was in reference to business dealings, but another text in the chain makes clear James Biden was referring to working with Joe Biden to get help for Hunter Biden as he struggled to keep up with his bills, get sober and find a place to live.

Concerns of a bank investigator

Republicans have also drawn attention to the concerns of a bank investigator about Hunter Biden’s business activities, which involved securing millions of dollars from a Chinese firm in exchange for work the investigator flagged as potentially nonexistent.

“The activity on the account appears unusual with no current business purpose,” the investigator wrote.

But Republicans omitted other emails in the chain that were later released by Democrats on the Oversight Committee. They show a robust debate inside the bank about the legitimacy of the business activity. One response described the activity connected to Hunter Biden’s account as “reasonable and consistent with the business profile.”

$240,000 to Joe Biden

Despite assertions that anywhere from 10 percent to half of the money from Hunter Biden’s business deals went to his father, Republicans have failed thus far to show any profit for the current president.

They have documented three instances in which family members paid money to Joe Biden — while he was not in office — but they have often omitted the context that the exchanges were loan repayments, not a cut of income.

Rather than showing Joe Biden was enriched by his family’s foreign business dealings, the documents released by House Republicans so far have showed the opposite.

After leaving the vice presidency, Joe Biden made more than $15 million, mostly through speaking engagements and book sales, some of which went to support his extended family.

By contrast, Hunter Biden spent much of his money on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, fancy cars and other self-indulgent expenses and failed to pay his taxes on time, resulting in his federal indictment this month on tax charges.

James Biden also found himself from time to time in need of a loan. According to House Republicans, at one point, James Biden had just $46 in a personal account.

House Republicans have pointed to two payments — one for $200,000 and another for $40,000 — James Biden made to Joe Biden while he was not in office. They have characterized the $40,000 check as “laundered China money.” But they did not note evidence showing Joe Biden had first loaned money to his brother before being repaid.

The House Oversight Committee has also released documents that showed that one of Hunter Biden’s businesses, Owasco PC, made three payments of $1,380 to Joe Biden in 2018. But other documents indicate the money was to pay back his father for helping to cover the cost of a Ford truck.

‘I am sitting here with my father’

One WhatsApp message that has received much attention was provided by an I.R.S. investigator who testified before Congress under whistle-blower protections. In it, Hunter Biden invoked his father, who was then out of office, while pressing a potential Chinese business partner in 2017 to move ahead with a proposed energy deal.

“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to know why the commitment has not been fulfilled,” the message states. On its face, the message seemed to suggest Joe Biden was in league with his son pressuring for a payment to the family.

But Democrats have argued it is more likely an example of Hunter Biden’s bluster than an accurate statement of Joe Biden’s involvement in a shakedown. A lawyer for Hunter Biden says he does not remember sending the message.

The president has denied he was present at the time."

Uh oh... NYT circling the wagons. Must be something "there there"

[Typical Lax Dad]

A little summary of the GOP's dry well, so far anyway:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/p ... quiry.html

"As they search for evidence they can use to impeach President Biden, House Republicans have repeatedly pointed to evidence that they say undercuts his claims that he never had anything to do with the foreign business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden.

As vice president, for example, Mr. Biden did briefly meet with some of his son’s business associates, though there is no testimony that he had any substantive discussions with them or that he changed government policy to benefit any of Hunter Biden’s ventures.

Still, Republicans have continued to mine voluminous records related to Hunter Biden, including a trove of messages from a computer hard drive, to try to make a case that Hunter Biden’s income from abroad was at the heart of an influence-peddling operation that enriched the entire Biden family, including his father.

Republicans have used quotes culled from text messages or emails to add a confessional quality to their presentations — evidence, they say, that Hunter Biden was essentially admitting that he and his father were engaged in political corruption.

But an examination of some of the highest-profile examples cited by Republicans shows that they have been taken out of context, or that Republicans have omitted key messages in email or text chains that often cast the communications in a more innocuous light.

‘Half my salary’

In one example, Republicans point to a 2019 text message Hunter Biden sent to his daughter in which, they say, he confesses to sharing half of the millions he received from overseas business deals with his father.

“I Hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family Fro 30 years,” he wrote in the typo-filled message. “It’s really hard. But don’t worry unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Rather than referring to money Hunter Biden received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma or from a venture with a Chinese partner, Hunter Biden was alluding to his financial support for his own children and his school days, when his father allowed him to keep half the paycheck from part-time jobs but asked that he turn over the other half to help pay for room and board, according to a review of Hunter Biden’s messages and interviews by The New York Times.

‘10 percent for the big guy’

The phrase “10 percent for the big guy” is almost ubiquitous in Republican circles, stemming from the accusation that Hunter Biden gave his father a 10 percent stake in his business deals.

It originates from a 2017 email sent by James Gilliar, a business associate of Hunter Biden’s, who proposed including the “big guy” — presumably Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president — in a business venture under the name Oneida Holdings.

“10 held by H for the big guy?” Mr. Gilliar wrote.

But he told The Wall Street Journal in 2020 that his suggestion never went anywhere. The former vice president did not get involved with their business, and the proposed deal never produced any profit for anyone to split.

“I would like to clear up any speculation that former Vice President Biden was involved with the 2017 discussions about our potential business structure,” Mr. Gilliar said in 2020. “I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former vice president. The activity in question never delivered any project revenue.”

In an interview with the F.B.I., Rob Walker, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, described suggestions of getting Hunter’s father involved with the business as “wishful thinking.” He stated he “certainly never was thinking at any time that the V.P. was a part of anything we were doing.”

‘I can work with you father alone !!’

Another message Republicans have highlighted is a 2018 text sent from James Biden, the president’s brother, to Hunter Biden, who at the time was in the throes of addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine: “I can work with you father alone !! We as usual just need several months of his help for this to work.”

At a House Oversight Committee hearing, Republican lawmakers implied this message was in reference to business dealings, but another text in the chain makes clear James Biden was referring to working with Joe Biden to get help for Hunter Biden as he struggled to keep up with his bills, get sober and find a place to live.

Concerns of a bank investigator

Republicans have also drawn attention to the concerns of a bank investigator about Hunter Biden’s business activities, which involved securing millions of dollars from a Chinese firm in exchange for work the investigator flagged as potentially nonexistent.

“The activity on the account appears unusual with no current business purpose,” the investigator wrote.

But Republicans omitted other emails in the chain that were later released by Democrats on the Oversight Committee. They show a robust debate inside the bank about the legitimacy of the business activity. One response described the activity connected to Hunter Biden’s account as “reasonable and consistent with the business profile.”

$240,000 to Joe Biden

Despite assertions that anywhere from 10 percent to half of the money from Hunter Biden’s business deals went to his father, Republicans have failed thus far to show any profit for the current president.

They have documented three instances in which family members paid money to Joe Biden — while he was not in office — but they have often omitted the context that the exchanges were loan repayments, not a cut of income.

Rather than showing Joe Biden was enriched by his family’s foreign business dealings, the documents released by House Republicans so far have showed the opposite.

After leaving the vice presidency, Joe Biden made more than $15 million, mostly through speaking engagements and book sales, some of which went to support his extended family.

By contrast, Hunter Biden spent much of his money on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, fancy cars and other self-indulgent expenses and failed to pay his taxes on time, resulting in his federal indictment this month on tax charges.

James Biden also found himself from time to time in need of a loan. According to House Republicans, at one point, James Biden had just $46 in a personal account.

House Republicans have pointed to two payments — one for $200,000 and another for $40,000 — James Biden made to Joe Biden while he was not in office. They have characterized the $40,000 check as “laundered China money.” But they did not note evidence showing Joe Biden had first loaned money to his brother before being repaid.

The House Oversight Committee has also released documents that showed that one of Hunter Biden’s businesses, Owasco PC, made three payments of $1,380 to Joe Biden in 2018. But other documents indicate the money was to pay back his father for helping to cover the cost of a Ford truck.

‘I am sitting here with my father’

One WhatsApp message that has received much attention was provided by an I.R.S. investigator who testified before Congress under whistle-blower protections. In it, Hunter Biden invoked his father, who was then out of office, while pressing a potential Chinese business partner in 2017 to move ahead with a proposed energy deal.

“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to know why the commitment has not been fulfilled,” the message states. On its face, the message seemed to suggest Joe Biden was in league with his son pressuring for a payment to the family.

But Democrats have argued it is more likely an example of Hunter Biden’s bluster than an accurate statement of Joe Biden’s involvement in a shakedown. A lawyer for Hunter Biden says he does not remember sending the message.

The president has denied he was present at the time."

Uh oh... NYT circling the wagons. Must be something "there there"

Jesus

[Seacoaster(1)]

A little summary of the GOP's dry well, so far anyway:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/p ... quiry.html

"As they search for evidence they can use to impeach President Biden, House Republicans have repeatedly pointed to evidence that they say undercuts his claims that he never had anything to do with the foreign business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden.

As vice president, for example, Mr. Biden did briefly meet with some of his son’s business associates, though there is no testimony that he had any substantive discussions with them or that he changed government policy to benefit any of Hunter Biden’s ventures.

Still, Republicans have continued to mine voluminous records related to Hunter Biden, including a trove of messages from a computer hard drive, to try to make a case that Hunter Biden’s income from abroad was at the heart of an influence-peddling operation that enriched the entire Biden family, including his father.

Republicans have used quotes culled from text messages or emails to add a confessional quality to their presentations — evidence, they say, that Hunter Biden was essentially admitting that he and his father were engaged in political corruption.

But an examination of some of the highest-profile examples cited by Republicans shows that they have been taken out of context, or that Republicans have omitted key messages in email or text chains that often cast the communications in a more innocuous light.

‘Half my salary’

In one example, Republicans point to a 2019 text message Hunter Biden sent to his daughter in which, they say, he confesses to sharing half of the millions he received from overseas business deals with his father.

“I Hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family Fro 30 years,” he wrote in the typo-filled message. “It’s really hard. But don’t worry unlike Pop I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Rather than referring to money Hunter Biden received from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma or from a venture with a Chinese partner, Hunter Biden was alluding to his financial support for his own children and his school days, when his father allowed him to keep half the paycheck from part-time jobs but asked that he turn over the other half to help pay for room and board, according to a review of Hunter Biden’s messages and interviews by The New York Times.

‘10 percent for the big guy’

The phrase “10 percent for the big guy” is almost ubiquitous in Republican circles, stemming from the accusation that Hunter Biden gave his father a 10 percent stake in his business deals.

It originates from a 2017 email sent by James Gilliar, a business associate of Hunter Biden’s, who proposed including the “big guy” — presumably Joseph R. Biden Jr., the former vice president — in a business venture under the name Oneida Holdings.

“10 held by H for the big guy?” Mr. Gilliar wrote.

But he told The Wall Street Journal in 2020 that his suggestion never went anywhere. The former vice president did not get involved with their business, and the proposed deal never produced any profit for anyone to split.

“I would like to clear up any speculation that former Vice President Biden was involved with the 2017 discussions about our potential business structure,” Mr. Gilliar said in 2020. “I am unaware of any involvement at any time of the former vice president. The activity in question never delivered any project revenue.”

In an interview with the F.B.I., Rob Walker, Hunter Biden’s former business partner, described suggestions of getting Hunter’s father involved with the business as “wishful thinking.” He stated he “certainly never was thinking at any time that the V.P. was a part of anything we were doing.”

‘I can work with you father alone !!’

Another message Republicans have highlighted is a 2018 text sent from James Biden, the president’s brother, to Hunter Biden, who at the time was in the throes of addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine: “I can work with you father alone !! We as usual just need several months of his help for this to work.”

At a House Oversight Committee hearing, Republican lawmakers implied this message was in reference to business dealings, but another text in the chain makes clear James Biden was referring to working with Joe Biden to get help for Hunter Biden as he struggled to keep up with his bills, get sober and find a place to live.

Concerns of a bank investigator

Republicans have also drawn attention to the concerns of a bank investigator about Hunter Biden’s business activities, which involved securing millions of dollars from a Chinese firm in exchange for work the investigator flagged as potentially nonexistent.

“The activity on the account appears unusual with no current business purpose,” the investigator wrote.

But Republicans omitted other emails in the chain that were later released by Democrats on the Oversight Committee. They show a robust debate inside the bank about the legitimacy of the business activity. One response described the activity connected to Hunter Biden’s account as “reasonable and consistent with the business profile.”

$240,000 to Joe Biden

Despite assertions that anywhere from 10 percent to half of the money from Hunter Biden’s business deals went to his father, Republicans have failed thus far to show any profit for the current president.

They have documented three instances in which family members paid money to Joe Biden — while he was not in office — but they have often omitted the context that the exchanges were loan repayments, not a cut of income.

Rather than showing Joe Biden was enriched by his family’s foreign business dealings, the documents released by House Republicans so far have showed the opposite.

After leaving the vice presidency, Joe Biden made more than $15 million, mostly through speaking engagements and book sales, some of which went to support his extended family.

By contrast, Hunter Biden spent much of his money on alcohol, drugs, prostitutes, fancy cars and other self-indulgent expenses and failed to pay his taxes on time, resulting in his federal indictment this month on tax charges.

James Biden also found himself from time to time in need of a loan. According to House Republicans, at one point, James Biden had just $46 in a personal account.

House Republicans have pointed to two payments — one for $200,000 and another for $40,000 — James Biden made to Joe Biden while he was not in office. They have characterized the $40,000 check as “laundered China money.” But they did not note evidence showing Joe Biden had first loaned money to his brother before being repaid.

The House Oversight Committee has also released documents that showed that one of Hunter Biden’s businesses, Owasco PC, made three payments of $1,380 to Joe Biden in 2018. But other documents indicate the money was to pay back his father for helping to cover the cost of a Ford truck.

‘I am sitting here with my father’

One WhatsApp message that has received much attention was provided by an I.R.S. investigator who testified before Congress under whistle-blower protections. In it, Hunter Biden invoked his father, who was then out of office, while pressing a potential Chinese business partner in 2017 to move ahead with a proposed energy deal.

“I am sitting here with my father and we would like to know why the commitment has not been fulfilled,” the message states. On its face, the message seemed to suggest Joe Biden was in league with his son pressuring for a payment to the family.

But Democrats have argued it is more likely an example of Hunter Biden’s bluster than an accurate statement of Joe Biden’s involvement in a shakedown. A lawyer for Hunter Biden says he does not remember sending the message.

The president has denied he was present at the time."

Uh oh... NYT circling the wagons. Must be something "there there"

I don't burn the candles on this issue that way some folks appear to. But this seems pretty much factual to me. Again, I think we can all agree that this sort of chicanery is gross and less than ethical. But the effort to tie the President to illegal pay-to-play payments from foreign actors is just not working. So far.

Of course, in the history of politics, this has never happened before. Hunter is the first child or relative of an important government figure to trade on his name and connections.

[tech37]

I don't burn the candles on this issue that way some folks appear to. But this seems pretty much factual to me. Again, I think we can all agree that this sort of chicanery is gross and less than ethical. But the effort to tie the President to illegal pay-to-play payments from foreign actors is just not working. So far.

Of course, in the history of politics, this has never happened before. Hunter is the first child or relative of an important government figure to trade on his name and connections.

Merry Christmas seacoaster!

[Seacoaster(1)]

I don't burn the candles on this issue that way some folks appear to. But this seems pretty much factual to me. Again, I think we can all agree that this sort of chicanery is gross and less than ethical. But the effort to tie the President to illegal pay-to-play payments from foreign actors is just not working. So far.

Of course, in the history of politics, this has never happened before. Hunter is the first child or relative of an important government figure to trade on his name and connections.

Merry Christmas seacoaster!

You too Tech.

[CU88a]

DEPLORABLE r's embarrassed by HB this week.

[CU88a]

Rep. Porter Sums Up the Oversight Committee's Hunter Biden Hearing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KN3n6GtXfWk

This hearing to put it bluntly has sucked there is one thing that Republicans and Democrats seem to have in common today which is that we're
willing to be players in a game both sides at times using this hearing to take shots at our favorite political nemeses and I see some members
practically patting themselves on the back when they get a good insult or CounterPoint in but this isn't a game oversight isn't a game under this
Republican majority we have wasted month people in contempt and almost impeaching and for what okay Republicans have passed nothing of substance in the house what our oversight committee should be doing instead of spending now dozens of hours arguing about Hunter Biden is real
oversight of issues that affect all Americans like corporate price scouching unconstitutional government surveillance and waste at the Pentagon the fact that members think that Real Americans outside of this partisan environment on Capitol Hill care about this is everything that is wrong with Washington. so that Americans who love this country and just want a better future don't have to listen to hours of frustrating attacks and procedural debates in a partisan game let me sum it up one there is zero evidence of President Biden doing anything wrong including in
connection with his son no evidence of an impeachable offense not a little not something none two Hunter Biden has offered to testify in public in front of this committee if Republicans only want his secret private testimony that is as the kids say this these days sus. If my Republican colleagues are truly in this to get answers and I hope they are stop wasting all our time on holding Hunter Biden in contempt on a deposition and ask him your questions he'll be here under oath and the American people can watch what's more transparent than that what's better accountability than
letting the American people hear Hunter Biden's answers that's real accountability not political gamesmanship behind closed doors this is a game where nobody wins and everybody loses if is Washington at its worst and

I'll tell it like it is without pointing the finger at either party this sucks

[old salt]

Highlight's from Hunter's gun charge indictment.

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/pro ... od-script/
The 52-page filing repeatedly cites the younger Biden’s 2021 memoir, which highlights his past struggles with drug addiction. Hunter writes in the book that he decided to purchase a firearm in 2018, around the time he was smoking crack nearly every 15 minutes, after a drug dealer pointed a gun at him during a transaction. Prosecutors also reveal in the filing that cocaine was found on the pouch Hunter was using to store his firearm before his then-girlfriend threw it in a trashcan in a public parking lot after finding it in his unlocked car.

“He recounted his interaction with a drug dealer who pointed a gun at him during a drug deal before he decided to buy his own gun. Investigators also obtained messages from his Apple iCloud account in which he discussed buying thousands of dollars’ worth of crack while also taking videos of himself weighing crack and smoking it. Furthermore, a chemist was able to confirm the presence of cocaine residue on the brown leather pouch in which defendant stored his firearm. The evidence against him does not end there.”

Prosecutors further point out that Hunter’s lawyers failed to substantiate their political persecution claim by identifying any individual who committed similar offenses and was not prosecuted.

“The charges in this case are not trumped up or because of former President Trump — they are instead a result of the defendant’s own choices and were brought in spite of, not because of, any outside noise made by politicians,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant cannot prevail on his selective prosecution claim because he does not identify any individual who chose to make similar choices as him who was not prosecuted, and he cannot establish any link between statements of politicians and a discriminatory purpose by current DOJ officials.”

[cradleandshoot]

Highlight's from Hunter's gun charge indictment.

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/pro ... od-script/
The 52-page filing repeatedly cites the younger Biden’s 2021 memoir, which highlights his past struggles with drug addiction. Hunter writes in the book that he decided to purchase a firearm in 2018, around the time he was smoking crack nearly every 15 minutes, after a drug dealer pointed a gun at him during a transaction. Prosecutors also reveal in the filing that cocaine was found on the pouch Hunter was using to store his firearm before his then-girlfriend threw it in a trashcan in a public parking lot after finding it in his unlocked car.

“He recounted his interaction with a drug dealer who pointed a gun at him during a drug deal before he decided to buy his own gun. Investigators also obtained messages from his Apple iCloud account in which he discussed buying thousands of dollars’ worth of crack while also taking videos of himself weighing crack and smoking it. Furthermore, a chemist was able to confirm the presence of cocaine residue on the brown leather pouch in which defendant stored his firearm. The evidence against him does not end there.”

Prosecutors further point out that Hunter’s lawyers failed to substantiate their political persecution claim by identifying any individual who committed similar offenses and was not prosecuted.

“The charges in this case are not trumped up or because of former President Trump — they are instead a result of the defendant’s own choices and were brought in spite of, not because of, any outside noise made by politicians,” prosecutors wrote. “The defendant cannot prevail on his selective prosecution claim because he does not identify any individual who chose to make similar choices as him who was not prosecuted, and he cannot establish any link between statements of politicians and a discriminatory purpose by current DOJ officials.”

Poor Hunter is just so misunderstood. If you listen to him he has a heart of gold. With the exception of that ability to forever hold a grudge against people.

[a fan]

“The charges in this case are not trumped up or because of former President Trump — they are instead a result of the defendant’s own choices and were brought in spite of, not because of, any outside noise made by politicians,”[/i]

Still at it.

When it's a little D, you agree that the prosecution is valid without any difficulty whatseover.

When it's a little R, you think that even felony convictions don't count.

I feel nothing but pity for this sad, petty game you and your team plays.


All your fellow posters understand why TeamTrump was investigated and prosecuted AND why Hunter is getting investigated and prosecuted.

And sadly, you can't see the difference.


And remember your logic: "every time you indict a Biden with a phony prosecution, you drive voters to vote for Biden".

If Biden wins, "it will be YOUR responsibility because you're cheering on these fake Deep State prosecutions of the Biden family."

[old salt]

Hunter's laptop will end up in the Smithsonian.

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/17/hunter ... department

...along with his "art".

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/politics ... index.html

[Typical Lax Dad]

Hunter's laptop will end up in the Smithsonian.

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/17/hunter ... department

...along with his "art".

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/politics ... index.html

Art is in the eye of the beholder. The Rockwells in your home are prints and some may question whether that is “art”.

[Kismet]

Hunter's laptop will end up in the Smithsonian.

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/17/hunter ... department

...along with his "art".

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/17/politics ... index.html

Art is in the eye of the beholder. The Rockwells in your home are prints and some may question whether that is “art”.

Rockwell was an ILLUSTRATOR not an artist. Even his originals might not be considered true art.

Basically different - some background here

https://navinachhabria.medium.com/under ... 73e841742b