Hunter Biden Probe

[phkrause]

📱Hunter repeatedly put dad on phone

In closed-door House testimony yesterday, Hunter Biden's former business partner didn't give Republicans the smoking gun they'd hoped would show President Biden and his family used government connections for profit.

• But Devon Archer said Hunter put his dad on the phone with friends and business associates roughly 20 times over 10 years — new fodder for a simmering GOP push to impeach the president, Axios' Stef Kight and Alex Thompson report.

Archer testified that Hunter sold the "illusion of access" by putting his father on speakerphone with Hunter's business partners — but that then-Vice President Biden never talked shop, according to Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) and a source familiar with the testimony.

• But Archer, who was convicted of fraud in 2018, "repeated over and over and over again that President Biden never discussed any business dealings or interests with Hunter or anyone else," Goldman told reporters after the hours-long transcribed interview.

[phkrause]

Testimony from Hunter Biden’s Ex-Biz Partner, Long Hyped by GOP, Falls Flat

During a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee Monday, Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer reportedly provided no evidence that directly connected Joe Biden to his son’s business dealings. Archer’s much-anticipated testimony came as House Republicans ramp up efforts to impeach President Biden by tying him to Hunter’s history of addiction and international business dealings—but even by their own admission, Archer’s interview on Monday didn’t seem to provide the smoking gun they were looking for. He told the committee that Hunter was selling the “illusion” of access to his father, and that Joe never discussed business with any of Hunter’s partners, according to sources who spoke with both CNN and Fox News. Rather, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY), a member of the committee, relayed Archer’s claim that he simply exchanged “casual niceties” with Joe Biden on a number of occasions. “The witness was unequivocal and stated very clearly that they never discussed any business on their phone conversations,” Goldman said.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/testimony-from-hunter-bidens-ex-biz-partner-devon-archer-falls-flat?

read the rest here:

Former business partner says Hunter Biden sold ‘illusion’ of access to Joe Biden, source says

Devon Archer told the House Oversight Committee on Monday that his former business partner, Hunter Biden, was selling the “illusion” of access to his father, according to a source familiar with the closed-door interview, the latest development in the Republican-led congressional investigations into the president’s son.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/politics/devon-archer-house-testimony/index.html

[phkrause]

Investigation into Hunter Biden may have lost all air after much-hyped witness is a bust

Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday after the Republican Party, from the top down, promised Archer’s testimony would blow the lid off what they have used conspiracy theories to bring into existence: President Joe Biden is the head of an organized crime family. Over the weekend, scumbags like Sen. Ted Cruz stood in front of cameras implying that the Biden administration was “dramatically” changing its story in anticipation of this explosive upcoming testimony.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/1/2184562/-Investigation-into-Hunter-Biden-may-have-lost-all-air-after-much-hyped-witness-is-a-bust?

[phkrause]

📖 Transcript shows no Biden corruption evidence

Screenshot: Fox News. H/t Aaron Rupar Former Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer told the House Oversight Committee that he has no knowledge of any wrongdoing by President Biden as it relates to his son's foreign business dealings, according to a transcript released today. Why it matters: House Republicans have sought to use allegations of Biden family corruption to deflect attention from Trump's indictments and argue that there is a "two-tiered" system of justice. Archer's testimony made clear that Hunter Biden leveraged his father's "brand" as vice president to give the "illusion of access" to clients, including by putting the elder Biden on speakerphone during meetings. But Archer repeatedly testified the conversations were innocuous — touching on topics such as "the weather" and "fishing" — and that he did not witness the Bidens discuss business or U.S. policy. Zoom in: Archer denied any knowledge of the alleged $5 million bribes that a Ukrainian oligarch claimed to have paid to the Bidens, as detailed in an internal FBI document touted by Republicans. Archer said he would disagree the FBI form is evidence Biden was bribed — an allegation at the center of the GOP's potential impeachment inquiry — and attributed it to bluster by the Ukrainian.

[phkrause]

James Comer Has a New, Unlikely Story for Missed Deposition

Oversight Chairman James Comer missed his committee’s big Biden probe interview with Devon Archer. Now he’s coming up with a cover story.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/james-comer-has-a-new-unlikely-story-for-missed-deposition?

[phkrause]

GOP ‘Shamelessly Moving the Goal Posts’ in Hunter Biden Probe: White House

In a memo, House Republicans appeared to drop their long-held goal of showing “payments directly to the President” that would prove the corruption they’ve long alleged.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/gopers-shamelessly-moving-the-goal-posts-in-hunter-biden-probe?

[Eleanor]

there should be some probe on hunter biden incident

[phkrause]

3 hours ago, Eleanor said:

there should be some probe on hunter biden incident

There is??

[phkrause]

Attorney general appoints a special counsel in Hunter Biden probe, deepening investigation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel Friday in the Hunter Biden probe, a surprise move that intensifies the investigation into the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election.

https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-investigation-justice-garland-ad1034e274570d65032f8e4f47c0c8f6?

[bonnie1962]

On 8/10/2023 at 7:48 PM, phkrause said:

GOP ‘Shamelessly Moving the Goal Posts’ in Hunter Biden Probe: White House

In a memo, House Republicans appeared to drop their long-held goal of showing “payments directly to the President” that would prove the corruption they’ve long alleged.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/gopers-shamelessly-moving-the-goal-posts-in-hunter-biden-probe?

Special council is a joke, same man that was involved in crafting the laughable plea  agreement

The only thing shameless about this whole mess with the Bidens is the rush by liberals to close their eyes and say see, Nothing, here, lets move on. There was far less to go on concerning Trump and it led to impeachment.  I  think there are more than twenty shell companies all leading to a Biden and family members receiving large amount of cash.

The libs don't have to worry tho, short of a confession by Biden, it will eventually fade away. Except ,  if it suits the liberals purpose  to replace Biden as democratic nominee and next president.

[phkrause]

2 hours ago, bonnie1962 said:

Special council is a joke, same man that was involved in crafting the laughable plea  agreement

So who originally appointed this "Special council?????"

I'll answer that for you!!!!!  Donald J Trumps DOJ, that's who!!!!!

[phkrause]

GOP cries "cover-up" after Garland appoints Hunter Biden special counsel — that they called for

"Why hasn’t DOJ appointed a special counsel for the Hunter Biden investigation?" GOPers questioned in February

https://www.salon.com/2023/08/11/cries-cover-up-after-garland-appoints-hunter-biden-special-counsel--that-they-called-for/

[bonnie1962]

8 hours ago, phkrause said:

So who originally appointed this "Special council?????"

I'll answer that for you!!!!!  Donald J Trumps DOJ, that's who!!!!!

And that means what!!!!!!!!!!

Same guy that was instrumental in crafting the sweetheart plea agreement that offered immunity for certain  crimes in the future.

Not to many honest people ignore $20 million dollars transferred thru 20 different shell companies and call it perfectly reasonable business practice.

 

 

 

 

 

[bonnie1962]

No worries tho.  The Biden cult followers are so obsessed with a past president they  are willing to give Bidens a pass. The only way this will lead to anything is if it is used to remove Biden as a candidate for 2024. 

[bonnie1962]

Oversight Committee Releases Biden Family Influence Peddling Timeline

 

WASHINGTON—The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability today released a timeline of the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes. The timeline includes significant dates beginning in the Obama-Biden Administration, including when then-Vice President Biden traveled to Ukraine, Romania, and China on official business and Biden family influence peddling schemes in those countries. President Biden has repeatedly denied knowing anything about his family’s business dealings despite evidence to the contrary. The timeline contains important dates as to when Joe Biden knew and lied to the American people about his family’s business schemes.

Below are some key findings of the investigation into the Biden family’s influence peddling schemes:

• The Complicated Web of Biden Family and Associates’ Companies:  Biden family members and business associates created a web of over 20 companies—most were limited liability companies formed after Joe Biden became Vice President. 

• The Biden Family Received Millions of Dollars from Foreign Sources:  Bank records so far show the Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $10 million from foreign nationals’ and their related companies. The Committee has identified payments to Biden family members from foreign companies while he served as Vice President and after he left public office.

• The Biden Family Used Business Associates’ Companies to Receive Foreign Funds:  Despite creating many companies after Vice President Biden took office, the Biden family used business associates’ companies to receive millions of dollars from foreign companies. 

• Attempts to Conceal Large Financial Transactions:  After foreign companies sent money to business associates’ companies, the Biden family received incremental payments over time to different bank accounts. These complicated financial transactions appear to be meant to conceal the source of the funds and reduce the conspicuousness of the total amounts made into the Biden bank accounts.   

• CCP-Linked Chinese Nationals Hid the Source of the Money:CCP-linkedChinese nationals and companies with significant ties to Chinese intelligence and the Chinese Communist Party hid the source of the funds paid out to the Bidens by layering domestic limited liability companies. The Biden family and associates’ activities in coordination with Chinese nationals and their corporate entities appear to be an attempt to engage in financial deception. Multiple Biden family members received money from the Chinese after it passed through an associate’s account. Additionally, Hunter Biden received money directly into his company’s account from a Chinese-controlled entity.

• Biden Family and Associates’ Activities in Romania Indicate Influence Peddling Scheme:  The Biden family and associates’ activities in Romania bear clear indicia of a scheme to peddle influence from 2015 to 2017. While Vice President Biden lectured Romania on corruption and ethics, the Bidens received over a million dollars from a company controlled by a Romanian individual accused of corruption, Gabriel Popoviciu, through a Biden family associate.

• FBI’s Biden Bribery Record Mirrors Evidence Obtained by the Oversight Committee: The Oversight Committee has reviewed the FBI’s unclassified FD-1023 form that memorialized a trusted confidential human source’s conversations with a Burisma executive who claims Joe Biden demanded $5 million and then was paid in exchange for certain actions. The Burisma executive stated that he did not pay “the big guy” directly but used so many bank accounts to hide the money. It is unclear what, if anything, the FBI has done to verify the allegations contained within this record.

 

 

[phkrause]

8 hours ago, bonnie1962 said:

And that means what!!!!!!!!!!

You know exactly what that means!! And not only that, but almost every trumplican asked for this guy to be named the Special Council and now that he has been, they cry like the babies that they are!!

[bonnie1962]

37 minutes ago, phkrause said:

You know exactly what that means!! And not only that, but almost every trumplican asked for this guy to be named the Special Council and now that he has been, they cry like the babies that they are!!

In order to pretend you don't know why there is pushback on this you would have to be living under a rock. 

 

[bonnie1962]

Just now, bonnie1962 said:

In order to pretend you don't know why there is pushback on this you would have to be living under a rock. 

 

For anyone to pretend they believe in the honesty and integrity of this family is .as silly as me claiming Trump is a paragon of virture.

The millions of overseas money flowing into the Biden shell companies for various family   members would tell most honest people something is not right. The emails that show Biden has lied again about his ignorance of Hunters shady dealings is tough to ignore for an honest person

 

[bonnie1962]

Peter Doocy challenges Karine Jean-Pierre on China-linked payments to Bidens

Fox News' Mark Meredith provides details on emails that claim to show a close relationship between Obama-era officials and Hunter Biden's business associates. 'Fox & Friends' co-hosts react.  

For years, President Biden has maintained a Sgt. Schultz defense ("I know nothing, nothing!") to counter allegations that his family has profiteered on influence peddling with foreign countries and companies. 

 

 

Despite mounting evidence to the contrary, Biden maintains that he "knows nothing, nothing" about son Hunter Biden's business deals. He recently doubled down on this defense by even denying that family members received money from foreign sources. He repeated his denial even after the release of financial transfer reports from his own administration showing millions transferred from China. 

Now, emails have emerged that show that Biden personally helped draft responses to the controversial deals in 2015 when he was vice president. It also appears that Biden officials like former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield knew of his role even as the president continued to deny any involvement.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE RIPPED FOR CLAIMING BIDEN FAMILY'S $1M PAYOUT IS 'LIES': 'WE'RE LIVING IN AN INSANE TIME'

The National Archives has released emails that show that then-Vice President Biden approved an official statement in December 2015 about Hunter Biden’s position on a Ukrainian energy company’s board.

VideoBiden has denied any knowledge or involvement in these business dealings at least seven times as a presidential candidate and as president.For years, the media has continued to report President Biden’s repeated claim that "I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings." 

VP BIDEN'S OFFICE TRIED TO QUASH BLOOMBERG STORY ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN AT HIS FIRM'S REQUEST, EMAILS SHOW

At the outset, the media only had to suspend any disbelief that the president could fly to China as vice president with his son on Air Force Two without discussing his planned business dealings on the trip.

Of course, the emails on the laptop quickly refuted this claim. However, the media buried the laptop story before the election or pushed the false claim that it was fake Russian disinformation.

 

"Hey pal, it’s Dad. It’s 8:15 on Wednesday night. If you get a chance just give me a call. Nothing urgent. I just wanted to talk to you. I thought the article released online, it’s going to be printed tomorrow in the Times, was good. I think you’re clear. And anyway if you get a chance give me a call, I love you."

Some of us have written for two years that President Biden’s denial of knowledge is patently false. It was equally evident that the Biden family was selling influence and access. There are emails of Ukrainian and other foreign clients thanking Hunter Biden for arranging meetings with his father. There are photos from dinners and meetings that tie President Biden to these figures, including a 2015 dinner with a group of Hunter Biden’s Russian and Kazakh clients.

 

People apparently were told to avoid directly referring to President Biden. In one email, Tony Bobulinski, then a business partner of Hunter’s, was instructed by Biden associate James Gilliar not to speak of the former veep’s connection to any transactions: "Don’t mention Joe being involved, it’s only when u [sic] are face to face, I know u [sic] know that but they are paranoid."

 

[bonnie1962]

Gary Shapley, a veteran agent with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), told House lawmakers Wednesday that the Justice Department slow-walked criminal proceedings into Hunter Biden to allow the statute of limitations to expire.

Shapley testified as one of two IRS whistleblowers on Capitol Hill alleging widespread interference in their criminal tax investigation of the Biden family. The second whistleblower revealed their identity at the Wednesday hearing as Joseph Ziegler, a gay Democrat with over a decade of tenure at the federal tax agency. Both served lead roles in the Biden investigation and said their efforts were hampered by officials at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Shapley said U.S. Delaware Attorney David Weiss waited out the statute of limitations related to 2014-2015 financial crimes allowing the president’s son to evade additional charges. In June, news broke of a plea deal struck between Weiss and Hunter Biden limited to two misdemeanor tax crimes and a single felony charge over illegal firearm possession. The latter is forgiven after 24 months of sobriety, an agreement placed in jeopardy if the mysterious White House cocaine was linked to the first family’s son, who wrote a book on his struggle with drug addiction.

“In November of 2022, the statute of limitations was set to expire for the 2014 and 2015 charges in D.C., which included the 2014 felonies for the attempt to evade or defeat tax and fraud or false statement regarding Burisma income earned by Hunter Biden,” Shapley said.

Hunter Biden served on the board of the Ukrainian energy company raking in excess compensation despite having no prior experience in the industry.

“The statute of limitations had been extended through a tolling agreement with Hunter Biden’s defense counsel, and they were willing to extend it past 2022. Weiss allowed those to expire,” said Shapley.

 

[bonnie1962]

DOJ Names ‘Sweetheart Plea Deal’ Prosecutor as Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Probe

Fred Lucas / @FredLucasWH / August 11, 2023

•  

Attorney General Merrick Garland conducts a news conference at the Department of Justice announcing that U.S. Attorney David Weiss will be appointed special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, on Aug. 11. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc /Getty Images)

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named David Weiss—the same prosecutor who made a court-rejected plea agreement with first son Hunter Biden—as the special counsel in the tax probe.

Garland said on Tuesday that Weiss, the U.S. attorney for the district of Delaware, asked him to be special counsel in the case.

“Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland told reporters on Friday. “This appointment confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he requests. It also reaffirms Mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently.”

The Weiss appointment doesn’t increase confidence in the handling of the case, said Charles Stimson, deputy director for the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)

 

“Just when you thought the Justice Department’s handling of the Hunter Biden case couldn’t appear more corrupt, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced today that he was appointing Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss to be ‘special counsel’ in the Hunter Biden matter,” Stimson told The Daily Signal in an email. “This is the same Weiss who gave Hunter Biden the sweetheart deal. The same Weiss who slow walked the tax case against Hunter, and allowed the tolling agreement with Biden’s attorneys to expire, thus making it impossible to charge him for failing to pay his taxes in 2014 and 2015.” 

The appointment comes the same week that the House Oversight and Accountability Committee released bank records showing family members of President Joe Biden have raked in at least $20 million from foreign individuals and entities.

“This move by Attorney General Garland is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family cover-up in light of the House Oversight Committee’s mounting evidence of President Joe Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling ‘the brand’ for millions of dollars to foreign nationals,” House Oversight and Accountability Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement.

Comer has previously said he opposed the appointment of any special counsel or special prosecutor, fearing it would slow down the investigation.

“The Justice Department’s misconduct and politicization in the Biden criminal investigation already allowed the statute of limitations to run with respect to egregious felonies committed by Hunter Biden,” Comer continued. “Justice Department officials refused to follow evidence that could have led to Joe Biden, tipped off the Biden transition team and Hunter Biden’s lawyers about planned interviews and searches, and attempted to sneakily place Hunter Biden on the path to a sweetheart plea deal.”

IRS whistleblowers previously testified to the oversight panel, as well as to the House Ways and Means Committee, that Weiss sought special counsel status to investigate Hunter Biden in other jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C., and California. The same IRS whistleblowers also alleged the Weiss team tipped off Hunter Biden to search warrants, allowed statutes of limitations to run out, and negotiated felonies down to misdemeanors.

“If they wanted somebody to look into, the Justice Department should have looked to someone not tainted by whistleblower allegations,” John Malcolm, director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal. “This appointment is not going to address any allegations of political interference from Main Justice [the leadership of the Department of Justice], and it is not going to take care of the allegations of a shoddy investigation.”

MSNBC commentator Steve Benen argued that Republicans were calling for a special prosecutor, and now that a U.S. attorney appointed by Donald Trump is named to the role, Republicans are still complaining.

Democrats in Congress did not seem eager to weigh in. But in the past, several Democrats were quick to note, Trump nominated Weiss as U.S. attorney. Still Delaware’s two Democratic senators also supported him at the time.

According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Weiss was aware of an FBI form that alleged then-Vice President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden each took a $5 million bribe from an executive with Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that employed the younger Biden as a board member.

This is the second special counsel named to investigate a matter related to Joe Biden. In January, Garland named former U.S. Attorney for Maryland Robert Hur to investigate the president’s possession of classified documents during the time he was out of office.

 

[bonnie1962]

Never fear tho. The Biden family is safe the only way they pay a penalty is if the liberal left decides he is to much of a liability.They will continue to be protected by the media,liberals, democrats of all stripes ,some republicans  and those that hate and obsess over Trump . The hate is pretty obvious with the continual media articles over Trump.If he should win 2024 all of the above have only themselves to blame

[phkrause]

Republicans' star witness contradicts Republican claims

When Hunter Biden’s former business partner Devon Archer gave closed-door testimony to the House Oversight Committee on July 31, it quickly seemed clear that none of it implicated President Joe Biden, and nothing much implicated Hunter Biden himself in any corruption shenanigans related to Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. For a few hours after Archer gave his testimony, Republican officials kept mum. In contrast, Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman spoke with reporters about how much of a bust this witness was for conservatives trying to use their House majority to frame the Biden family.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/3/2185046/-Republicans-star-witness-contradicts-Republican-claims?

[phkrause]

Sen. Chuck Grassley put American lives at risk to spread a document he knew was a lie

 Sen. Chuck Grassley released an FBI FD-1023 form related to the Hunter Biden investigation. These forms are not intended to be public documents and it is highly unusual to release them publicly. These are the forms that the FBI uses to “record raw, unverified reporting from confidential human sources.” They do not represent the results of investigations, and “recording this information does not validate it or establish its credibility.”  

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/21/2182441/-Sen-Chuck-Grassley-put-American-lives-at-risk-to-spread-a-document-he-knew-was-a-lie

[phkrause]

House Republicans subpoena IRS and FBI agents involved in Hunter Biden case

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Monday subpoenaed several FBI and IRS agents involved in the federal investigation into Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden as the party weighs whether to open an impeachment inquiry into the president this fall.

https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-congress-oversight-republicans-irs-david-weiss-4a062e142e791f898f1365dfe4a50393?