Members phkrause Posted September 6, 2024 Members Posted September 6, 2024 LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal tax charges, a surprise move he said was meant to spare his family another painful and embarrassing criminal trial after his gun case conviction just months ago. https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-tax-trial-justice-department-6873692c030244b450e27826e7097946? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 6, 2024 Author Members Posted September 6, 2024 Hunter Biden Hunter Biden is set to go on trial today for alleged tax crimes. The case was once seen as a potential liability for President Joe Biden's reelection campaign before he dropped out of the 2024 race. Hunter Biden, 54, is accused of failing to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes and executing a tax evasion scheme. He pleaded not guilty and said he belatedly paid all of his tax debts after regaining his sobriety in 2019 amid a lifelong struggle with alcohol and drug abuse. The trial, which could last about a month, will feature salacious details about Hunter Biden's extravagant partying and spending during the peak of his addiction, including money for strippers, escorts and luxury cars — all while he allegedly didn't pay taxes. Political experts say the stakes are high for Hunter Biden, who was also convicted of three gun felonies in June and will be sentenced for those crimes after the election. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted September 6, 2024 Author Members Posted September 6, 2024 Hunter Biden enters surprise guilty plea to avoid tax trial President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal tax charges, a surprise move meant to spare his family another painful and embarrassing criminal trial after his gun case conviction just months ago. Read more. Why this matters: Hunter Biden’s decision to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits of a deal with prosecutors caps a long-running saga over his legal woes that have cast a shadow over his father’s political career. It came hours after jury selection was supposed to begin in the case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. The president’s son was already facing potential prison time after his June conviction on felony gun charges in a trial that aired salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction. The tax trial was expected to showcase more potentially lurid evidence as well as details about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, which Republicans have seized on to try to paint the Biden family as corrupt. The charges carry up to 17 years behind bars, but federal sentencing guidelines are likely to call for a much shorter sentence. He faces up to $1.35 million in fines. Sentencing is set for Dec. 16. He faces sentencing in the Delaware case on Nov. 13 — the week after the general election. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Prosecutors in Trump election case get judge’s OK to lay out fresh evidence in court filing Former 2016 Trump campaign adviser is charged over his work for sanctioned Russian TV The Navy secretary broke the law by voicing his views on Trump and Biden, a watchdog says Hunter Biden Hunter Biden pleaded guilty Thursday to all nine charges in his federal tax case — a surprise move on the day that his trial was scheduled to begin. District Judge Mark Scarsi, who is a Trump appointee, accepted the guilty plea and set a sentencing date for December 16. President Joe Biden's son could now face up to 17 years in prison for his crimes, which include tax evasion, filing fraudulent tax returns and failing to pay taxes. The judge also said he could impose a hefty fine, perhaps as much as $1.3 million. But looming over the proceedings — as well as Hunter Biden’s convictions in a separate gun trial in June — is the possibility of a presidential pardon, or a commutation of sentence. President Joe Biden has repeatedly ruled this out, and a White House spokesperson reiterated that position on Thursday. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 2, 2024 Author Members Posted December 2, 2024 Why Joe pardoned Hunter President Biden has privately expressed guilt for years about the investigations and convictions of his son Hunter, Axios' Alex Thompson writes. Last night, Biden tried to lighten that guilt by giving him a broad pardon. Why it matters: Biden's pardon marks the end of a central drama of his presidency. He knew that being president brought further scrutiny on his son. But Hunter also found purpose and sobriety in his dad's political mission. Biden and his family believe the attacks on Hunter were meant to push him into relapse, then imperil Joe Biden's presidency. ?️ The big picture: The president signed the pardon after spending the weekend with his family, including Hunter, in Nantucket — an annual family retreat. Biden gave broad protection to his son for crimes "he has committed or may have committed or taken part in" since Jan. 1, 2014. In a statement, Biden explained: "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong." Hunter was set to face sentencing for separate gun and tax crimes in December. He faced over 20 years in prison, but likely would've received a lighter sentence. Screenshot: The White House ? Biden and his spokespeople repeatedly said for a year that the president would not pardon his son. Some close to Biden always believed that his own feelings of guilt and internal family lobbying would change his mind in the end. "Once it became clear that the Justice Department was dead set on jail time, this was always how it was ending," said one person in the Biden orbit. One of Biden's close friends recently told Bob Woodward in his book "War," out in October, that the Biden family battles were "the real war" for him — more than Israel or Ukraine. The friend told Woodward that Hunter's problems had taken Biden off "an even keel, preoccupied him and taken a lot out of him." ✈️ Three hours after announcing the pardon, Biden left last night for a three-day trip to Angola, making a long-promised visit to Africa. Keep reading. ?️First Lady Jill Biden this morning announced this year's White House holiday theme: a "Season of Peace and Light." Keep reading. Read Biden's statement ... Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 2, 2024 Author Members Posted December 2, 2024 Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions, and reversing the elder Biden’s past promises. It caps a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father’s 2020 victory — and casts a pall over the elder Biden’s legacy. Read more. Key points: The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House. The president’s sweeping pardon also covers any other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him. But it was still a surprising reversal for a man who pledged to restore norms and respect for the rule of law. In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, “I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.” In his statement Sunday, Biden said that his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” Biden has been concerned — as Hunter Biden was — about his political adversaries. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Biden has pardoned his son Hunter. What does that mean? Read the full written statement from the president on his decision to pardon his son Democrats still don’t agree on the seriousness of their political problem after election defeat Hunter Biden President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions, marking a reversal as he prepares to leave office. By issuing the pardon, Biden has reneged on a public promise that he made repeatedly before and after dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. The president said in his statement that he decided to issue the pardon because his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” saying that “Hunter was treated differently” from people who commit similar crimes. He added that his political opponents in Congress “instigated” the charges “to attack me and oppose my election.” In a social media post on Sunday night, President-elect Donald Trump called the pardon “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 3, 2024 Author Members Posted December 3, 2024 Blowback over Hunter pardon Many congressional Democrats are criticizing President Biden's decision to pardon his son, Hunter, Axios' Andrew Solender reports. "I worry such a sweeping pardon for a close family member sets an unfortunate precedent that undermines trust in the office of the president," said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a co-chair of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition. "President Biden's decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans' faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all," Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) tweeted. "As a father, I get it. But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it's a setback," Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) said on X. ? Why it matters: Some Democrats and Trump critics say Biden's decision to pardon his son — after saying repeatedly that he wouldn't — undermines the legacy he sought to carve as president. "This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis posted. ? "This pardon is just deflating for those of us who've been out there for a few years yelling about what a threat Trump is," former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh said on MSNBC. "'Nobody's above the law,' we've been screaming. Well, Joe Biden just made clear his son Hunter is above the law." Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 3, 2024 Author Members Posted December 3, 2024 Biden’s broken promise on pardoning his son Hunter is raising new questions about his legacy WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden’s decision to go back on his word and issue a categorical pardon for his son, Hunter, just weeks before his scheduled sentencing on gun and tax convictions was a surprise that wasn’t all that surprising. https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-pardon-president-trump-d5c8e7fbead7218c9b1e03a290945267? Hunter Biden fallout President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son Hunter has left some Democrats fuming over his choice to repeatedly and unequivocally claim that he would never take that step. “As a father, I get it,” Rep. Greg Landsman, an Ohio Democrat, said on X. “But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it’s a setback.” Another Democrat, Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, said Biden’s decision placed “personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.” Though controversial, Joe Biden’s move to pardon a close family member or associate is not unheard of. Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, his daughter’s father-in-law, during his last month in office. President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger, who had pleaded guilty to a drug charge, on his last day in office. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted December 4, 2024 Author Members Posted December 4, 2024 Hunter Biden gun case terminated after President Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge terminated the gun case against Hunter Biden on Tuesday after President Joe Biden issued a sweeping pardon for his son. https://apnews.com/article/hunter-biden-gun-pardon-case-closed-2ac64626d33335874c55edc62862372b? Why I Applaud Biden’s Pardon of His Son President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter has drawn widespread criticism. Since he had promised not to pardon his errant son, Biden is being pilloried for lying as well as putting his paternal compassion above his Presidential office. According to the Wall Street Journal, the pardon will wreak permanent damage to his reputation and his legacy. https://aish.com/why-i-applaud-bidens-pardon-of-his-son/? Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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