The US president’s son could face up to 17 years in prison on charges that could incriminate his father
Robert Bridge is an American writer and journalist. He is the author of ‘Midnight in the American Empire,’ How Corporations and Their Political Servants are Destroying the American Dream.
Robert Bridge is an American writer and journalist. He is the author of ‘Midnight in the American Empire,’ How Corporations and Their Political Servants are Destroying the American Dream.
@Robert_Bridge
FILE PHOTO © ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
The year 2023 certainly cannot end soon enough for the Biden regime. On the very same day House Republicans moved to formalize an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, special counsel David Weiss filed a nine-count indictment against Hunter Biden alleging failure to file and pay taxes; evasion of tax investigation; and filing fraudulent tax returns.
The timing is no coincidence, as father and son were practically joined at bank accounts throughout Joe Biden’s two-term vice presidency, which is when the alleged criminal activities occurred.
The charges laid out in the 56-page indictment against Hunter Biden shed a painful light on his infamously fast and furious lifestyle, which included drug use and prostitutes.
“The defendant engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019,” the indictment read, adding that Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills.”
In 2018 alone, the indictment continued, Biden “spent more than $1.8 million, including approximately $772,000 in cash withdrawals, approximately $383,000 in payments to women, approximately $151,000 in clothing and accessories,” as well as a host of other expenditures, including “drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature.”
If found guilty of the charges (don’t hold your breath), which include three felonies and six misdemeanor offenses, Hunter Biden, 53, would be eligible for up to 17 years behind bars. Previously, Washington’s prodigal son was prepared to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges as part of a plea bargain, which the Republicans chastised as a “sweetheart deal” and was ultimately rejected by the judge.
Worse, it remains unknown to what degree, if any, US President Joe Biden is ensnared in his son’s international intrigues, but it isn’t looking good. And this is where the story gets very precarious for the sitting president and his future political career.
Ever since Joe Biden hit the campaign trail, he promised to the American people that he had never been involved in influence-peddling schemes with family members while serving as vice president in the Obama administration. Now that story appears to be imploding at lightning speed.
This week, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer released subpoenaed bank records showing an enterprise owned by Hunter Biden had made “direct monthly payments to Joe Biden.” The allegations were substantiated by the courageous work of two IRS whistleblowers.
“This wasn’t a payment from Hunter Biden’s personal account but an account for his corporation that received payments from China and other shady corners of the world,” Comer said just days before Hunter was charged. The indictment says Hunter “earned handsomely” while serving on the boards of Burisma, a Ukrainian industrial conglomerate, and a Chinese equity fund, and this is where it gets problematic for “the big guy.”
In 2017, Hunter sent a WhatsApp message censuring Henry Zhao, the CEO of Beijing-based firm Harvest Fund Management, for not fulfilling a “commitment.” He also mentioned, apparently for dramatic effect, that his father, then vice president of the United States, was sitting beside him.
“I am sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Hunter wrote. “Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight.”
Days later, on August 4, 2017, Chinese firm CEFC Infrastructure Investment wired $100,000 to Hunter Biden’s law firm, Owasco. While it is arguably criminal to threaten a business partner by name-dropping the sitting vice president, it was also reported that at least $40,000 eventually trickled into Joe Biden’s bank account, which Hunter had tagged as a “loan repayment.”
“Payments from Hunter’s business entity to Joe Biden are now part of a pattern revealing Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family’s influence peddling schemes,” Comer said.
For the record, Joe Biden has consistently denied any knowledge or participation in his son’s business dealings.
It goes without saying that Hunter Biden’s indictment and Joe Biden’s possible impeachment has been cheered on by former President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden in November, and the only president in US history to be impeached twice.
A final curious note about the indictment against Hunter Biden. It came as some surprise not just because Hunter happens to be the son of the most powerful octogenarian in the world, but because it happened to be a grand jury in California that handed down the indictment. Not only are we talking about the liberal capital of the free world, but it just so happens to be run by a Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, who has serious presidential ambitions.
“I think a lot of people felt … that David Weiss was going to let these charges skate and Hunter Biden would never be held accountable for making millions of dollars overseas,” Republican lawmaker Sean Duffy told Fox News, adding that if the legal landscape worsens for the Bidens in this Los Angeles case, the Democrats will be forced to seek an “off ramp [and] look to the hair-gel governor” there in 2024.
Those who are inclined to believe that ‘there are no coincidences in politics’ will probably also not be surprised if Joe Biden is replaced as the Democratic presidential candidate in the very near future. Just a hunch.
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
