Cashing In On Daddy's Name
I know this might astonish some folks, but it is indeed a fact of life in America that the children of famous and influential politicians occasionally cash in on their last name. Well, technically, they don't even have to have the same last name, they don't have to be children (they can be other family members or even close friends sometimes), and occasionally the "cashing in" is a bit more nefarious than just your garden-variety grifting. But the fact remains that a closeness (or even perceived closeness) to power is indeed a saleable commodity out in the marketplace.
The first example of this that I personally became aware of was when "Billy Beer" hit the market. This was a pretty blatant example of cashing in on closeness to political fame, and it was relevant in a way that people who didn't live through the 1970s may have problems understanding. Because back then, along with pet rocks and Cabbage Patch Kids, people actually collected beer cans. [Full disclosure: I would have to go check, but I may indeed still have a can of Billy Beer out in my garage.] President Jimmy Carter's brother Billy, who was notorious at the time for having a Brett Kavanaugh-sized thirst for beer, was happy to allow his name and signature to appear on the cans of suds for a hefty fee. While the novelty cans did indeed cause a splash in the marketplace (as every beer can collector rushed out to buy one), within a year the brewery closed its doors in failure. It seemed even the president's brother couldn't sell a beer that (by all accounts) tasted horrible. How horrible? Billy himself admitted that he didn't drink his namesake beer at home; he favored Pabst Blue Ribbon instead.
Billy Carter moved on to bigger and more questionable things, and was later the subject of a congressional investigation for his work in 1978 and 1979 on behalf of Libya's Muammar Ghaddafi, which was called at the time "Billygate" (because of course it was). Billy had stepped up from peddling bad-tasting beer to attempting to peddle political influence for a foreign strongman. Obviously, this was a whole different level of cashing in on a family connection.
The Carter family had one other example of lending its famous name to garner media attention, but it was far more benign -- both in substance and in the fact that it happened after Jimmy had left office. Daughter Amy Carter, who had been far too young while Jimmy was president to use her name in any promotional way, became in the 1980s a leading voice in the fight against South Africa's apartheid regime. She was arrested while protesting against apartheid and other causes during the period, which did indeed garner some media interest. So using famous family connections for political causes doesn't always have to be a case of "cashing in" or seen as a negative thing. Obviously, if her last name had been different, she never would have generated the headlines she did.
Of course, the Carters weren't the only famous political family or presidential family to use their familial connections for either profit or to advance social causes. There are many examples scattered throughout modern American history. Chelsea Clinton springs to mind, in fact, for becoming a "journalist" with NBC to produce puff pieces on "Making A Difference" for NBC news -- a job which reportedly paid her a cool $600,000 a year. Nice work if you can get it, right? Any recent college graduate with a journalism degree would have gladly done the same job for just a small fraction of that salary, but none were hired to do so because they didn't create the same "buzz" as a presidential daughter (to be strictly fair, though, she didn't land the job until 2011, long after her father had left the White House and long before her mother ran for the same job).
Of course, some presidential offspring take a different route, and rather than just cash in on their family connections, they attempt to follow in the footsteps of their relatives. Both George W. and Jeb Bush are prime examples of this phenomenon. America likes to pretend we don't have dynasties, but in politics they are actually pretty common (as Andrew Cuomo, Al Gore, and a whole passel of Kennedys can also attest to).
None of this (with the exception of Billy's work for Libya, of course) is illegal or anything other than rampant capitalizing on the family name. The question of whether it is ethical or not is a larger one, though. To some degree, such blatant profiteering off accidents of birth (or marriage) are definitely tawdry and unseemly, but there's no law against being tawdry or unseemly in America (if there were, a whole lot of people would wind up behind bars, starting with Paris Hilton and all of the Kardashians). The question of legality enters into the equation when such cashing-in actually does provide leverage with the famous member of the family, or when such grifting is hidden from view.
Which brings me to the lede I have intentionally buried in this article. Because today the New York Times has effectively defused all the fake outrage over Hunter Biden's rampant peddling of his father's name. No matter what you believe about Hunter's past and present business dealings, it's pretty obvious that none of it would have happened if his father hadn't been Joe Biden. He wouldn't have been put on international corporate boards, he wouldn't have been sought out to place his name on corporate letterheads, and he certainly wouldn't be selling his paintings nowadays for $500,000 a pop, that's for sure.
But then again, neither would Jared Kushner or Ivanka Trump. Here is the what the Times reported today on just one of the financial deals of this famous couple:
Six months after leaving the White House, Jared Kushner secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by the Saudi crown prince, a close ally during the Trump administration, despite objections from the fund's advisers about the merits of the deal.
A panel that screens investments for the main Saudi sovereign wealth fund cited concerns about the proposed deal with Mr. Kushner's newly formed private equity firm, Affinity Partners, previously undisclosed documents show.
Those objections included: "the inexperience of the Affinity Fund management"; the possibility that the kingdom would be responsible for "the bulk of the investment and risk"; due diligence on the fledgling firm's operations that found them "unsatisfactory in all aspects"; a proposed asset management fee that "seems excessive"; and "public relations risks" from Mr. Kushner's prior role as a senior adviser to his father-in-law, former President Donald J. Trump, according to minutes of the panel's meeting last June 30.
But days later the full board of the $620 billion Public Investment Fund -- led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and a beneficiary of Mr. Kushner's support when he worked as a White House adviser -- overruled the panel.
Ethics experts say that such a deal creates the appearance of potential payback for Mr. Kushner's actions in the White House -- or of a bid for future favor if Mr. Trump seeks and wins another presidential term in 2024.
Mr. Kushner played a leading role inside the Trump administration defending Crown Prince Mohammed after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that he had approved the 2018 killing and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist for The Washington Post and resident of Virginia who had criticized the kingdom's rulers.
. . .
The Times reported last fall that Mr. Kushner had been seeking a Saudi investment. Now, the internal fund records and correspondence obtained by The Times show the outcome, scale and timing of his firm's deal as well as the debate it aroused. Those documents and other filings indicate that at this point Mr. Kushner's venture depends primarily on the Saudi money.
Mr. Kushner planned to raise up to $7 billion in all, according to a document prepared last summer for the Saudi fund's board. But so far he appears to have signed up few other major investors.
In its most recent public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, dated March 31, Mr. Kushner's firm reported that its main fund had $2.5 billion under management, almost entirely from investors based overseas. Most of that appears to be the $2 billion from Saudi Arabia.
The Washington Post helpfully followed this scoop up with a timeline of Donald Trump's amazing reversal of opinion towards Saudi Arabia over the years, which begins: "In a political career rife with flip-flops, few rank as high as Donald Trump's 180 on Saudi Arabia."
Republicans have been salivating over the prospect of congressional investigations into Hunter Biden's business dealings, should they retake control of either house of Congress in the midterms. It'll be the same frenzy that surrounded Hillary Clinton and Benghazi, all over again. They are not exactly shy about admitting their eagerness to conduct such investigations, to put it mildly. But today's news proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that such outrage is nothing more than a political ploy, since I would bet my bottom dollar (or Saudi Arabia's bottom dollar, for that matter) that there will be no investigations conducted of Jared Kushner over this $2 billion windfall, or indeed any of the other questionable deals Jared and Ivanka made while Trump was president (or since).
Because when both sides of the political aisle are so obviously guilty of the same tawdry and mercenary behavior by close family members, it's hard to generate or sustain all that much moral outrage, plain and simple. At least not without consistently pointing the finger of blame both ways, which I certainly don't expect to happen in this case.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Wait, wait, wait. At the end, you conclude that Congress will not investigate the Kushner/Saudi deal, nor any other aspect of the Kushner/Ivanka operations because ... because ... what? Because it would be hypocritical unless the Congress also investigated Hunter Biden's activities?
Yet, as you say in your lead-up to this conclusion, a future Republican Congressional investigation of the junior Biden is an absolute certainty - not impeded at all by any fear of hypocrisy in refusing to look into the Kushners' possible crimes or misdemeanors.
So, could you be more plain? Why, exactly, are the Democrats unable, unwilling, or unlikely to follow up on the Kushners, when they can, but the Republicans are not at all similarly hampered in their expectations when their turn comes back around?
You say that it's all about how it's now clear that such investigations are just political ploys. No. It's not suddenly, just now, clear that these things are political. That's been clear to everybody who follows inside politics for about a dozen decades by now. The Kushners are not ground-breakers in bringing hypocrisy and political grandstanding to the public eye. As far as I can tell, the public eye doesn't even notice these things - only the eye of the inside fans, like (I presume) the readers of this politics-watching blog, etc.
Why, exactly, shouldn't the Dems go after Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, to the degree that the couple may have misappropriated the public trust, abused their offices, or even (maybe) broken a few laws? Because Hunter Biden may have done so as well? So what. Let the Republicans have Hunter as their chew toy - it's a few years in the future. Now is the Dem's turn, and they should be jumping at the chance. No? Can you explain more clearly why not?
FPC
Okay Liz,
Here's my reply to your Lizsplaining Ukraine:
Why should Putin/Russia still being butthurt over the fall of the USSR negate the wishes of the Ukrainian people?
For thirty years, Russia has declared that Ukraine is a red line for them in terms of NATO expansion. Why would NATO wish to welcome Ukraine into the fold and have NATO forces just hundreds of miles from Moscow?
For the same reason that NATO expanded into Poland and the Baltic states. To contain Russian expansionism (hello?) and to include their economies in the European block.
Ukraine, in a move that helped to seal its current fate, enshrined in its constitution an aspirational intent to become a NATO member and all that is entailed with entering into such a security arrangement.
And you know when they did that? In 2019, five years after Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Donbass. Five years after the three nuclear powers that guaranteed Ukrainian territorial integrity (Russia, the UK and America/Budapest Memorandum, 1994) didn't protect Ukraine as promised in exchange for giving up her nukes.
Public opinion in Ukraine was split on joining NATO…before 2014. Can you blame them?
...never mind the fact that NATO also has the right to choose its members and there was no logical reason nor realistic chance that Ukraine would ever actually be admitted.
Why not? It's totally a done deal now that Putin invaded, but if he hadn't invaded why do you say this?
More to the point, are you aware that 92% of Ukrainians voted to be independent of Moscow back in 1991? That the Orange Revolution '04 and Maidan '14 were popular revolts against Moscow trying to impose its will on Ukraine?
If you're against Ukrainians having the same rights to self rule as we enjoy, you could just come out and say it. Because that's what you're saying, in effect.
Oh, and do you think Poland and the Baltics weren't next on Putin's list? They thought giving Hitler chunks of little countries would mean "peace in our time," too.
[1]
I agree, why shouldn't the Mommy Party go after Javanka? Perhaps it's because they're the Mommy Party?
MtnCaddy,
Why not? It's totally a done deal now that Putin invaded, but if he hadn't invaded why do you say this?
Seriously?
I have three words for you: corruption and neo-nazis.
Look it all up for yourself. I'm not here to educate. I'm here to have intelligent conversation with people who what's what.
Look it all up for yourself. I'm not here to educate. I'm here to have intelligent conversation with people who know what's what.
And, you're a little too slow on the uptake. Ahem.
Russia will end up with a helluva lot more than the Donbass when this is done, MtnCaddy. Then you can cry me a river.
Stop with your asinine comparisons to Hitler ... this ain't the nineteen thirties.
JL,
In NYC masks are optional now, but most of us are still wearing them.
Except for kids under 5.. Kids under 5 are still REQUIRED to wear masks..
Which is completely asinine and against the actual science..
And when one of the Trump kids leaves a laptop at a repair shop that details ACTUAL CRIMINAL ACTIVITY that also implicates President Trump???
Yea, fine.. Prosecute 'em... Create a House Committee..
But ya'all know.. and *I* know ya'all know...
That you don't have ANY facts to support ANY semblance of a criminal investigation..
So ya'all are just indulging in lame and fact-less whataboutism..
Which simply indicates the lever of desperation ya'all are at.. :D
I have three words for you: corruption and neo-nazis.
Except the Ukraine President is jewish.. Kinda kills the systemic neo-nazi theory, eh?? :D
Corruption and institutionalized racism where sufficient causes not to admit Ukraine..
But those would likely have been second fiddle to the security concerns of NATO and the US...
An expansionist NATO is NOT a threat to ANY of it's neighbors..
One cannot, obviously, say the same thing about Russia..
Stop with your asinine comparisons to Hitler ... this ain't the nineteen thirties.
Considering what's happening in the Ukraine in the here and now, the comparisons are FAR from "asinine"...
And while you are correct, this isn't the 1930s..
History DOESN'T repeat itself.. But it DOES rhyme with itself..
And what we're seeing now in Ukraine is very VERY close to what Europe saw in the early 40s...
Looks like Joe Biden blinked.. :D
Texas claims a win after Gov. Abbott pledged to bus illegals to Washington
State says feds stopped dropping illegal immigrants off into towns following threat to bus them to DC
https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-gov-greg-abbott-title-42-rescinded-bus-migrants-washington-dc
Same thing happened in FL when Gov DeSantis told Biden he would ship illegal immigrants to DEM cities..
All of the sudden, dropping illegals off in GOP states stopped.. :D
Biden got no scrot!! :D
White House says it expects inflation to be ‘extraordinarily elevated’ in new report
The Biden administration is bracing for the Labor Department’s consumer price index report to show that inflation is “extraordinarily elevated.”
The consumer price index, or CPI, is one of Wall Street’s favorite ways to measure inflation. The CPI reading for March 2022 is due out Tuesday morning.
“We expect March CPI headline inflation to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
The February reading showed the benchmark index rose 7.9% over the last 12 months, the highest level since 1982.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/11/inflation-data-white-house-expects-big-price-hikes-in-march-cpi-report.html
Like I said....
Inflation is going to get a LOT worse before it gets better..
These are the FACTS that even Biden's White House is acknowledging...
So, for those who claim I never have any facts??
I have proven ya'all wrong.. With FACTS! :D
Countdown to the Democrats' doomsday
Can the GOP win a filibuster-proof trifecta in the next three years?
Earlier this month, young Democratic strategist David Shor issued an apocalyptic warning to his followers, arguing that the "modal outcome" of his modeling for the Senate showed Republicans picking up a filibuster-proof, 60-vote majority over the next two election cycles, even if Democrats win a slim majority of the two-party vote. While everything would have to bounce right for Republicans for this to happen, it is not an implausible scenario — and that should absolutely terrify Democrats.
The Senate is currently split 50-50, and to get to 60, Republicans would have to net 10 pickups in the upper chamber over the next two cycles. It sounds like a heavy lift until you remember that Republicans picked up nine seats in 2014 alone, and the increasing rural-urban divide between the parties gives the GOP an increasing advantage in the Senate. Here's how it could happen.
https://theweek.com/2022-election/1012223/countdown-to-the-democrats-doomsday
Democrats are in for a WORLD of hurt...
When things go good for the country?? They go bad for Democrats..
The President Trump years PROVED that beyond ANY doubt.. :D
Here's the problem for you Democrats..
You promise all sorts of goodies to progressives, goodies that are anti-America and that the American people hate and then you don't deliver..
And THEN Democrats wonder why they get such crappy turnout?? :D
The GOP is going to rake Democrats over the coals in 2022 and then body-slam the Democrats in 2024... :D
And life in America will be awesome once again.. :D
Oh SNAP!! :D
Disney wants to involve themselves in Anti-America politics??
Fine.. Disney reaps what Disney sows....
The Majority of Americans support FL Parental Rights Law...
The Majority of Disney employees support FL Parental Rights Law..
It's time companies told their vocal micro-minorities to shut the frak up and just do their jobs.. They don't like company policy?? They can go find other work...
In addition to Disney losing it's ability to govern it's own lands in FL, Disney enjoys HUGE tax breaks granted by the State Of FL to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year..
Geee, Disney... It would be a shame if something happened to those tax breaks, eh??
Mind yer business, Disney... Entertain people.. Stay out of politics that you obviously are clueless about.. If yer vocal micro-minority of loudmouths don't like it?? Tell them to hit the pavement...
So... Let's talk about President Trump's return to Twitter, eh?? :D
ALWAYS a happy subject.. :D
Twitter must free all political prisoners...
The hypocrisy of Democrats shine thru..
Ya'all don't MIND that rich oligarchs pass judgment on who can say what...
Ya'all just want to make sure that your rich oligarchs allow YOUR speech and disallow speech ya'all DISAGREE with...
Hypocrisy.. It's not a bug in Democrat Programming. It's a feature..
BLM Con is in the news again..
BLM defends multi-million dollar mansion purchase in lengthy Twitter thread
The activist group has recently came under fire for its financial spending
https://www.foxnews.com/media/blm-defends-multi-million-dollar-mansion-purchase-lengthy-twitter-thread
Why don't Democrats investigate BLM for all it's fraud and violence and terrorism??
Because Democrats don't really mind fraud and violence and terrorism.. As long as it's THEIR fraud and THEIR violence and THEIR terrorism.. :^/
Once again.. The FACTS tell the story...
Democrat COVID policies did more harm than good..
Democrats have emotionally scarred an entire generation of children..
Democrats have destroyed entire economies and businesses...
It's no wonder that Democrats are going to get their arses handed to them in 2022 and 2024...
The Democrat Party.. A Party at war.. With itself!! :D
Biden, Democrats face a growing political headache as immigration clash intensifies
Liberals are unhappy, Republicans are weaponizing the issue and a dispute over a Trump-era border policy has caused some Democrats to split with the president.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-democrats-face-growing-political-headache-immigration-clash-inte-rcna23505
Biden's decision to open the border to COVID infected illegals has accomplished something I would not have thought possible..
Biden is actually making it WORSE for Democrats in November.. :D
Keep on keepin' on, Biden!!! :D
It's hilarious in a sad and pathetic way that Biden cares more about the Ukraine border than he does about the US border...
Oh, well. 16, maybe 17, unreadable posts in a row.
JM,
Oh, well. 16, maybe 17, unreadable posts in a row.
Would you like some cheese to go with yer whine?? :D
If you find FACTS "unreadable" it's no wonder yer a democrat! :D
I get it.. For Democrats, ignorance is bliss...
And it shows from the way Democrats govern...
Have a happy.. :D
Biden going after ghost guns to prevent or help prevent gun violence is a joke..
Biden would do SO much better if he actually went after the criminals that USE the guns...
But that would mean going after Demcrats' biggest constituency...
Criminals...
And, of course, Biden can't do that!!
Everything Biden and the Democrats touch turns to shit...
Michale,
I think we are all tired of your random facts that don't stick to the subject at hand of the headline columns.
What do you think this place is anyways? Your own private shit fest!?
Well, it ain't, so put an end to it already.
Aww Liz..
Let's be factual here, eh?
You don't like the facts because they show the incompetence of Biden and the Democrats..
If I put up a spewage of PRO Biden and PRO Democrat ya'all would LOVE it and I would be the toast of Weigantia.. :D
I get it though.. Being the guy with the facts does not breed popularity..
It's a rough life, but I am willing to do it for ya'all... So ya'all can be better informed..
Yer welcome.. :D
CAN YOU READ!
Stick to your facts that are pertinent to the headlining piece!!!! Do you understand!?
You don't have to be here every single morning and afternoon providing random, non-pertinent facts to the headlining pieces written by Chris.
Or, is it that you just don't have any patience and you can't wait for Chris to write about what you want to write about?
Well, find a way!
If I put up a spewage of PRO Biden and PRO Democrat ya'all would LOVE it and I would be the toast of Weigantia.. :D
You are one thousand percent WRONG about that.
Impertinent spewage is impertinent spewage, no matter how you slice it!
You really have no idea, do you, Michale, about what this place is all about ...
I didn't enjoy that movie.
And, I'm certainly not enjoying THIS one. :)
Heh.
No, 40 was not aimed at you, Don. :)
My little multi-comment rant this morning is all about Michale.
And, it comes from a place of love, Michale ... just to be clear and for the record. :)
Hehehehehehehe.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNnH1sN0dw8&list=RDMMlnKweEGSLAM&index=15
[54]
Did you mean
Try and Love Again
Eagles
(5:11)?
Great album!
@don,
The comment wasn't really to you or about you, so i am sorry for mentioning you or your Grandiose narcissist obsession. It was below the dignity of pie to do so.
Shootings like the one in Sacramento and New York would be GREATLY reduced if LEOs were allowed to bring back Broken Windows Policing and Stop & Frisk...
Great album!
With reference to an Eagles Album..
"Is there another kind??"
-Colonel Nathan R Jessup, A FEW GOOD MEN
:D
your Grandiose narcissist obsession.
Hay!!! I resemble that remark!! :D
Transgender woman's op-ed regretting sex re-assignment surgery draws strong media reaction: 'Heartbreaking'
Corinna Cohn warned in the Washington Post against 'permanently altering your body'
https://www.foxnews.com/media/transgender-woman-laments-sex-re-assignment-surgery-reaction
If only this guy hadn't been encourage to mutilate his body by hysterical Democrat groomers.. :^/
Get that??
If you don't toe the hysterical Democrat Groomer Party line, yer a "bitter old trans"...
Ahhh The "tolerance" of the Democrat Party.. :^/
Consumer prices rose 8.5% in March, slightly hotter than expected and the highest since 1981
Headline CPI in March rose by 8.5% from a year ago, the fastest annual gain since December 1981 and one-tenth of a percentage point above the estimate.
Surging food, energy and shelter costs helped account for the gain.
Real worker earnings fell by another 0.8% during the month as the cost of living outpaced otherwise strong pay gains.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/12/consumer-prices-rose-8point5percent-in-march-slightly-hotter-than-expected.html
This is ALL Democrats.... Democrats OWN Biden-flation...
If only this guy hadn't been encourage to mutilate his body by hysterical Democrat groomers.. :^/
Or maybe read the article?
...I had to persuade two therapists, an endocrinologist and a surgeon to give me what I wanted....
Doesn't sound like "grooming" to me...
If you don't toe the hysterical Democrat Groomer Party line, yer a "bitter old trans"...
Yes, comrade. Toting that Putin party line? Are your handlers proud? You do know Morgan Artyukhina works for Sputnik news?
[64]
I know, it drives me nuts how all these Repug geniuses think they're be all PATRIOTIC while following Cheetogod aka #PutinsBitch aka #UsefulIdiot aka Trump.
CW,
Great article, but here are the questions that no one seems to have the answers for — and that no one has bothered to even ask for some reason.
Was Hunter Biden the man who dropped off the laptop and harddrive to the repair shop in Delaware?
Was Hunter Biden even in Delaware on the date he allegedly dropped off the laptop?
Did Hunter Biden give the repair shop his correct contact info and did he sign the authorization form giving the shop permission to view his files contained on the hardware?
Hunter Biden just happened to travel cross country from Los Angeles, CA (where Biden had moved more than a year earlier) to Wilmington, Delaware to drop off 3 laptops with a hardcore Trump supporter who just happened to be legally blind?
From the Beast article below:
Mac Isaac said he had a medical condition that prevented him from actually seeing who dropped off the laptop but that he believed it to be Hunter Biden’s because of a sticker related to the Beau Biden Foundation that was on it.
There is a good reason that none of the more reputable news agencies ran with this story… this was it! No one can say with any certainty that Hunter Biden was the man who dropped off these laptops to be repaired. Hunter Biden is a private citizen. Even if the data on the laptops are authenticated as being from Hunter Biden’s Apple account, that does not mean that it wasn’t stolen! Which is exactly why all of the other news organizations (including FoxNews, NewsMax, & OAN) refused to run it. They could not verify that it wasn’t stolen property!
In an interview on FoxNews, Mr. Mac Issac complained that it was tough to be a “whistleblower” when you are a conservative — noting that he had contacted multiple members of Congress during Trump’s first impeachment trial concerning the evidence he had against Hunter Biden but they all ignored him! I guess he meant “dog-whistleblower” seeing how Hunter was not a government employee.
There was never a reason for Mac Issac to have looked through the content of the files on these laptops. System files are responsible for starting and operating the laptop. Photos and PDF files do not play any role in operating a Mac laptop.
Delaware law says Mr. Mac Issac could not claim ownership of the laptop until one year after it had been abandoned. The “abandonment” one year clock did not even start until after the repairs were finished and Biden failed to respond to the calls notifying him that it was ready. Yet Mac Issac had sent out copies of the hard drives within months of receiving them. He had no legal right to show anyone the data. Why the Times and WAPO have chosen to ignore this minor legal problem is beyond me.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/man-who-reportedly-gave-hunters-laptop-to-rudy-speaks-out-in-bizarre-interview
Philip Bump at WAPO put this out today:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/12/now-warning-about-hunter-biden-laptop-disinfo-guy-who-leaked-it/