Hunter Pleads Guilty
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, entered a guilty plea today in the federal tax evasion case against him. This would have been a much bigger deal, of course, if Joe were still actively running for re-election, but now it will be no more than a political footnote, at least as far as the election is concerned.
It likely won't be a footnote for Hunter, however. He entered guilty pleas on all nine charges against him, and is now facing the possibility of up to 17 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $1.3 million. This is in addition to the possible 25 years in prison he faces in the federal gun charges case, where he was already found guilty and is awaiting sentencing. He likely won't face the maximum penalty in either case, but it does look more likely than not that he will be spending at least some time behind bars. The sentencing on the gun charges will take place in November, and the sentencing in the tax case has been scheduled for December 16th -- both of which will take place after the election.
Today's plea came as a surprise. Hunter Biden did not secure a "plea deal" for himself with the prosecutor -- this was not a plea both sides agreed to in exchange for a lenient sentence, in other words. Instead, Hunter entered his guilty plea for the sole purpose of avoiding a trial. Which would have been pretty messy, as the Washington Post points out:
The younger Biden has said he has undergone treatment for addiction and is no longer using drugs. While his addiction to crack cocaine was a central theme of his gun trial, the Los Angeles case had been expected to delve into [Hunter] Biden's lavish spending and sex life during that period -- much of which he chronicled in his 2021 memoir. Among the accusations laid out in the nine-count indictment is that Biden wrote off money he paid sex workers as business expenses on his tax forms.
It also likely would have involved his family having to testify again. Now none of that will be necessary.
Hunter at first tried a sort of legal dodge, entering what's known as an "Alford plea." This is when a defendant admits that the evidence against him is so overwhelming that he cannot possibly win at trial, but while still maintaining that he is innocent. The prosecutors balked at this, however, and eventually Hunter decided to just enter a straight guilty plea to all nine charges.
As mentioned, this isn't likely to have much impact politically. Joe Biden is now a lame-duck president who will leave office (no matter who wins the election) next January. Biden himself is a side issue these days -- an afterthought in the presidential race. His son is less than an afterthought, he's more of a footnote. If Biden had not stepped back from the race and were still running all of this would be much more impactful, to state the obvious.
The big question now is what Joe Biden will do about the situation. He could do nothing, and allow the course of justice to play out to the end, or he could wait until after the sentencing and then either commute his son's sentence or pardon his crimes altogether. Again -- this decision will come after the election. So far, the White House is swearing that Joe's not going to pardon his son, but that could always change in the waning days of his presidency. Joe's decision could be influenced by who wins the election, as well. It might be less politically-fraught for Kamala Harris to get sworn in as president and then immediately pardon Hunter, to spin just one possible post-election scenario.
Of course, if all of this had happened to one of Donald Trump's children while he was still president, a pardon would be forthcoming almost immediately. That's overstating it, even, because it simply never would have gotten this far if Trump had been president -- he would have called up his attorney general and made the entire case go away a long time ago, so he never would be faced with having to pardon any of them. Joe Biden and his attorney general Merrick Garland bent over backwards to ensure the fairness of the case, which is why we are where we are today.
Hunter Biden is not the first presidential offspring to not exactly walk the straight-and-narrow path. He's certainly not the first presidential child to cash in on his family name, either. Not by a longshot. But he is the first one who has had to face such major consequences for his actions. Hunter Biden is now a convicted felon on multiple different charges. Whether he ever sees the inside of a jail cell or not, he has already earned an ignoble place in the history books.
None of this is going to have much impact on politics at all, at this point. The Bidens are already yesterday's news in Washington, and the focus is now solely on the two candidates running to replace him. Republicans can yell "Biden crime family" as much as they'd like, but it's not going to change any voters' minds at this point, to put this another way.
Hunter Biden will successfully avoid having a trial right smack in the middle of the presidential election season. His drug addiction and other sordid subjects will not be fully aired in the public marketplace again (as they were, during his trial on the gun charges). Members of the Biden family will not have to stoically show up to the trial in support of Hunter, and be forced to listen to the worst of his past behavior. This is what Hunter has traded for an uncertain sentence in December. He did not secure a plea deal before making this decision, he did it solely (and rather selflessly) to protect his family from further embarrassment. No matter what the ultimate outcome, by pleading guilty today Hunter has achieved that much for his family.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
US prosecutors have evidence that Hunter Biden is involved with influence peddling with Romanians. What a mess. Good job that Biden isn't running for re-election.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz9wpdwnelno
As mentioned, this isn't likely to have much impact politically.
Au contraire, this will make an OVERWHELMING difference politically when Donold starts getting sentenced. Coming soon — and I’m glad I’m notJudge Marchan right about now.
Biden said he wouldn't pardon. I'm expecting commutation.
Fat Donny pardoned a cop killer who has just been sentenced for more criming. He should shut up about this subject.
Florida Man was asked this question at the Economic Club of New York today:
If you win in November, can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make childcare affordable, and if so, what specific piece of legislation would you advance?
His "response":
Well, I would do that, and we’re sitting down, and I was, somebody, we had Senator Marco Rubio, and my daughter Ivanka was so impactful on that issue. It’s a very important issue. But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about, that, because, look, child care is child care is. It’s, couldn’t, you know, there’s something, you have to have it. In this country you have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to — but they’ll get used to it very quickly – and it’s not gonna stop them from doing business with us, but they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send product into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including child care, that it’s going to take care. We’re gonna have — I, I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country, because I have to stay with child care. I want to stay with child care, but those numbers are small relative to the kind of economic numbers that I’m talking about, including growth, but growth also headed up by what the plan is that I just, that I just told you about. We’re gonna be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s relatively speaking not very expensive compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in. We’re going to make this into an incredible country that can afford to take care of its people, and then we’ll worry about the rest of the world. Let’s help other people. But we’re going to take care of our country first. This is about America first. It’s about Make America Great Again. We have to do it because right now we’re a failing nation, so we’ll take care of it.
I'll bet that VP Harris will have a better answer.
big question now is what Joe Biden will do about the situation. He could do nothing, and allow the course of justice to play out to the end, or he could wait until after the sentencing and then either commute his son's sentence or pardon his crimes altogether.
If that happens, then Joe Biden's legacy will have gone from bad to worse. But, I guess that is what most pundits and journos would prefer, anyways, right?
John From Censornati
4
Florida Man was asked this question at the Economic Club of New York today:
If you win in November, can you commit to prioritizing legislation to make childcare affordable, and if so, what specific piece of legislation would you advance?
It would not be at all fair to "word salad" to refer to that hot steaming pile of utter asinine BS as "word salad."
None of that matters, though, JFC, because Allan Lichtman has made his prediction, and according to him it's Kamala. :)
CW
Republicans can yell "Biden crime family" as much as they'd like, but it's not going to change any voters' minds at this point, to put this another way.
What a horrible waste of a perfectly good fake scandal, and they worked so hard and so long on it too. :)
Elizabeth Miller
5
If that happens, then Joe Biden's legacy will have gone from bad to worse. But, I guess that is what most pundits and journos would prefer, anyways, right?
If Allan Lichtman is correct, Joe Biden's legacy will be just fine. :)
Elizabeth Miller
1
US prosecutors have evidence that Hunter Biden is involved with influence peddling with Romanians. What a mess. Good job that Biden isn't running for re-election.
This is such old news, seriously. You remember this, right?
Trump, Giuliani, and the entire GOP cast of pathetic misfits have been trying desperately to connect it to Joe Biden since he was candidate Biden and Trump was busy being impeached (the first time) and Rudy and Trump were busy trying to dig up/produce/invent BS collectively on the Bidens:
Not surprisingly, the issue could actually be solidly connected directly to Rudy Giuliani and Republican former Director of the FBI when Hunter Biden dropped it (like a hot potato) directly with Freeh... but you'd never know that from listening to the GOP moron brigade of selective and alternative facts a.k.a. lies.
Kick,
The fact of the matter is that Hunter has done no favours for his father's political career. But president Biden himself has done the most harm to his own legacy.
The He-man Woman-haters Club has completely ceded the childcare issue to Harris. It's hard to judge who had the worst answer because AKA Vance basically said "Call Grandma".
Additionally, Vance had something insane to say about mass shootings at schools:
I don’t like that this is a fact of life.
He was off by two words. It's a fact of life in USA. If only the senator was in a position to do something about it . . .
Elizabeth Miller
10
The fact of the matter is that Hunter has done no favours for his father's political career. But president Biden himself has done the most harm to his own legacy.
While I have little doubt that your sentiment would actually qualify as some kind of "fact" up there in Canada, that statement of yours is nothing more than a spurious opinion. :)
John From Censornati
11
The He-man Woman-haters Club has completely ceded the childcare issue to Harris.
She of the "childless cat ladies."
It's hard to judge who had the worst answer because AKA Vance basically said "Call Grandma".
The "whole purpose of the postmenopausal female."
Kick,
One day, you might try just contributing to a discussion rather than stopping it in its tracks. ;)
Elizabeth Miller
15
One day, you might try just contributing to a discussion rather than stopping it in its tracks. ;)
So you're saying you want more "discussion" on that particular "legacy" opinion of yours so I will oblige you thusly, but remember who asked for it.
The fact of the matter is that Hunter has done no favours for his father's political career.
In Joe Biden's entire half century political career, he never once lost in a general election, and you can blame this fact (not opinion) entirely on his son Hunter who has been by his side since the beginning and doing him no f-a-v-o-r-s (ever).
But president Biden himself has done the most harm to his own legacy.
Bullshit. A legacy is a long time, and Joe Biden's ain't nearly over yet and appears to be firmly on track to be quite a unique and fascinating one in American history, even (especially) considering the historical nature of the president for which he served as vice president and in combination with his own presidency and Biden's historical choice of his vice president and his selfless act of choosing his country over his own ambition when the future of American democracy wasn't by any means assured.
A legacy is a long time, and it's not how you start it's how you finish.
Discuss.
@MtnCaddy
Au contraire, this will make an OVERWHELMING difference politically when Donold starts getting sentenced. Coming soon — and I’m glad I’m notJudge Marchan right about now.
Apparently, you didn't get the memo, Caddy.. :D
Not only has Smith's case been pushed back, Judge Merchan has also pushed back sentencing until after the election..
Both Smith and Merchan have accepted the inevitability that President Trump will, once again, be the President Of The United States.. :D
President Trump wins again...
Don'tcha just LOVE being an American?? :D Well, no... Of course YOU don't.. :eyeroll:
Liz,
One day, you might try just contributing to a discussion rather than stopping it in its tracks. ;)
You must be new around here, eh?? :D
One must ask one's self...
If this lawfare persecution is NOTHING to do with politics, but rather EVERYTHING to do with so-called "justice".....
WHY do these Demon'rats concede that this "sentencings" must constantly be pushed back??
Because it's NOT about justice...
All of these lawfare persecutions have had one goal and one goal only.
To stop President Trump from winning the November elections..
This is a fact that no amount of Demon'rat whinings and hysterical temper tantrums can change.
And, as per the norm... Demon'rats ALWAYS fail... :D
Hay, JL??
Mind if I spike the football... AGAIN! :D
I mean, com'on!! :D
First the Demon'rats maneuver the SCOTUS into declaring that President Trump has ABSOLUTE immunity for official acts and PRESUMPTIVE immunity for un-official acts...
And THEN the Demon'rat judge in NY realizes that he has NO LEGAL leg to stand on and pushes the so-called "sentencing" past the point that it will even matter.
If ever there were a football spiking moment, this would be it, eh?? :D
A legacy is a long time, and it's not how you start it's how you finish.
Indeed.
And, Biden is finishing with a lot of dead civilians and two long wars that will presumably drag on well past the end of the Biden administration. Maybe he just isn't aware of all of the death and destruction that has been a hallmark of his foreign policy.
And now we have ANOTHER school shooting by ANOTHER mentally ill trans activist.
What IS it about these Demon'rat trans people that they are so violent?? It's probably because Demon'rats are always about violence.. One only has to see the Demon'rat BLM and AntiFa wing of the Party to know this is true..
And, of course, Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris didn't even wait for the bodies to be cold before she HAD to politicize this Demon'rat act of sheer lunacy..
Funny how Headboard Harris is so quick to jump with her anti-America hate guns agenda.. But is completely and utterly silent when armed illegal immigrant thugs take over an American apartment complex...
Hypocrisy. It's not a bug in Demon'rat programming. It's a feature
And, speaking of Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris.. What is up with her hysterical fear of doing a press conference?? Oh sure, she was able to do ONE interview with a friendly anchor while she had her emotional support man to help her thru the tough spots.. :eyeroll:
What a JOKE that interview was.. All Headboard Harris proved is she can't function without a man close by her and she has absolutely ZERO sense when it comes to economic matters..
Yea.. Ya'all got yerselves ANOTHER Basement Biden candidate there.. :eyeroll:
At least Basement Biden has the excuse of being senile and dementia-riddled.. Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris is simply stoopid.. Dumb as a box of rocks..
I saids it befores and I will says it again.. Ya'all better get used to the idea of seeing President Trump back in the Oval Office come Jan of 2025...
Cuz NO ONE who even likes this country a little and has more than 2 brain cells to rub together is going to vote for Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris and Tampon Tim NO-BALLZ Walz...
LOL. Dipshit MAGAts.
Donald Trump called a press conference today and answered no questions from the press... so not really a press conference but basically a trainwreck wherein Trump loses his shit (again) with cameras definitely recording the entire stream-of-consciousness rant wherein Trump attempts to relitigate many of the accusations of women made against him.
A special portion of the rant (not a press conference) includes Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba (who has lost Trump a fortune), giving a stern talking to "the American women." I can't stop laughing.
Thank you, Donald, for demonstrating so pathetically why Kamala Harris would like your mic always open and to remain ever thus.
This (not a) press conference is not to be missed:
https://www.c-span.org/video/?538204-1/fmr-pres-trump-holds-news-conference-nyc
I wonder what vice president Harris will have to say about the dead American woman who was shot in the head by the IDF because she was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity of a person throwing rocks while she was protesting against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Liz,
And, Biden is finishing with a lot of dead civilians and two long wars that will presumably drag on well past the end of the Biden administration. Maybe he just isn't aware of all of the death and destruction that has been a hallmark of his foreign policy.
Biden's brain is gone.. I am certain he has no clue what's been happening the last 3+ years...
The funny thing is, Harris is continuing that tradition of brain-less so-called "leadership"... :D
Harris' NEW slogan (I guess YES WE KILL ALL MEN wasn't the inspirational slogan Dems thought it would be :eyeroll:) is now A NEW WAY FORWARD
The funny thing is, Harris' "new way forward" has been going on now for 3.5 years...
And this country is in the pits because of their policies..
No American with more than 2 brain cells to rub together is going to vote for 4 more years of Biden/Harris so-called "leadership"...
I wonder what vice president Harris will have to say about the dead American woman who was shot in the head by the IDF because she was unlucky enough to be in the vicinity of a person throwing rocks while she was protesting against illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Wrong place, wrong time, WRONGER cause...
Elizabeth Miller
20
And, Biden is finishing with a lot of dead civilians and two long wars that will presumably drag on well past the end of the Biden administration. Maybe he just isn't aware of all of the death and destruction that has been a hallmark of his foreign policy.
I was wondering how long you could actually go without posting a comment containing a Russian talking point, and you've provided the answer. Heh.
You apparently have little to no idea what the definition of a "long war" is, and I'll do you another favor and explain how the next time you want to discuss the "legacy" of a (any) United States historical figure, you first learn what an American legacy actually is and all that that entails. :)
I wasn't talking about Ukraine or Russia. But, I'm not surprised that you went there.
I wasn't talking about just Ukraine or Russia but I'm not surprised that you went there. The Biden administration and candidate Harris have been largely silent about the death and destruction happening in Gaza, too, aside from their constant handwringing and talk of an imminent ceasefire and Israeli peace proposal that Netanyahu has never supported.
I wasn't talking about Ukraine or Russia. But, I'm not surprised that you went there.
ooooohh SNAP!!! :D
Elizabeth Miller
26
I wasn't talking about Ukraine or Russia.
You sure about that? Because it sure seems to me (and likely anyone else reading that) that you were definitely talking about that so maybe you're not altogether aware of what you're actually talking about.
But, I'm not surprised that you went there.
You post a talking point straight out of the Kremlin book of talking points, and I will definitely go there. Every. Single. Time. :)
Elizabeth Miller
27
I wasn't talking about just Ukraine or Russia but I'm not surprised that you went there.
Seems to me your clarification means you've figured out what you were talking about... but not before I did (and anyone else reading this), and we thank you for the clarification.
The Biden administration and candidate Harris have been largely silent about the death and destruction happening in Gaza, too, aside from their constant handwringing and talk of an imminent ceasefire and Israeli peace proposal that Netanyahu has never supported.
So then, you didn't really want an actual discussion about "legacy," but then we all here already knew that... and *poof* just like that, there goes your promise to not ruin Chris's political headlining pieces.
You tried so hard but simply could not stop yourself. :)
It seems to me, Kick, that you are obsessed with talking points and aren't able to make your own arguments. Your comments definitely betray a failure to engage constructively.
FYI: You do not have to be posting about Russia and/or Ukraine to be repeating a Kremlin talking point.
Look! Even CNN is saying that President Trump is going to win the election.. :D
If President Trump out performs the polls by a SINGLE point, then President Trump will win the election..
The kicker??
President Trump has out performed ALL polls in EVERY race President Trump has run.. By many MANY points...
Like I said.. Ya'all better get used to saying President Trump again.. :D
As an aside to Dan.... Looky here.. A whole slew of posts without a single mainstream media cut n paste.
Ya happy now?? :D
It seems to me, Kick, that you are obsessed with talking points and aren't able to make your own arguments. Your comments definitely betray a failure to engage constructively.
O.M.G.
What a BURN!!!!! :D
Elizabeth Miller
31
It seems to me, Kick, that you are obsessed with talking points and aren't able to make your own arguments.
Said the commenter parroting the actual Kremlin talking points; I'm just the one pointing it out.
Your comments definitely betray a failure to engage constructively.
Your comments are Russian talking points, and in case you missed it the first time: I will definitely point them out. Every. Single. Time. :)
In other words...
Every comment that Kick doesn't agree with is auto-magically a "Kremlin Talking Point"..
Must be nice to live in such a delusional fantasy-filled world where no inconvenient facts intrude on the bliss...
:eyeroll:
In other words...
Every comment that Kick doesn't agree with is auto-magically a "Kremlin Talking Point"..
LOL. Dipshit MAGAt troll.
That is incorrect on multiple levels, and I will not educate you regarding the actual definition of a Kremlin talking point because I reserve training to those who display even a tiny scintilla of propensity for learning versus the demonstrably dumb.
Must be nice to live in such a delusional fantasy-filled world where no inconvenient facts intrude on the bliss...
Said the deluded right-wingnut troll who just invented a fantasy in order to define what constitutes a Kremlin talking point because he is demonstrably and obviously totally unaware what that is.