Speaking of corruption, I want to cite just one passage from Jonathan Turley’s post at The Hill, “The grifter defense”:
The question is whether Joe Biden knew about the influence peddling of his brothers and his son. If so, he actively assisted his family in acquiring millions to influence him on public policy or legislation. His family was effectively marketing time shares in a senator, a vice president and now a president.
Whether or not Biden delivered, the family business corrupted the functions of government by converting offices into types of commodities. That is the case regardless of whether or not they delivered. It is akin to an extortionist taking money without any intent to follow through on threats of disclosure or use of damaging material. Even in today’s willfully blind politics, every voter should be able to agree on two simple facts.
First, influence peddling is corruption long opposed by the government and denounced by both parties.
Second, if the president knew that his son and uncles were using him for influence peddling, Joe Biden is also corrupt.
That is why it comes down to knowledge. Under federal case law, money and gifts going to one’s family is often treated as a benefit for the purposes of corruption or bribery. Indeed, many of the current Democratic members previously voted that money going to family members of a judge was impeachable. I represented that judge in the last judicial impeachment tried on the Senate floor.
It is highly implausible that the president did not know about the influence peddling. There were news articles on the allegations, and the Biden family has been accused of influence peddling for decades. It is a virtual family business.
It is just barely arguable that the danger posed by a second Trump term warranted voting for someone as manifestly corrupt as Joe Biden. It is a lot less arguable when Biden is trailing Trump in the polls as badly as he is at present.
First, Turkey is lying to protect his own client. The judge directly accepted gifts, they didnt all go to his wife. Second, when a gift goes to his wife the judge directly benefits. They both use the money to take a vacation. If it’s a bunch of new dresses then he has to spend less of his salary on her wardrobe and they can stay at fancier hotels.
There remains no evidence that Joe Biden received any money, unlike the judge. There remains no evidence that influence was actually peddled ie Joe Biden changed policy or that he was even asked to do so.
The last part is the most difficult and I dont know how you avoid it. Were his family attempting to sell influence. Clearly his son was, but how do you differentiate that from anything any presidential relative does, or PTUS himself. Do we really think all of these people staying in Trump hotels weren’t hoping it would make him look at them a bit more favorably? The Saudis really spent a couple billion dollars on Jared not hoping for some return, or more likely it was done in payment for favors already received? If you suddenly discovered you were the long lost cousin of Biden or Trump and you got a new job offer at a much higher salary would that just be luck or would that be the new employer hoping you might mention something nice about them? Would you then declare your newfound cousin corrupt?
So do we forbid relatives of politicians from working or put severe limits on them? As you might remember, in the case of judges who get lifetime appointments I am in favor of limiting what their spouse can do or receive. In their case they get a lifetime job to which they are not elected and in which it is essentially impossible to hold them accountable given our partisan split. Either the spouse has to give up employment or there has to be a severe income limitation and all gifts reported. I would also support this for POTUS, Senators and Congresspeople. Beyond that I think we just assume that any and all business conducted by children, siblings, other relatives and close friends likely has some tinge of an attempt at influence peddling and the way to approach it is to make it transparent as possible.
BTW, lest it is not obvious, I dont know how you decided Biden is corrupt nor how you decided Trump is not.
Steve
Sadly, that is not true. Hunter Biden said he paid money from his business account into Joe Biden’s private account in repayment of a loan to buy a car and there are check stubs and bank records confirming that. Money is fungible. The comingling of funds meant that Joe Biden received money from Hunter’s corrupt activities.
That makes no difference. That’s what Mr. Turley is characterizing as “the grifter defense”. Whether Biden’s actions were actually influenced by his son and brother’s connivings makes no difference to whether it was corrupt or not.
Where did I say that? I think that Trump is corrupt, too, but that’s irrelevant to the subject at hand. I don’t think anybody should vote for Trump for any reason or any office whatever because he’s unsuited by reason of temperament and past behavior.
I think the best solution is to elect people of higher moral character than we have for the last 30 years. Failing that not only should we forbid relatives of politicians from having foreign companies as clients we should prohibit elected officials from lobbying their former colleagues for ten years after leaving office.
And I think your refusal to recognize that Biden is obviously corrupt is a matter of willful ignorance. That’s how we got in the mess we’re in.
“And I think your refusal to recognize that Biden is obviously corrupt is a matter of willful ignorance.”
Steve’s defense is a sad commentary. Its a classic money laundering scheme. 20+ shell companies; byzantine wire transfers. The ultimate beneficiaries being family, including Hunter, his current and ex-wives, and Joe’s grandchildren. And lately, direct to Joe. One needs quite the vivid imagination to understand the sage advice provided by foreign countries, if even by Joe’s precocious grandchildren.
And yet, for such sparkling advisory services (quite the resume builder, dontcha think?), no income reported or taxes paid. You’d think they would want everyone to know! “My grandchildren and daughters in law! The new Henry Kissingers!!” Whatup with that? Quite a puzzler.
Dave Schuler: Hunter Biden said he paid money from his business account into Joe Biden’s private account in repayment of a loan to buy a car and there are check stubs and bank records confirming that. Money is fungible. The comingling of funds meant that Joe Biden received money from Hunter’s corrupt activities.
That doesn’t necessarily make Joe Biden corrupt. Repayment of a loan did not enrich Joe Biden. Hunter Biden engaged in influence peddling that is largely legal. In addition, Hunter Biden was not in government, unlike members of the Trump family.
“The comingling of funds meant that Joe Biden received money from Hunter’s corrupt activities.”
So Biden doesnt make any money, he just gets repaid? This is corruption? Did Biden know the specific source of money? Did Hunter for that matter? AS I noted above it’s essentially impossible to know if the relative of apolitical gets paid entirely on merit or if it’s an attempt to influence the politician. I think this is a pretty bizarre definition of corruption, nothing like we commonly use and frankly, what we are talking about here is a car loan. There is no pattern of behavior on the part of Joe Biden and he did not get wealthier. Money is fungible? Then every politician who has accepted money from a criminal, knowingly or unknowingly, is corrupt. It’s not only a bizarre idea it is useless.
“One needs quite the vivid imagination to understand the sage advice provided by foreign countries”
Hey, money is fungible. That $2 billion to Jared comes from the killers in Saudi Arabia, some of your guys’ favorite advisors(though granted this was probably for favors already received).
Steve
President Biden has lied repeatedly about his knowledge of his son’s “business”. How do we know he has lied? Well, for one thing he has had an extensive email correspondence with his son’s business partner. Do you think they were exchanging recipes? As VP he participated in business calls with his son. That’s a matter of record.
Under those circumstances how do you explain his not rejecting a check from his son’s business? That he’s too stupid not to realize he was doing something illegal?
Don’t ask me to defend Mr. Trump’s or his son-in-laws actions—I think they’ve been shady, too..
Hey, I’ve got a solution for this! Don’t vote for either Biden or Trump.
According to the business partner he called Hunter, got put on speakerphone and did not talk about business.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/biden-spoke-sons-business-associates-numerous-former-partner-tells-law-rcna97410
We dont have to wonder about what he said in the emails the Republicans have the emails. BTW, those car payments? 3 payments of $1380 each. Very small amounts that correlate with repaying the car loan.
So there remains no evidence that Joe Biden worked with people trying to buy influence from him or that he received any money for doing so.
BTW, money is fungible. I was primary acute caregiver for a famous case where a child molester got shot. Unfortunately, we saved his life. Turned out he had insurance to our surprise and he even (his wife) paid his co-pays. By your logic I enabled a child molester by taking money from him.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/us/politics/republican-claims-biden-impeachment-inquiry.html
Steve
Dave Schuler: Well, for one thing he has had an extensive email correspondence with his son’s business partner. Do you think they were exchanging recipes?
If it’s email, why are you guessing?
Dave Schuler: That he’s too stupid not to realize he was doing something illegal?
Influence peddling based on your last name is not necessarily illegal.
Love is blind.