Hunters sweetheart deal implodes

[ripvanwinkle]

Wow, ouch. Hunters sweetheart deal sure imploded today. Took both sides by surprise. I'm sure Hunter thought going into court that his plea deal was a slam dunk and a rubber stamp done deal. This is going to be really interesting to follow. 

[billisonboard]

I just read CNN and Fox News coverage of the story.  

www.cnn.com/2023/07/26/politics/takeaways-hunter-biden-plea-hearing/index.html

www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-bidens-rejected-plea-deal-puts-justice-department-hot-seat

I found the contrast between reporting of the facts in CNN'S lead story and the emotional editorial commentary in Fox's most interesting. 

[Opti]

Its a weird thing but I don't get why Hunter not paying his taxes in a timely fashion plus the gun charge due to his drug usage has anything to do with Biden's Presidency. I don't get what the big deal is, fine him and get him to pay his taxes and take the gun. Move on.

I'm more concerned about Trump and his classified docs. Its not like that has been a screaming quick walk either. 

[busymom]

The only one affected by Hunter's sins is himself.

Trump playing around with our national security documents affects our entire nation. Apples & oranges.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 26, 2023 21:43:21 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I just read CNN and Fox News coverage of the story.  

www.cnn.com/2023/07/26/politics/takeaways-hunter-biden-plea-hearing/index.html

www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-bidens-rejected-plea-deal-puts-justice-department-hot-seat

I found the contrast between reporting of the facts in CNN'S lead story and the emotional editorial commentary in Fox's most interesting. 

Question: are these federal charges against Hunter Biden?

[tallguy]

Jul 26, 2023 20:41:17 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Wow, ouch. Hunters sweetheart deal sure imploded today. Took both sides by surprise. I'm sure Hunter thought going into court that his plea deal was a slam dunk and a rubber stamp done deal. This is going to be really interesting to follow. 

You really are desperate, aren't you?  There was no "sweetheart deal."  The tax charges were not felonies for tax evasion or tax fraud.  They are misdemeanors for not paying his full tax by the due date.  He subsequently paid the full amount owed a couple years later.  It is highly unlikely that an average citizen would even have been charged under the same circumstances.  Penalties and interest would be assessed, but it is (as I understand) pretty uncommon if not unheard of to file criminal charges after the taxes have been paid.  He may have had increased access to money because his name is Biden, but he was almost certainly charged for the same reason.

[ripvanwinkle]

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

[billisonboard]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

You heard wrong on potential further prosecution. The no jail time is a recommendation and he wwsn't charged with tax evasion.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

::cough:: Rich white male :::cough::


In other news water is fucking wet.  You think Trump isn't going to use every ounce of his privilege to try to avoid jail time if convicted?  Do you hold him to the same standard as you apparently hold Hunter Biden?

[happyhoix]

A while back, prior to Trump being president, Ivanka and Don Jr got into a little trouble lying about condos they were trying to sell - like saying the building was already at 75 percent occupancy when it was at 25 percent. Fraud charges should have been brought but weren’t. Trump Inc made a nice big donation to the DAs campaign.

There are two standards - rich white justice and the rest of us. Actually three standards- poor non white justice.

Not a GOP/ DEM thing.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

When Hunter Biden is elected president of the United States and tries (among many things) to overturn an election by lying it was stolen from him get back to us.

Comparing Hunter Biden to donald trump is like comparing a chair to leg of lamb.

[billisonboard]

Jul 27, 2023 10:00:13 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

When Hunter Biden is elected president of the United States and tries (among many things) to overturn an election by lying it was stolen from him get back to us.

Comparing Hunter Biden to donald trump is like comparing a chair to leg of lamb.

I agree that such a comparison is absurd. At least zip is comparing Hunter to us ordinary people.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 27, 2023 10:05:22 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:00:13 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

When Hunter Biden is elected president of the United States and tries (among many things) to overturn an election by lying it was stolen from him get back to us.

Comparing Hunter Biden to donald trump is like comparing a chair to leg of lamb.

I agree that such a comparison is absurd. At least zip is comparing Hunter to us ordinary people.

If Hunter is convicted of federal crimes, his dad can always pardon him.

One can always use Trump's pardons as a reason why. He pardoned all his partners in crime and pardoned his son-in-law's father.

PARDONS GRANTED BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (2017-2021)

[Tennesseer]

Jul 27, 2023 10:05:22 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:00:13 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

When Hunter Biden is elected president of the United States and tries (among many things) to overturn an election by lying it was stolen from him get back to us.

Comparing Hunter Biden to donald trump is like comparing a chair to leg of lamb.

I agree that such a comparison is absurd. At least zip is comparing Hunter to us ordinary people.

Is he? Is he really? We know some republicans in congress are wanting to expunge Trump's impeachments and are also comparing the justice system to Hunter and donald's legal issues.

Rip just echoes what he reads on far-right websites.

[billisonboard]

Jul 27, 2023 10:10:39 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:05:22 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I agree that such a comparison is absurd. At least zip is comparing Hunter to us ordinary people.

If Hunter is convicted of federal crimes, his dad can always pardon him.

One can always use Trump's pardons as a reason why. He pardoned all his partners in crime and pardoned his son-in-law's father.

PARDONS GRANTED BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (2017-2021)

I think comparing Joe Biden to Donald Trump equally absurd.

[billisonboard]

Jul 27, 2023 10:15:44 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:05:22 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I agree that such a comparison is absurd. At least zip is comparing Hunter to us ordinary people.

Is he? Is he really? We know some republicans in congress are wanting to expunge Trump's impeachments and are also comparing the justice system to Hunter and donald's legal issues.

Rip just echoes what he reads on far-right websites.

I would answer yes to your questions.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 27, 2023 10:20:27 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:10:39 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

If Hunter is convicted of federal crimes, his dad can always pardon him.

One can always use Trump's pardons as a reason why. He pardoned all his partners in crime and pardoned his son-in-law's father.

PARDONS GRANTED BY PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP (2017-2021)

I think comparing Joe Biden to Donald Trump equally absurd.

Why? At least both have held the same job.

But, but, Rip had no problem pardoning Joseph M. Arpaio, Dinesh D'Souza, George Papadopoulos, Roger Joseph Stone Jr., Paul J. Manafort, Charles Kushner, Glen Moss, Albert J. Pirro, Jr. and more.

Trump is also stating he would pardon many of the J6 rioters if reelected.

Now the early but commanding front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Trump regularly downplays the violence, lionizes the rioters as patriots and spreads false claims about who was involved. He has not only vowed to pardon a “large portion” of Jan. 6 defendants if he wins a second term, but he has also fundraised for them, befriended their families and collaborated on a song that became a surprise iTunes hit.

“They were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. ... And it was a beautiful day,” Trump said at a recent CNN town hall. When asked if he had any regrets about his actions that day, Trump voiced no remorse and instead seemed most concerned about the lack of attention paid to his crowd size.

Trump Once Condemned the Jan. 6 Rioters. Now He's Become One of Their Biggest Supporters

[billisonboard]

Jul 27, 2023 10:34:30 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 27, 2023 10:20:27 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

I think comparing Joe Biden to Donald Trump equally absurd.

Why? At least both have held the same job.

But, but, Rip had no problem pardoning Joseph M. Arpaio, Dinesh D'Souza, George Papadopoulos, Roger Joseph Stone Jr., Paul J. Manafort, Charles Kushner, Glen Moss, Albert J. Pirro, Jr. and more.

Trump is also stating he would pardon many of the J6 rioters if reelected.

Now the early but commanding front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Trump regularly downplays the violence, lionizes the rioters as patriots and spreads false claims about who was involved. He has not only vowed to pardon a “large portion” of Jan. 6 defendants if he wins a second term, but he has also fundraised for them, befriended their families and collaborated on a song that became a surprise iTunes hit.

“They were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. ... And it was a beautiful day,” Trump said at a recent CNN town hall. When asked if he had any regrets about his actions that day, Trump voiced no remorse and instead seemed most concerned about the lack of attention paid to his crowd size.

Trump Once Condemned the Jan. 6 Rioters. Now He's Become One of Their Biggest Supporters

Why? When I look at the life paths the two men have walked, I see vast differences. The fact that both paths lead to the White House I don't consider significant.

[billisonboard]

In the plea bargain concerning the gun charge, Hunter Biden was going to be placed in a diversion program with certain behavior expectations. If prosecutors felt he violated those expectations, they were to go back to the judge and she would say if what Biden had done justified ending the diversion and having the original offense charges be filed against him. Her reaction was,  "Wait a minute, I don't think that is a proper job for the judiciary. That is normally an executive branch decision. Go away and write me up the reason this would be a constitutional exercise of judicial power. You have a month. Once that question is cleared up we will come back to deal with the case before us." Sounds reasonable to me. 

All else is noise. 

[djAdvocate]

Jul 26, 2023 20:41:17 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Wow, ouch. Hunters sweetheart deal sure imploded today. Took both sides by surprise. I'm sure Hunter thought going into court that his plea deal was a slam dunk and a rubber stamp done deal. This is going to be really interesting to follow. 

there was a disagreement about the immunity portion.

Biden wants blanket immunity.  he RIGHTLY sees the fact that the GOP will never let go of him, and that ONLY if he has blanket immunity is he going to agree to plead guilty.  

personally, if i were him, i would take limited immunity and move to Canada.

edit: i think i would change my name, as well.  something cool like Mario Buttina, or Klaus Von Kibblesburg.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. .

for a first offense?  highly unlikely.  particularly in a plea deal.

you heard wrong.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

time for a visit to the Otolaryngologist.  followed by a visit to the Ornithologist.

[billisonboard]

Jul 27, 2023 13:44:54 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 26, 2023 20:41:17 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

Wow, ouch. Hunters sweetheart deal sure imploded today. Took both sides by surprise. I'm sure Hunter thought going into court that his plea deal was a slam dunk and a rubber stamp done deal. This is going to be really interesting to follow. 

there was a disagreement about the immunity portion.

Biden wants blanket immunity.  he RIGHTLY sees the fact that the GOP will never let go of him, and that ONLY if he has blanket immunity is he going to agree to plead guilty.  

personally, if i were him, i would take limited immunity and move to Canada.

From CNN article:

After negotiations, the president’s son then agreed to plead guilty to the two tax charges in a deal that only includes conduct related to tax offenses, drug use and gun possession. The two sides agreed that this deal does not shield him from potential future charges. link

So he did agree to pled guilty without blanket immunity.

[Tennesseer]

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

The double standard would be if trump doesn't get sent to a federal prison after today's additional indictments, then that is a double standard. The rest of of would do hard time.

[happyhoix]

Jul 27, 2023 20:07:31 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Jul 26, 2023 23:56:12 GMT -5 ripvanwinkle said:

From what I have heard is that this plea deal Hunter made didn't include any jail time or no further prosecution. Now if you or I were charged with what he was charged with, tax evasion and the gun charge, you or I would probably see some jail time. I'm sure there is many ordinary common folk sitting in jail for the same thing.

This smells like a double standard of justice to me. Preferential treatment by the IRS and DOJ. As the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Don't try to deflect it by saying it's a Merganser. It's still a duck.

The double standard would be if trump doesn't get sent to a federal prison after today's additional indictments, then that is a double standard. The rest of of would do hard time.

Yeah. There was a woman who was sometimes taking classified documents home to work on in the evening- I think she got 3 years. That’s what happens to regular people.

The astounding thing is about half the GOP voters don’t believe there ever were any documents at MAL, according to a poll I saw today. So the FBI staged the whole thing for the cameras?

Truely, it’s a cult.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 27, 2023 20:19:17 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Jul 27, 2023 20:07:31 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

The double standard would be if trump doesn't get sent to a federal prison after today's additional indictments, then that is a double standard. The rest of of would do hard time.

Yeah. There was a woman who was sometimes taking classified documents home to work on in the evening- I think she got 3 years. That’s what happens to regular people.

The astounding thing is about half the GOP voters don’t believe there ever were any documents at MAL, according to a poll I saw today. So the FBI staged the whole thing for the cameras?

Truely, it’s a cult.

they think that Trump can declassify them with his mind.
they are wrong.
but even if they were right, it doesn't matter.
he has no right to those documents, and no need for them.

"pretty cool huh?" he asks, like a fucking 13 year old.
he truly never grew up.

[happyhoix]

Jul 27, 2023 21:39:26 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 27, 2023 20:19:17 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

Yeah. There was a woman who was sometimes taking classified documents home to work on in the evening- I think she got 3 years. That’s what happens to regular people.

The astounding thing is about half the GOP voters don’t believe there ever were any documents at MAL, according to a poll I saw today. So the FBI staged the whole thing for the cameras?

Truely, it’s a cult.

they think that Trump can declassify them with his mind.
they are wrong.
but even if they were right, it doesn't matter.
he has no right to those documents, and no need for them.

"pretty cool huh?" he asks, like a fucking 13 year old.
he truly never grew up.

Exactly. Listening to that audio recording of Trump showing off his classified document was just like listening to a 9 year old gloatingly showing off a rare Pokémon card.

[Tennesseer]

Hopefully, Rip will read all 141 pages of the transcript and get back to us on it.

GOP releases Devon Archer transcript after lawmakers give conflicting accounts

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday released the transcript of a closed-door interview the panel conducted with Devon Archer, the former business associate of Hunter Biden whom Republicans view as a key witness in their investigation into the Biden family’s business dealings.

In the days between the interview and the release of the transcript, House members have offered conflicting interpretations of the testimony, with Republicans arguing it proved that President Biden “lied” when he said he had never spoken to his son about his foreign business dealings, and Democrats claiming the opposite and saying the testimony showed the president was not involved in his son’s business dealings.

Archer sat for a transcribed interview with the Oversight Committee for more than five hours on Monday. The transcript spans 141 pages, and is accompanied by 24 pages of documents discussed during the interview.

“Today, we are releasing the transcript from Devon Archer’s interview with our committee,” the House Oversight Committee wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Complete article here: GOP releases Devon Archer transcript after lawmakers give conflicting accounts