On Wednesday, Hunter Biden said, “I learned yesterday for the first time that the US Attorney’s Office in Delaware informed my legal adviser yesterday that they are investigating my tax affairs.” “I take this matter very seriously, but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will prove that I have handled my matters lawfully and appropriately, including the benefit of professional tax advisors.”
Republicans – led by President Donald Trump – were quick to argue that the investigation, which has been said to have been ongoing since 2018, was positive evidence that Hunter Biden should have been a bigger problem in the just-concluded 2020 campaign.
Setting aside, the question is worth asking: How many problems can Hunter Biden actually face?
The short answer is that we simply don’t know yet. The reason is, at least in part, because it is very difficult to distinguish a spindle from facts. (It should be noted that Joe Biden is not in any way involved in the investigation.)
What we have been Beow Is that Hunter Biden had dealings with Chinese companies during and after his father held the vice presidency. Considered:
What we are too I know Is that in 2019, the FBI confiscated a laptop computer that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden and allegedly contained commercial documents and other personal materials.
Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani directed this information to the media in the final days of the 2020 presidential race, insisting – again, without any evidence – that the laptop was evidence of Hunter Biden’s suspicious dealings with China, among other countries.
“Trump’s attorney’s involvement in news stories posted on the alleged Biden handheld device has led to a flurry of activity by Republican lawmakers and the Trump campaign looking to amplify corruption allegations before the election. The FBI met with a former business partner of Hunter Biden who made public allegations of potential wrongdoing. The FBI issued a statement at the time saying, “As a public matter of communication, the FBI is reviewing information from the public to look for any violations of applicable federal laws.”
So what can we infer based on those facts?
Well, first and most obvious, it’s never a good thing to be the subject of a federal investigation. Like, please Not Being under federal investigation – all other things being equal. (For those who believe they see the hidden hand of Attorney General – and Trump advisor – Bill Barr in this, the investigation reportedly predates Barr’s time as the nation’s police chief.)
And we know – and we knew – he was a bad appearance for Hunter Biden on foreign corporate boards (Hunter was also on the board of directors for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company) while his father was vice president. President of the United States.
“I have never done anything wrong,” said Hunter Biden. “However, was it a bad judgment to be in the middle of something – it’s a swamp, in many ways? Yes. Did I do anything inappropriate? No, not in any way. Not in any way.” Later in the interview, he added this: “You know what? I’m a human. And you know what, did I get it wrong? Well, maybe in the grand scheme of things, yeah. But did I make a mistake based on some unethical lapse? Absolutely not.”
This is the point of all this. While it might be wrong from a perception standpoint for Hunter Biden to sit on foreign boards, it is No It means that no laws have been broken. What is considered guilty in court of public opinion often makes you laugh out of court.
This is where we are. The investigation is underway. We need to wait to see what appears – if anything. Only then will we definitely be able to ascertain how much of a problem Hunter Biden actually faces.
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