politics

Despite what Biden may try and spin this as, this is not just about the (aggressively politicized and pursued) 4473 ‘unlawful user’ perjury charge - otherwise why include the years prior to that act?

President Joe Biden’s son is charged with lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a form to buy a gun that he kept for about 11 days in Delaware

Because Biden pardoned him from 2014 to present, it also includes the known tax evasion and FARA illicit lobbying concerns.

The Justice Department on Tuesday [June 18th 2023] said the investigation into Hunter Biden was “ongoing” even as it announced terms of a plea agreement [for gun and tax charges]

DoJ felt that there was more to investigate even if the tax and gun charges were covered in a plea deal. Read: there’s something there regarding Hunter’s lobbying efforts - and from internal Burisma emails he knew about the law and FARA concerns.

In the same April 2014 email, Hunter Biden indicated that Burisma’s officials “need to know in no uncertain terms that we will not and cannot intervene directly with domestic policymakers, and that we need to abide by FARA and any other U.S. laws in the strictest sense across the board.”

Biden is right that most 4473 charges would never get this far - what he’s cynically not pointing out (from the bully pulpit, lame duck or not) is the context of why prosecutors drop gun charges in plea deals or pursue maximal charges at trial, or the wider criminal case against his son.

So glad Biden is so concerned about following the law that protecting vulnerable people with his newly granted immunity is something he would never consider doing.

Sure wish anyfuckingbody with power cared about helping THE ACTUAL COUNTRY WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME

Oh right, Republicans went after his family and he still picked Garland as his AG.

It would have been nice if he could have used his presidential powers

to prevent the genocide...

Nice. Hopefully Biden keeps doing more good shit in his remaining few weeks while the MAGAt snowflakes are triggered and distracted by Hunter's dick again.

Biden knows they will come after himself but he's too old so they will slam the hammer on his son with the maximum force they can get out of it, this is a good way to thwart that political attack.

Also, someone should remind Trump that he handled firearms after he was convicted of a felony and was not prosecuted for that ...

Though I don't think the importance of that fact will dawn on Trump, he never felt rules applied to him.

If the republicans don’t like this, the democrats will happily support a supermajority legislature vote that starts limiting executive power.

Good decision. Trump and his gang promised all kinds of revenge. They don't play by the rules. So it makes sense to do whatever for your last son.

ITT: people who ignored the persecution Hunter has faced and are judging this on only an extremely shallow level

didn't we, i of course mean the people who showed up, vote for this very kind of behaviour in the last presidential election? what's sauce for the goose...

I think he's concerned Trumps DOJ is going to come after them. Still super shady. But that'd be my guess as to why he did it, beyond the whole, he's my kid thing.

I'm not an American, and as such I don't think it's my thing to speak on so do not take this as an instructive comment, but I will reflect on it anyway. I believe that this was, on balance, a bad decision even if I understand it and can find good, honest reasons for Biden to do it. In the end, the POTUS has this power and is free to use it as the president wishes. I hope it will lead to something positive.

The fact that Trump has said that he might pardon Hunter and now is complaining about the fact that Biden did it himself shows once again how everything said by Donald is a convenient temporary truth. Even if this puts the light on Biden also being problematic with this behavior.

edit: a word