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Bidin' Time
Author: BobR
Date: 07/26/2023 12:40:47
Unless you've been living under a rock, the phrase "Hunter Biden's laptop" is practically all you ever hear coming from any Republican's lips (as well as the Republican Propaganda Channel, aka FOX "News"). What does it mean? It doesn't matter. It's right-wing shorthand for "we know President Biden is guilty of something by association". It's the McGuffin of RW politics - it drives their narrative, without actually being anything of actual importance.
The window of opportunity for the Repumplestiltskins to spin gold from this pile of straw is quickly closing, however, so they are grasping at whatever they can. Over the last few days, it's the plea deal Hunter Biden's lawyers negotiated over his tax case. Naturally, the Republicans are furious, because A ), they need video of Hunter Biden going to jail, and B ), it removes the story from the public eye far enough ahead of campaign season that they know voters won't care anymore (news flash: only hard-core TFG supporters care, and they're already in the tank for the Republican nominee for president in 2024).
So what are they doing? They're trying to interfere with the court proceedings:
(bold-face mine)
The brief filed by Rep Smith contained personal tax information for Hunter Biden, who is NOT a politician running for office. The Biden team successfully got that sealed. The bigger issue is the legal concept of "standing", in that neither Congress nor the Heritage Foundation have any standing in the case, so their briefs are moot. It will be up to the judge to determine that.
There was some confusion on how the sealing of Smith's brief was requested, but that's a case of she-said/she-said. It shouldn't cause any problems with the finalization of Hunter Biden's plea deal today.
Keep an eye on the news today - it could get interesting.
The window of opportunity for the Repumplestiltskins to spin gold from this pile of straw is quickly closing, however, so they are grasping at whatever they can. Over the last few days, it's the plea deal Hunter Biden's lawyers negotiated over his tax case. Naturally, the Republicans are furious, because A ), they need video of Hunter Biden going to jail, and B ), it removes the story from the public eye far enough ahead of campaign season that they know voters won't care anymore (news flash: only hard-core TFG supporters care, and they're already in the tank for the Republican nominee for president in 2024).
So what are they doing? They're trying to interfere with the court proceedings:
On the eve of Hunter Biden’s court appearance to enter into a plea deal for misdemeanor tax crimes that would allow him to avoid prison time, House Republicans and conservative groups sought to intervene in the case, urging a judge to throw out the agreement he reached with prosecutors.
The highly unusual legal maneuvering — which experts said was unlikely to succeed — illustrated the lengths that House Republicans and their allied groups have been willing to go to as they have tried to use Mr. Biden’s legal and personal troubles to inflict political damage on his father, President Biden.
Representative Jason Smith of Missouri, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, filed a brief in Federal District Court in Wilmington, Del., where Hunter Biden’s plea deal is to be considered by a judge on Wednesday.
The committee has heard testimony from two Internal Revenue Service investigators who claim to be whistle-blowers and have told the panel that the younger Mr. Biden received preferential treatment from the Justice Department. Mr. Smith’s brief asked the judge to consider the testimony in deciding whether to approve the agreement.
Another brief was filed by the Heritage Foundation, the conservative research group, which has started an operation dedicated to aiding the Republican investigations into President Biden.
The brief filed by Rep Smith contained personal tax information for Hunter Biden, who is NOT a politician running for office. The Biden team successfully got that sealed. The bigger issue is the legal concept of "standing", in that neither Congress nor the Heritage Foundation have any standing in the case, so their briefs are moot. It will be up to the judge to determine that.
There was some confusion on how the sealing of Smith's brief was requested, but that's a case of she-said/she-said. It shouldn't cause any problems with the finalization of Hunter Biden's plea deal today.
Keep an eye on the news today - it could get interesting.
Comments:
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Comment by 
Raine on 07/26/2023 13:34:50
Raine on 07/26/2023 13:34:50
He's due in court this morning and if I recall == the judge in the case is willing to appear before congress on this issue.
Another interesting thing that broke this morning...
Rudy Giuliani concedes he made 'false' statements about Georgia election workers
Another interesting thing that broke this morning...
Rudy Giuliani concedes he made 'false' statements about Georgia election workers
Rudy Giuliani conceded that he made “false” statements about two Georgia 2020 election workers in a court filing Tuesday related to their lawsuit about baseless claims of fraud that he made against them.
“Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of litigation only, does not contest that, to the extent the statements were statements of fact and other wise actionable, such actionable factual statements were false,” Giuliani wrote in a signed stipulation that he said was intended to “avoid unnecessary expenses in litigating what he believes to be unnecessary disputes.”
Comment by Raine on 07/26/2023 14:02:27
Raine on 07/26/2023 14:02:27
Quote by Raine:
He's due in court this morning and if I recall == the judge in the case is willing to appear before congress on this issue.
Another interesting thing that broke this morning...
Rudy Giuliani concedes he made 'false' statements about Georgia election workersRudy Giuliani conceded that he made “false” statements about two Georgia 2020 election workers in a court filing Tuesday related to their lawsuit about baseless claims of fraud that he made against them.
“Defendant Giuliani, for the purposes of litigation only, does not contest that, to the extent the statements were statements of fact and other wise actionable, such actionable factual statements were false,” Giuliani wrote in a signed stipulation that he said was intended to “avoid unnecessary expenses in litigating what he believes to be unnecessary disputes.”
3) USA David Weiss, the Trump-appointed prosecutor in Delaware left in place by President Biden so as not to interfere in the investigation of his son, has agreed to testify to the House Judiciary Committee – but not until this fall, after the Hunter Biden case is over.
— David Kurtz (@TPM_dk) July 26, 2023
Comment by Will_in_Ca on 07/26/2023 16:19:25
Good morning, bloggers!!!!
I hope that everyone is doing well. Meanwhile, it seems like the Hunter Biden plea deal is falling apart. .
I hope that everyone is doing well. Meanwhile, it seems like the Hunter Biden plea deal is falling apart. .
Comment by 
BobR on 07/26/2023 16:33:41
Story updated... Looks like it's been revised, and is once again moving forward.
BobR on 07/26/2023 16:33:41
Quote by Will_in_Ca:
Good morning, bloggers!!!!
I hope that everyone is doing well. Meanwhile, it seems like the Hunter Biden plea deal is falling apart. .
Story updated... Looks like it's been revised, and is once again moving forward.
Comment by Raine on 07/26/2023 17:45:03
Raine on 07/26/2023 17:45:03
What a fustercluck this hearing has become.