What crime did Hunter Biden commit, and to what extent is Joe Biden involved??

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Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
1,909
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Is it too much to ask that our politicians, their families and close associates not entangle themselves in the oligarchies that emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union?
 

Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
1,909
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If you actually read the story of what happened, Biden, in seeking to remove Shokin was putting his son at greater risk. Ukraine had closed their investigation and never suspected Hunter of wrongdoing. The US and Western allies wanted Shokin out because he wasn't actually investigating oligarchs like he was supposed to. Why, if Biden feared his son being caught up in a corruption case, would he seek to fire the prosecutor who was corruptly shutting down the investigations that might implicate him?
The only wrinkle is that John Kerry’s stepson apparently cautioned Hunter against Burisma. Maybe it was optics, but I can’t believe that any energy holdings company is entirely above board, and the son of a VP should perhaps pursue a career in something like a nonprofit.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
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The only wrinkle is that John Kerry’s stepson apparently cautioned Hunter against Burisma. Maybe it was optics, but I can’t believe that any energy holdings company is entirely above board, and the son of a VP should perhaps pursue a career in something like a nonprofit.

If you look at the timeline, you'll notice that the allegations against Burisma, whether true or not, related to two things. Issues having to do with how it was initially funded back in 2001, and the allegation that it's founder profited from corruption while serving as a cabinet minister under Yanukovych. Both of these occurred prior to Biden joining the company. Yeah, optics is pretty much what there is here.
 
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Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
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All of diplomacy is based on quid pro quo. Everything. For anything to happen both sides want something in exchange. It could be a treaty, a trade deal, a defense pact, money, weapons or merely assurances of support, but it's all "this for that".

Nonetheless, it is illegal for a political campaign to solicit anything of value from a foreign govt. Dirt on one's opponents is obviously a thing of value. Trump & Giuliani did just that, knowing it was illegal from the start.

Beyond that, the investigation into Burisma was about events that occurred long before Hunter Biden was appointed to the BOD. Specific charges as to his alleged wrongdoing have never been made. It's all the usual innuendo of right wing conspiracy theory mongering.
 

ewdotson

Golden Member
Oct 30, 2011
1,295
1,520
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If you look at the timeline, you'll notice that the allegations against Burisma, whether true or not, related to two things. Issues having to do with how it was initially funded back in 2001, and the allegation that it's founder profited from corruption while serving as a cabinet minister under Yanukovych. Both of these occurred prior to Biden joining the company. Yeah, optics is pretty what there is here.
Which, in fairness, is a totally valid concern! (Optics, that is.) I certainly don't have a problem with the idea that it's a crappy look or even that it's entirely likely that Burisma was trying to buy access/favor by hiring Hunter. It's something of a time-honored tradition for family members of high-ranking politicians to leverage their relations like that, but that's a pretty lousy thing no matter what the party of those politicians might be.

But it's important to not let the GOP conflate that with supposed malfeasance by Joe Biden.
 

interchange

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,015
2,845
136
The only wrinkle is that John Kerry’s stepson apparently cautioned Hunter against Burisma. Maybe it was optics, but I can’t believe that any energy holdings company is entirely above board, and the son of a VP should perhaps pursue a career in something like a nonprofit.

I don't know if that's a wrinkle. Hunter has made a lot of bad decisions and likely profited from his dad's position here. The point is Dad didn't do anything to protect him. If there was anything actually improper by Hunter Biden apart from just being unwise or unethical, then Joe Biden's action to remove the prosecutor protecting the company he worked for was exposing Hunter to more risk.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,681
136
Is it too much to ask that our politicians, their families and close associates not entangle themselves in the oligarchies that emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union?

Is that in reference to Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Papadopoulos & the Trump tower meeting? Trump's expressed desire to become a Moscow real estate developer? Don Jr's admission that they had a lot of Russian investors?
 
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dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
35,203
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Is it too much to ask that our politicians, their families and close associates not entangle themselves in the oligarchies that emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union?
Yes, you tell your kids not to do something they want to do once they are adults and let us know how that works out for you. Also, let us know how many parents you hold responsible for the actions of their adult children. I am guessing that standard only applies to Democrats.
 

woolfe9998

Lifer
Apr 8, 2013
16,188
14,090
136
Which, in fairness, is a totally valid concern! (Optics, that is.) I certainly don't have a problem with the idea that it's a crappy look or even that it's entirely likely that Burisma was trying to buy access/favor by hiring Hunter. It's something of a time-honored tradition for family members of high-ranking politicians to leverage their relations like that, but that's a pretty lousy thing no matter what the party of those politicians might be.

But it's important to not let the GOP conflate that with supposed malfeasance by Joe Biden.

Yes, optics weren't great. But let's be clear: there has never been even an allegation of any specific corruption on the part of Hunter Biden. The republicans are saying, "He's corrupt. Therefore, he needs to be investigated." That is all.
 
Jul 9, 2009
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Yes, you tell your kids not to do something they want to do once they are adults and let us know how that works out for you. Also, let us know how many parents you hold responsible for the actions of their adult children. I am guessing that standard only applies to Democrats.
You mean like Biden flying his son to China on Air Force 2? You know to show the Chinese that he supports his son 100% and make sure you pay him $$$MILLIONS$$$$$$$ or it'll turn out bad for you?
 

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
35,203
28,218
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Which is, as you know, fucking bullshit. There's different stories out there and you've made 0% case that yours is the accurate one. It's what you want it to be, desperately NEED it to be, but it probably isn't true.
No, I don't know that. What I do know is that the facts outlined in the OP directly contradict the WH version that you claim to be just as legitimate as the version supported by all the facts. The only desperation I see is the person blocking out inconvenient facts.
 
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dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
35,203
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You mean like Biden flying his son to China on Air Force 2? You know to show the Chinese that he supports his son 100% and make sure you pay him $$$MILLIONS$$$$$$$ or it'll turn out bad for you?
How much of this post is supported by fact and how much is speculation? You should be careful because Trump has now said that inaccurate summaries constitute treason, even if you make it known up front that you are summarizing, which you didn't even do here.
 

senseamp

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,785
6,187
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The only crime Hunter Biden "committed" is being son of Donald Trump's potential election opponent.
Unless you believe Trump really cares about corruption in Ukraine.
 

Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
1,909
126
I don't know if that's a wrinkle. Hunter has made a lot of bad decisions and likely profited from his dad's position here. The point is Dad didn't do anything to protect him. If there was anything actually improper by Hunter Biden apart from just being unwise or unethical, then Joe Biden's action to remove the prosecutor protecting the company he worked for was exposing Hunter to more risk.
Yes, but you also can’t argue that Hunter Biden is largely in a position to make such bad decisions because of who is father is.
 

Starbuck1975

Lifer
Jan 6, 2005
14,698
1,909
126
Is that in reference to Manafort, Gates, Flynn, Papadopoulos & the Trump tower meeting? Trump's expressed desire to become a Moscow real estate developer? Don Jr's admission that they had a lot of Russian investors?
Yes, amongst others.
 

senseamp

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,785
6,187
126
Doing business in Ukraine is not a crime. It's our ally now against Russia, unlike our own President.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,327
6,040
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I don't know if that's a wrinkle. Hunter has made a lot of bad decisions and likely profited from his dad's position here. The point is Dad didn't do anything to protect him. If there was anything actually improper by Hunter Biden apart from just being unwise or unethical, then Joe Biden's action to remove the prosecutor protecting the company he worked for was exposing Hunter to more risk.
That's just Biden playing three dimensional chess on a Republican checker board. He knew the moment his son took a job of any kind of job the Republicans would link him and his son to some kind of corruption. He could have worked in a peanut factory and Jimmy Carter would also have been drawn into some grand scheme to take over the world using peanut gas. Republicans have a need to see Democrats as evil, as you pointed out elsewhere because they have a mental illness called gut sure certainty. They know they are right, that they do the work of God, The Good, and every manner of ultimate Truth, because they must not feel the deep humiliation and shaming they endured to make them hate being made to feel they might be the spawn of the devil. Always, the moralistic, the Bible Banger, the virtue signaler, are driven by those kinds of suppressed feelings. It's the worlds most common insanity.

We have within us a source of righteous rage, natural and spontaneous, and all one needs to do to control people is to turn it inward where it will be projected. Poor taj can't see the conundrum you posed to him any more than he can punch his way our of the invisible prison he's in. There is one north star and that is honesty above all else as one's inner touch stone and that is usually the first thing our conditioning will destroy. He says he's willing to wait and see instead.

Love you taj. Had you not become expert at lying to yourself as a child you wouldn't have survived. But everything you fear has already happened and the only fear there is to fear now is fear itself. It hurts to wake up, but it's only the hurt of remembering old hurt all over again. There is a bottom to that and then........ The man who showed me these things, he used to just grin, look you in the eye, and nod his head. It sort of sounded to me like, YES TO LOVE!
 
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dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,572
3,401
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His son not being tossed in jail is a pretty huge personal benefit.

They were trying to get a new prosecutor because the old one was sitting on the case against the head of the company. Not to cover up anything Biden's kid was doing. But you knew that.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,327
6,040
126
The only wrinkle is that John Kerry’s stepson apparently cautioned Hunter against Burisma. Maybe it was optics, but I can’t believe that any energy holdings company is entirely above board, and the son of a VP should perhaps pursue a career in something like a nonprofit.
Isn't the reason you can't say it is because you are not above it yourself? You know that virtue is it's own reward corrupted by those who don't like that fact with, virtue is it's only reward. Ah, but you see, what a reward that is. There are two kinds of virtue, the fear of doing wrong which can always fail when tempted, and the love of goodness which can't be corrupted because love and consciousness go hand in hand, where the lover and the beloved are one. Something to consider should it rain one day. In the dark it is nice to have been told that everything you ever dreamed of is real.
 
Feb 4, 2009
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OK

"Viktor Shokin, the ousted Ukrainian prosecutor whose name has surfaced in the wake of President Donald Trump’s controversial call with the Ukrainian president, claimed in an affidavit that he was forced out of office because he was leading a “wide-ranging corruption probe” into a company on whose board of directors Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, sat.

However, there are two very polarized narratives around the ouster of Shokin; there’s the above narrative, which is the one favored by Trump and his supporters as House Democrats push for impeachment proceedings. However, others say this narrative runs counter to the fact that Shokin was pushed out, after Joe Biden’s admitted pressure, because Shokin was perceived as soft on corruption and reluctant to probe Burisma, the company on whose board Hunter Biden was sitting."

See, a little of both.

Again I’ll accept this at face value and assume there is some truth to it.
How does this relate to the Presidents Children and Son in Law doing international business and for that matter the President doing international business?
What standard should be applied to them?
 
Jul 9, 2009
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...........................
Love you taj. Had you not become expert at lying to yourself as a child you wouldn't have survived. But everything you fear has already happened and the only fear there is to fear now is fear itself. It hurts to wake up, but it's only the hurt of remembering old hurt all over again. There is a bottom to that and then........ The man who showed me these things, he used to just grin, look you in the eye, and nod his head. It sort of sounded to me like, YES TO LOVE!
I love you too Moonie, but i always have to call them as I see them. I always have to stand for truth, justice and the American way and support the Constitution of the United States of America, but it doesn't make me love you or other Americans any less.
 
Feb 4, 2009
34,506
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The only wrinkle is that John Kerry’s stepson apparently cautioned Hunter against Burisma. Maybe it was optics, but I can’t believe that any energy holdings company is entirely above board, and the son of a VP should perhaps pursue a career in something like a nonprofit.

What are the Sons (Daughter) of the President doing now?

I’ll give you a pass on Tiffany, she’s living what appears to be the smart life to live as a child from wealth.