The "Middle East and Terrorism" Blog was created in order to supply information about the implication of Arab countries and Iran in terrorism all over the world. Most of the articles in the blog are the result of objective scientific research or articles written by senior journalists.
From the Ethics of the Fathers: "He [Rabbi Tarfon] used to say, it is not incumbent upon you to complete the task, but you are not exempt from undertaking it."
Sen. Charles Grassley releases long-sought FBI confidential informant report alleging bribery scheme
A
trusted FBI informant told agents in 2020 that Hunter Biden was hired
by Burisma Holdings to use his father to help "protect" the Ukrainian
gas firm from problems, including an effort to "take care of'" a
Ukrainian prosecutor who was investigating the company for corruption,
according to an explosive document released by Sen. Charles Grassley on
Thursday.
"They hired Hunter Biden to protect us, through his dad, from all
kinds of problems," the informant reported to the FBI that a top Burisma
official named Vadim Pojarskii declared during a meeting while Joe
Biden was still vice president, according to the FD-1023 confidential
human source report Grassley, R-Iowa, released.
The informant also reported that Burisma had asked Hunter Biden to
help get the top prosecutor in Ukraine, Victor Shokin, sidelined because
he was investigating the firm for corruption and interfering with
Burisma's effort to buy a U.S. firm.
"Shokin's investigation into Burisma, which was made public at this
time, it would have a substantial negative impact on Burisma's
prospective IPO in the United States," the report alleged. "Zlochevsky
replied something to the effect of, 'Don't worry Hunter will take care
of all of those issues through his dad.'"
The report reveals that the informant began reporting these concerns back in 2017.
Joe Biden has admitted he forced Shokin's firing in late 2015 and
early 2016 by threatening to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees
from Ukraine. The prosecutor was fired, but Biden has adamantly denied
he did so to help his son's company.
The memo clearly states Burisma owner, Mykola Zlochevsky, told the
informant he had been "coerced" into paying the Biden's money and
estimated the price tag to be $10 million.
"Zlochevsky stated he didn't want to pay the Bidens and he was pushed to pay them," the report stated.
The owner added it "cost 5 (million) to pay one Biden, and 5
(million) to another Biden," the informant reported, adding that "at
this time, it was unclear to CHS whether these alleged payments were
already made."
The informant also revealed that Burisma officials had become frustrated by Hunter Biden's performance.
"Pojarskii replied that Hunter Biden was not smart, and they wanted
to get additional counsel," the FBI reported. "The group then had a
general conversation about whether the purchase/merger with a US company
would be a good business decision."
The FD-1023 form was released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley
Joe Biden and Hunter Biden allegedly "coerced" Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky to pay them millions of dollars in
exchange for their help in getting the Ukrainian prosecutor
investigating the company fired, according to allegations contained in
an unclassified FBI document released Thursday by Sen. Chuck Grassley,
R-Iowa.
Grassley said he released the document, which describes an alleged criminal bribery scheme
involving then-Vice President Biden and a Ukrainian business executive,
so that the American people can "read this document for themselves
without the filter of politicians or bureaucrats."
President Biden has snapped at reporters who have asked him about alleged corruption involving him and his son, Hunter Biden.(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The
document in question is an FBI-generated FD-1023 form, which Grassley
acquired via legally protected disclosures by Justice Department
whistleblowers, according to the senator's office.
That FD-1023 — a confidential human source (CHS) reporting document — reflects the FBI's interview with a "highly credible"
confidential source who detailed multiple meetings and conversations he
or she had with a top executive of Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma
Holdings over the course of several years starting in 2015. Hunter
Biden, at the time, sat on the board of Burisma.
Sen.
Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wants Americans to "read this document for
themselves without the filter of politicians or bureaucrats."(Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fox
News Digital has reviewed the document, which includes new information,
including the identity of the business executive — Burisma CEO
Zlochevsky — and the allegations
that he was "coerced" into paying Joe Biden and Hunter Biden millions
of dollars to get a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating his firm fired.
In
the form, Zlochevsky tells the source he has "many text messages and
‘recordings’ that show he was coerced to make such payments" to the
Bidens.
Biden
has acknowledged that when he was vice president, he successfully
pressured Ukraine to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin. At the time, Shokin
was investigating Burisma Holdings, and at the time, Hunter had a highly
lucrative role on the board receiving thousands of dollars per month.
The then-vice president threatened to withhold $1 billion of critical
U.S. aid if Shokin was not fired.
Biden allies maintain the
then-vice president pushed for Shokin's firing due to concerns the
Ukrainian prosecutor went easy on corruption, and say that his firing,
at the time, was the policy position of the U.S. and international
community.
The unclassified document is dated June 30, 2020, and says the contact with the source was "telephonic."
The
source reported to the FBI that "in late 2015 or 2016, during the
Obama/Biden Administration, CHS was first introduced to officials at
Ukraine natural gas business Burisma Holdings through [redacted]
Oleksandr Ostapenko." The form reflects that there is an additional
FD-1023 detailing information brought by the source dated Jan. 2, 2018.
"CHS
and Ostapenko traveled to Ukraine and went to Burisma’s office…the
purpose of the meeting was to discuss Burisma’s interest in purchasing a
US-based oil and gas business, for purposes of merging it with Burisma
for purposes of conducting an IPO in the US," the form states. "Burisma
was willing to purchase a US-based entity for $20-$30 million."
The
form states that the CHS attended that meeting, as well as Burisma’s
CFO Vadim Pojarski and Karina Zlochevsky, the daughter of CEO and
founder Mykola Zlochevsky.
Hunter Biden, left, and Mykola Zlochevsky(Getty Images)
Fox
News Digital has previously reported that Hunter Biden and his business
associates had much contact with Pojarskii [Pozharsky] about his role
on the board of the company.
"During the meeting Pojarskii asked
CHS whether CHS was aware of Burisma’s Board of Directors. CHS replied
‘no,’ and Pojarski advised the board members included: 1) the former
president or prime minister of Poland; and 2) Joe Biden’s son, Hunter
Biden.
"Pojarskii said Burisma hired the former president or prime
minister of Poland to leverage his contacts in Europe for prospective
oil and gas deals," the form states.
Burisma said they "hired Hunter Biden ‘to protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems.’"
The
source asked why Burisma needed his assistance regarding the merger of
the U.S.-based company when Biden was on their board, to which Pojarskii
replied: "Hunter Biden was not smart, and they wanted to get additional
counsel."
The
form jumps to a meeting the source detailed that took place two months
later. The source met with Mykola Zlochevsky in Vienna, Austria, outside
a coffee shop, along with Ostapenko.
"CHS recalled this meeting
took place around the time Joe Biden made a public statement about
(former) Ukraine Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin being corrupt, and
that he should be fired/removed from office," the form states. "CHS told
Zlochevsky that due to Shokin’s investigation into Burisma, which was
made public at this time, it would have a substantial negative impact on
Burisma’s prospective IPO in the United States."
"Zlochevsky
replied something to the effect of, ‘Don’t worry Hunter will take care
of those issues through his dad," the form states, adding that the
source "did not ask any further questions about what that specifically
meant."
Hunter Biden arrives at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2023.(Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Zlochevsky
went on to say, "Hunter Biden advised Burisma it could raise much more
capital if Burisma purchased a larger US-based business that already had
a history in the US oil and gas sector." The source said Zlochevsky
mentioned a business in Texas.
"CHS
advised Zlochevsky it would be problematic to raise capital in the US
given Shokin’s investigation into Burisma as nobody in the US would
invest in a company that was the subject of a criminal investigation,"
the form states.
"CHS
suggested it would be best if Burisma simply litigate the matter in
Ukraine, and pay some attorney $50,000," the form states, but Zlochevsky
said Burisma "would likely lose the trial because he could not show
that Burisma was innocent."
"Zlochevsky also laughed at CHS’s
number of $50,000 (not because of the small amounts but because the
number contained a ‘5’) and said that ‘it costs 5 (million) to pay one
Biden, and 5 (million) to another Biden."
"CHS noted that at this time, it was unclear to CHS whether these alleged payments were already made," the form states.
World Food Program USA Board Chairman Hunter Biden and Vice President Joe Biden.(Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA)
But
the form states that the source told Zlochevsky that "any such payments
to the Bidens would complicate matters, and Burisma should hire ‘some
normal US oil and gas advisors’ because the Bidens have no experience
with the business sector."
"Zlochevsky made some comment that
although Hunter Biden ‘was stupid, and his [Zlochevsky’s] dog was
smarter,’ Zlochevsky needed to keep Hunter Biden [on the board] ‘so
everything will be okay,’" the form states.
The source went on to ask "whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he should retain Hunter."
"Zlochevsky replied: ‘They both did.’"
The
source retired that this was a "mistake," and that Zlochevsky "should
fire Hunter Biden and deal with Shokin’s investigation directly so that
the matter" stayed an issue in Ukraine and so that it did not "turn into
some international matter," to which Zlochevsky stressed not to worry
and "this thing will go away anyway."
"CHS replied that,
notwithstanding Shokin’s investigation, it was still a bad decision for
Burisma to spend $20-30 million to buy a US business, and that CHS
didn’t want to be involved with the Biden matter," the form states.
President Biden and his son Hunter Biden.(Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)
"Zlochevsky responded that he appreciated CHS’s advice, but that ‘it’s too late to change his decision.’"
"CHS understood this to mean that Zlochevsky had already paid the Bidens, presumably to ‘deal with Shokin,’" the form states.
"It
is remarkable that congressional Republicans, in their eagerness to go
after President Biden regardless of the truth, continue to push claims
that have been debunked for years and that they themselves have
cautioned to take ‘with a grain of salt’ because they could be ‘made
up,’" said White House spokesman Ian Sams. "These claims have reportedly
been scrutinized by the Trump Justice Department, a Trump-appointed
U.S. Attorney, and a full impeachment trial of the former President that
centered on these very issues, and over and over again, they have been
found to lack credibility. It’s clear that congressional Republicans are
dead-set on playing shameless, dishonest politics and refuse to let
truth get in the way. It is well past time for news organizations to
hold them to basic levels of factual accountability for their repeated
and increasingly desperate efforts to mislead both the public and the
press."
The FBI said in a statement that the release of the 1023 risked the safety of a confidential source:
"Throughout
the FBI’s engagements with Congress, we have been guided by our
obligation to protect the physical safety of confidential human sources
and the integrity of sensitive investigations. We have repeatedly
explained to Congress, in correspondence and in briefings, how critical
it is to keep this source information confidential. In the face of these
significant concerns, the FBI negotiated a resolution with Chairman
Comer to provide the information requested in a manner that protects the
safety of confidential sources and integrity of investigations."
Meanwhile,
the form jumps to a "2016/2017 telephone call" the source had with
Zlochevsky after the 2016 presidential election. Zlochevsky said he was
"not happy Trump won the election."
"CHS asked Zlochevsky whether
he was concerned about Burisma’s involvement with the Bidens," the form
states. "Zlochevsky stated he didn't want to pay the Bidens and he was
‘pushed to pay’ them."
The source explained to the FBI agent
taking notes of his conversation that the Russian term Zlochevsky used
to explain the payments was "poluchili." The form states that "literally
translates to; 'got it’ or ‘received it’ but is also used in "Russian
criminal slang for being ‘forced or coerced to pay.’"
At
this point, Shokin had already been fired. Zlochevsky said "nobody
would find out about his financial dealings with the Bidens."
"CHS
then stated, ‘I hope you have some back-up (proof) for your words
(namely, that Zlochevsky was ‘forced’ to pay the Bidens)."
"Zlochevsky
replied he has many text messages and ‘recordings’ that show that he
was coerced to make such payments," the form states. "CHS told
Zlochevsky he should make certain that he should retain those
recordings."
The form then jumps to a 2019 telephone call between
the source and Ostapenko, in which they discussed "various business
matters" unrelated to Burisma.
"During the call, Zlochevsky asked
CHS and/or Ostapenko if they read the recent news reports about the
investigations into the Bidens and Burisma, and Zlochevsky jokingly
asked if the CHS was an ‘oracle’ (due to CHS’s prior advice that
Zlochevsky should not pay the Bidens and instead to hire an attorney to
litigate the allegations concerning Shokin’s investigation)," the form
states.
"CHS mentioned Zlochevsky might have difficulty explaining
suspicious wire transfers that may evidence any (illicit) payments to
the Bidens," the form states. "Zlochevsky responded he did not send any
funds directly to the ‘Big Guy’ (which CHS understood was a reference to
Joe Biden)."
President Biden and Hunter Biden.(Getty Images)
The
form says CHS asked Zlochevsky how many companies and bank accounts he
controlled, to which he responded it would "take them (investigators) 10
years to find the records (i.e. illicit payments to Joe Biden)."
While
the source detailed the conversations with Zlochevsky, he also told the
FBI that "it is very common for business men in post-Soviet countries
to brag or show-off" and said it is "extremely common for businesses in
Russia and Ukraine to make ‘bribe’ payments to various government
officials."
As
for recordings and text messages of conversations with the Bidens, the
source said that Zlochevsky said he had "a total of 17 recordings"
involving the Bidens; "two of the recordings included Joe Biden, and the
remaining 15 recordings only included Hunter Biden."
The source said those recordings "evidence Zlochevsky was somehow coerced into paying the Bidens to ensure" Shokin was fired.
The
source said Zlochevsky also had "two documents (which CHS understood to
be wire transfer statements, bank records, etc.), that evidence some
payment(s) to the Bidens were made, presumably in exchange for Shokin’s
firing."
"For the better part of a year, I’ve been pushing the
Justice Department and FBI to provide details on its handling of very
significant allegations from a trusted FBI informant implicating
then-Vice President Biden in a criminal bribery scheme," Grassley said.
"While the FBI sought to obfuscate and redact, the American people can
now read this document for themselves, without the filter of politicians
or bureaucrats, thanks to brave and heroic whistleblowers. What did the
Justice Department and FBI do with the detailed information in the
document? And why have they tried to conceal it from Congress and the
American people for so long?"
Grassley added: "The Justice Department and FBI have failed to come clean, but Chairman Comer and I intend to find out."
Comer
subpoenaed the FBI to turn over the unredacted document to Congress.
The FBI did not comply, but instead, made accommodations to allow
lawmakers to review the document in a secure setting last month.
"The
FBI’s Biden Bribery Record tracks closely with the evidence uncovered
by the Oversight Committee’s Biden family influence peddling
investigation," House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman
James Comer said. "In the FBI’s record, the Burisma executive claims
that he didn’t pay the ‘big guy’ directly but that he used several bank
accounts to conceal the money. That sounds an awful lot like how the
Bidens conduct business: using multiple bank accounts to hide the source
and total amount of the money."
Rep.
James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability
Committee, speaks during a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 8, 2023.(Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Comer
added: "At our hearing with IRS whistleblowers, they testified that
they had never seen or heard of this record during the Biden criminal
investigation, despite having potentially corroborating evidence. Given
the misconduct and politicization at the Department of Justice, the
American people must be able to read this record for themselves. I thank
Senator Grassley for providing much needed transparency to the American
people."
Brooke Singman is a Fox News Digital politics reporter. You can reach her at Brooke.Singman@Fox.com or @BrookeSingman on Twitter.
"Don't worry Hunter will take care of all of those Issues through his dad."
Senator Chuck Grassley has gotten and released the FD-1023,
the confidential FBI document by a confidential informant alleging
Biden misconduct in Ukraine, through whistleblowers, and it reveals some
interesting things and fills in some missing pieces.
First, why did Burisma want Hunter Biden on its board? The Ukrainian company was looking to make inroads into the U.S.
The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Burisma’s
interest In purchasing a US-based oil end gas business, for purposes of
merging it with Burisma for purposes of conducting an IPO in the US.
Burisma was willing to purchase a US-based entity for $20-30 million.
This is a really important piece of the puzzle.
A foreign company, especially one that like Burisma at the time had
ties to Russia, and in a corrupt region, would have had to jump through
all sorts of regulatory hoops.
During the meeting, Pojarskii asked CHS whether CHS was
aware of Burisma’s Board of Directors. CHS replied •no•, and Pojarskii
advised the board members included: 1} the former President or Prime
Minister of Poland; and, 2) Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Pojarskii
Soid Burtsma hired the former President or Prime Minister of Poland to
leverage his contacts in Europe for prospective oil and gas deals, and
they hired Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds
of problems.”
Bingo. Hunter Biden was not brought in for his legal acumen, but his ties to his father.
CHS asked why they (Burisma) needed to get CHS’s assistance regarding
the purchase/merger of a US-based company when Biden was on their
board. Pojarskii replied that Hunter Biden was not smart, and they
wanted to get additional counsel. The group then had a general
conversation about.t whether the purchase/merger with a US company would
be a good business decision.
CHS asked Zlochevsky why Burisma would pay $20-30 million
to buy a US company for IPO purposes when it would be cheaper to just
form a new US entity, or purchase a corporate shell that was already
listed on an exchange. Zlochevsky responded that Hunter Biden advised
Burisma it could raise much more capital if Burisma purchased a larger
US-based business that already had a history In the US oil and gas
sector. CHS recalled Zlochevsky mentioned some US-based gas business(es}
in Texas, the names of which CHS did not recall. CHS advised Zlochevsky
It would be problematic to raise capital In the US given Shokin’s
investigation Into Burisma as nobody in the US would invest in a company
that was the subject ot a criminal investigation. CHS suggested it
would best if Burisma simply litigate the matter In Ukraine, and pay
some attorney $50,000. Zlochevsky said he/Burisma would likely lose the
trial because he could not show that Burisma was innocent; Zlochevsky
also laughed at CHS’s number of $50,000 (not because of the small
amount, but because the number contained a “5”) and said that “it costs
(million) to pay one Biden, and 5 (million) to another Biden. • CHS
noted that at this time, It was unclear to CHS whether these alleged
payments were already made.
Here’s where the famous $10 million comes from.
It would be interesting to see which businesses Hunter was advising
Burisma to take over and whether any of them had ties to Biden donors or
family members.
We now also have a clear triangle between Hunter Biden, Burisma and
the motive behind Joe Biden’s campaign against Viktor Shokin: a
prosecutor who had been looking into Burisma. Hunter Biden needed Shokin
gone so that Burisma could move into America, and the Biden family
could profit.
CHS toId_ Zlochevsky that any such payments to the Bidens
would complicate matters, and Burtsma should hire “some normal us oil
and gas advisors” because the Bidens have no experience With that
business sector. Zlochevsky made some comment that although Hunter Biden
•was stupid, and his (Zlochevsky’s) dog was; smarter,” Zlochevsky
needed to keep Hunter Biden (on the board) “so everything will be okay.”
CHS inquired whether Hunter Biden or Joe Biden told Zlochevsky he
should retain Hunter Biden; Zlochevsky replied, “They both did.”
We now have Joe Biden directly being linked. If those audio tapes
with Joe Biden include that statement then we have a perfect link
between the father and the son, and Burisma’s business operations.
CHS reiterated CHS’s opinion that Zlochevsky was making a
mistake and he should fire Hunter Biden and deal with Shokin’s
investigation directly so that the matter will remain an issue in
Ukraine, and not tum in to some international matter. Zlochevsky
responded something to the effect of, “Don’t worry, this thing Will go
away anyway.” CHS replied that, notwithstanding Shokin’s investigation,
it was still a bad decision for Burisma to spend $20-$30 million to buy a
US business, and that CHS didn’t want to be involved with the Biden
matter. Zlochevsky responded that he appreciated CHS’s advice, but that
“it’s too late to change his decision.” CHS understood this to mean that
Zlochevsky had already had paid the Bidens, presumably to deal with
Shokin.”
There’s now a direct line between Joe Biden’s move against Shokin and
his son’s business interests. This is official corruption. The FBI had
this information and sat on it.
Joe Biden went after Shokin so that Burisma could do its IPO and buy a U.S. company.
Shortly after the 2016 US election and during President
Trump’s transition period, CHS participated in a conference call with
Ostapenko and Zlochevsky. CHS inquired whether Zlochevsky was happy with
the US election results. Zlochevsky repDed that he was not happy Trump
won the election. CHS asked Zlochevsky whether he was concemed about
Burisma’s involvement with the Bidens. 2Iochevsky stated he didn’t want
to pay the Bidens and he was “pushed to pay” them.
(CHS explained the Russian term Zlochevsky used to explain the
payments was ‘poluchili’ (transliterated by the CHS), which literallY
translates to “got it” or “received it”, but Is also used in
Russian-criminal-slang for being “forced or coerced to pay.” ZJochevsky
stated Shokin had already been fired, and no investigation was currently
going on, and that nobody would find out about his financial dealings
with the Bidens. CHS then stated, “l hope you have some back-up (proof)
For your words (namely, that Zlochevsky was “forced” to pay the Bidens).
Zlochevsky replied he has many text messages and “recordings” that show
that he was coerced to make such payments (See below, subsequent CHS
reporting on 6/29/2020). CHS told Zlochevsky he should make certain that
he should retain those recordings. Zlochevsky asked whether it would
make any (legal) difference whether he voluntarily made such payments,
or if he was ‘forced’ to make them. Zlochevsky then asked CHS whether
CHS could provide any assistance in Ukraine (with the Poroshenko regime)
if something were to happen to Zlochevsky in the future. CHS replied
that CHS didn’t want to get involved in any such matters.
Mykola Zlochevsky served as a minister in the Yanukovych government,
which was generally seen as a Russian puppet. After being ousted,
Yanukovych fled to Russia. Zlochevsky relocated to Cyprus. Zlochevsky
brings Hunter Biden on board in the spring of 2014. Joe Biden is Obama’s
point man on Ukraine and Zlochevsky is facing a money laundering
investigation. By the end of the year, he’s out of the country, but
still allegedly retains control over Burisma among a shadowy network of
companies. By 2017, Hunter’s million-dollar salary gets cut. Joe Biden
is out of office and Hunter Biden is much less useful.
Zlochevsky has good reason to worry about the new regime in Ukraine.
Back to the informant who is now speaking to Zlochevsky in the UK.
CHS mentioned Zlochevsky might have difficulty explaining
suspicious wire transfers that may evidence any (Illicit) payments to
the Bidens. Zlochevsky responded he did not send any funds directly to
the “Big Guy” (which CHS understood was a reference to Joe Biden). CHS
asked Zlochevsky how many companies/bank accounts Zlochevsky controls;
Zlochevsky responded it would take them (Investigators) 10 years to find
the records (i.e. illicit payments to Joe Biden). CHS told Zlochevsky
if he ever needed help in the future and wanted to speak to somebody in
the US government about that matter, that CHS could Introduce him to
someone.
While it might take a long time to unravel Zlochevsky’s shell
companies, it wouldn’t take as long to examine the Biden shell companies
tied to Hunter. But, as the IRS whistleblowers already revealed, the
Justice Department made it difficult to do so.
Regarding CHS’s aforementioned reporting that Zlochevsky
said -“he has many text messages and ‘recordings’ that show he was
coerced to make such payments -CHS clarified 2Iochevsky said he had a
total of “17 recordings” involving the Bidens; two of the recordings
included Joe Biden, and the remaining 15 recordings only Included Hunter
Biden. CHS reiterated that, per Zlochevsky, these recordings evidence
Zlochevsky was somehow coerced into paying the Bidens to ensure Ukraine
Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin was fired. Zlochevsky stated he has two
“documents (which CHS understood to be wire transfer statements, bank
records, etc.), that evidence some payment(s) to the Bidens were made,
presumably in exchange for Shokin’s firing.
So we have a fairly clear picture now of Hunter’s role in Burisma and
of Joe Biden’s role. Any decent federal investigative team should have
been able to dig up material to either verify or disprove these claims,
instead they were buried, while the feds claimed that there was an
ongoing investigation and that there were security reasons for not
releasing the information. CHS has now doubtlessly been burned, on the
other hand there’s no reason to think that there’s any ongoing
investigation and no one trusts the FBI anymore.
Conspiracy theories are a dime a dozen and the media is already
crying ‘hearsay’. But is this a plausible scenario? It’s a very
plausible one. And it’s how things work are all the time in this kind of
business.
This tells us why as VP, Biden was interested in Ukraine, why his son got a board seat, and all of this has been covered up.
Daniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, is
an investigative journalist and writer focusing on the radical Left and
Islamic terrorism.
The FBI, he noted, confirmed that laptop was genuine in 2019 and met more than 30 times with social media platforms in the leadup to the 2020 presidential election.
House
Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan on Thursday wrote to FBI
Director Christopher Wray demanding that he provide information related
to the bureau's handling of the Hunter Biden laptop and its interactions
with social media companies on the distribution of a New York Post
story detailing its contents.
"[T]he same FBI personnel who were warning social media companies
about a potential Russian 'hack and leak' operation in the run-up to the
2020 election knew that the laptop belonging to Hunter Biden was not
Russian disinformation," Jordan wrote, citing testimony from FBI Foreign
Influence Task Force (FITF) Section Chief Laura Dehmlow.
"After the New York Post broke a story based on the contents of the
laptop about Biden family influence peddling, the FBI made the
institutional decision to refuse to answer direct questions from social
media companies about the laptop’s authenticity—despite months of
constant information sharing up to that time," he continued. "Put
simply, after the FBI conditioned social media companies to believe that
the laptop was the product of a hack-and-dump operation, the Bureau
stopped its information sharing, allowing social media companies to
conclude that the New York Post story was Russian disinformation."
The FBI, he noted, confirmed that laptop was genuine in 2019 and met
more than 30 times with social media platforms in the leadup to the 2020
presidential election.
Jordan particularly highlighted a meeting between bureau officials on
Oct. 14, 2020, and social media executives that Dehmlow described which
immediately followed the publication of the laptop. During that
meeting, a Twitter employee asked as to the authenticity of the laptop,
and an FBI official allegedly confirmed it was real, before being
interrupted by an FBI lawyer he said that the bureau had "no further
comment" on the matter.
The Ohio Republican went on to recount the numerous social media
censorship efforts related to the New York Post story and asked that
Wray provide him with the names of the individuals involved in the
meeting Dehmlow described, those who participated in discussions on
bureau response to the laptop, and documents and communications related
to the matter.
He set a deadline of Aug. 3 for Wray to comply and also asked that Wray make the relevant FBI employees available for interview.
Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.
Expert testimonies and “total disarray” you probably didn’t hear or see, because the media didn’t want you to hear or see it.
Karine
Jean-Pierre has a bad (and distinct) habit of devolving into fits of
unpreparedness when cornered and under pressure; is her foible becoming a
Democrat archetype? You might think so, if you watched a hearing
yesterday on Capitol Hill which saw two IRS whistleblowers testify
before the Committee on Oversight and Accountability—but given that (as
far as I can tell) only two networks aired the proceedings live, you
probably missed it.
An
odd choice for an “honest press” some might say, since one of the
whistleblowers revealed his identity for the first time, (which you’d
think would be a newsworthy announcement), and the charges allege
unprecedented conspiracies and corruption at the highest levels of the
American government.
Fox News reported
that both CNN and MSNBC declined to cover the hearing; ironically, CNN
still retains the “most trusted name in news” slogan. The Washington
Post, with its “democracy dies in darkness” trademark, trivialized its
coverage with a headline about MTG, and this was too much for Eli Lake,
who tweeted this:
Just cancelled my subscription to @washingtonpost It’s declined so much since 2017, but it’s failure to cover the IRS whistleblowers seriously choosing to run DNC press release spin on MTG has sealed my decision. It was once a great paper. Not anymore.
Weeks back, two whistleblowers emerged to shine a light on what journalist Matt Vespa describes as
“improper interference from the Biden administration regarding IRS
investigations into Hunter Biden.” We’ve known the identity of Special
Agent Gary Shapley, but “Mr. X” has been unknown…until now. He is Joseph
Ziegler, a 13-year veteran of the IRS, and a gay Democrat. Read some of
his most poignant words below, via Townhall:
I
have witnessed the corrosion of ethical standards and the abuse of
power that threaten our nation. It is within this context that I have
chosen to shed light on these actions and expose those responsible. I
recognize that while I was present at the start of this investigation
and was closely involved with the investigation for roughly five years –
that I’m just a part of the story.
…
My
own agency retaliated against me and threatened me with criminal
conduct in response to an internal email I sent to IRS leadership…. It
is not my desire to become a martyr for this case — and I fear
effectively ending my career.
…
Since
October of 2022, the Delaware AUSAs and DOJ-Tax had effectively stopped
communicating with me and my team has ultimately been removed from the
investigative team.
…
I
was raised and have always strived to do what is right. I have heard
from some, that I am a trator [sic] to the democratic party and that I
am causing more division in our society. I implore you, that if you were
put in my position with the facts as I have stated them, that you would
be doing the exact same thing – regardless of your political party
affiliation. I hope that I am an example to other LGBTQ people out
there, who are questioning doing the right thing at a potential cost to
themselves and others. We should ALWAYS do the right thing, no matter
how painful the process might be. I contemplated scenarios that would
have been highly regrettable. But I did what was right and I am sitting
in front of you here today.
(During
his testimony, Ziegler rightly noted that his credibility does not come
from his “sexual orientation” or his “political beliefs”—but it does
illustrate that he’s far less likely to allow his personal opinions to
influence his professional conduct.)
An
honest Democrat is a rarity, but Ziegler isn’t the only one. Jonathan
Turley, a self-identified Hillary Clinton voter, said this of the
unfolding scenes:
So far, the Democrats have largely avoided any specific questions on the specific allegations. However, the "look squirrel, squirrel" tactic is hard to maintain as a distraction. That is particularly when you have two respected experts saying "felony, felony."
Turley followed that up with this poignant observation:
...The
Democrats are usually well prepared and orchestrated in these hearings.
That is not the case today. The continual effort to change the subject
and to avoid the specific allegations is obvious. It is about a[s]
subtle as bringing in a seal bouncing a ball in hearing room.
If
the entire situation weren’t so utterly despicable, Democrat Ro
Khanna’s response to Mr. Shapley’s deposition was so absurd, it would
actually be comical:
Rep. Ro Khanna accuses IRS Whistleblower Shipley of being "a stickler for the law."
"It reminds me of 'Les Mis,' and the famous person wanted to get the person who had a sandwich!" pic.twitter.com/w8mwj16Z4m
As
Turley said, “This is getting a bit weird.” The best comeback you can
muster is to denigrate a government investigator for being a “stickler
for the law”? Don’t get me wrong, the entire IRS has no right to exist
and ought to be abolished, and Mr. Shapley should have to find
employment elsewhere, but if you’re going to hold the little people to
the tax laws, then it’s only fair that everyone is held to the same standard. Something about equal treatment before the law, and blind justice comes to mind...
Turley also hilariously highlighted an embarrassing display by New York Democrat Dan Goldman. From New York Post:
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) often goes where wiser members fear to tread.
On this occasion, Goldman may have delivered one of the most damaging moments for the Democrats.
…
He raised the shocking WhatsApp message that Hunter had allegedly sent to a Chinese official with foreign intelligence contacts.
…
Goldman
pressed veteran IRS investigator Gary Shapley about his suggestion that
Joe Biden discussed the foreign dealing with his son.
Shapley eagerly said he would be happy to explain, but Goldman cut him off and said he did not have time for such explanations.
At this point, most lawyers would have reversed engines out of troubled waters, but Goldman plowed full speed ahead.
The
allegations made by both Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler are of course, not
all that shocking when you consider reality. Since when do expanding
governments juxtaposed with morally-declining people equal more justice,
freedom, and righteousness? Hint: Never.
Democrats,
what’s it like to have a legitimate propaganda machine like the
mainstream media to faithfully disseminate disinformation and mold
public opinion through censorship of sordid realities? Let’s play a quick game called “Who said it: Joseph Goebbels or the Democrats?”
“It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion.”
Answer? Goebbels.
How about this? “Think of the press as a great keyboard on which the government can play.” Answer: Goebbels, again.
When
one would be hard-pressed to isolate a difference between establishment
Democrats and arguably the most notorious and diabolical propagandist
of the 20th century, that’s a sign that you might be the bad guy.
Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
Though the White House and the Democratic National Committee may be trying to ignore it, there is suddenly a constant stream of stories in the media about doubts that Biden can make it across the finish line 16 months from now.
Wow, big news broke Tuesday – President Biden’s campaign is
officially going to be headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. For months
nervous Democrats have wondered why Biden only had four full-time
staffers devoted to his reelection effort and why the campaign wasn’t
yet located anywhere.
This development will do absolutely nothing, however, to stop the
panic within the party that Biden is too old to run for reelection and
could easily lose to former President Donald Trump. Sorry, Team Biden,
these fears will not be put to rest; they are going to persist and grow.
Though the White House and the Democratic National Committee may be
trying to ignore it, there is suddenly a constant stream of stories in
the media about doubts that Biden can make it across the finish line 16
months from now. Though Frank Bruni noted it’s probably too late, he
encouraged Democrats in a New York Times column to talk about Hunter
Biden, and suggested Biden should step aside: “It might be best, for him
and for continued Democratic control of the White House, if he let
Democrats choose a different 2024 nominee.”
And CNN’s Edward-Isaac Dovere’s reporting last week went there – top
Democrats and donors continue to “reach out to those seen as possible
replacement presidential candidates. Get ready, they urge…” Democrats,
Dovere wrote, worry about Biden’s weak small-dollar fundraising – which
shows diminished energy from the grassroots – as well as his light
schedule, which they believe will only exacerbate the perception that he
is too old to campaign or be president. A Democrat who had a senior
role in Biden’s 2020 campaign is quoted saying “If Trump wins next
November and everyone says, ‘How did that happen,’ one of the questions
will be: what was the Biden campaign doing in the summer of 2023?”
In a recent New York Times report about how impressive Robert F.
Kennedy Jr.’s polling and campaign war chest is, and what that says
about Biden’s weakness as an incumbent, Julian Castro, the former
housing secretary, said “It’s clear there is a softness that perhaps is
born out of a worry about electability in 2024.”
Biden’s polling is not soft, it’s terrible and has worsened over
time. The age liability and concerns about Biden’s mental sharpness loom
large across all surveys and voter groups. In some general election
surveys, he loses to Trump. It’s hard to imagine next year, when he is
older, that his standing will improve.
It’s not just that critical parts of the Democratic coalition are
disappointed and apathetic and may not turn out to vote – but data shows
some Asian, Hispanic, and black voters are beginning to support
Republicans instead. John Della Volpe, polling director at the Harvard
Kennedy School Institute of Politics and an expert on youth voting,
recently wrote that young voters are increasingly identifying as
independents, not Democrats, and are becoming disillusioned with
politics as a means to create change. “Nearly every sign that made me
confident in historic levels of youth participation in 2018, 2020 and
2022 – is now flashing red,” he wrote.
Biden also appears to have forgotten that, in an election he only won
by fewer than 44,000 votes in three states, the support of Never Trump
Republicans was critical. Recent reporting by NBC News shows the Biden
White House has ignored many of those Republicans who stepped up to
endorse him (except for Cindy McCain and former Sen. Jeff Flake who both
became ambassadors in his administration) and that they aren’t
interested in supporting him again next year.
The Biden inner circle seems to be confident his age is a smaller
political problem than the many ones Trump has. They also seem to be in
denial that some of the Hunter Biden business dealings revelations are
really bad, and that his father refusing to acknowledge his love child
is terrible.
The campaign will remain focused mostly on the economy – there are
plans for the president to embark on an “investing in America” tour this
summer to tout the historic investment in manufacturing,
infrastructure, and jobs that his administration has secured.
But it may be too late for Biden to toot his horn.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic Lt. Gov. Austin Davis was recently quoted
by the New York Times, talking about how poorly the administration has
communicated its accomplishments to the public. “They’ve done a pretty
bad job of telling the American people and Pennsylvanians what they have
done,” he said.
No good economic news – there is much of it and more could
materialize – seems able to eclipse the sting of inflation and sink in
with voters when 74% of Americans believe we are on the wrong track.
Voters give Biden poor ratings on the economy despite record job growth
and – as David Brooks recently noted in the New York Times – a lower
misery index (inflation rate added to unemployment rate) than Ronald
Reagan, George W. Bush, or Barack Obama had when they were reelected.
And it’s clear that Republicans will pummel Biden over his unpopular
vice president throughout next year’s campaign. “I think that we can all
be very clear and say with a matter of fact that if you vote for Joe
Biden you are really counting on a President Harris, because the idea
that he would make it until 86 years old is not something I think is
likely,” Nikki Haley said, which is only the beginning of this refrain.
Dismissing Harris’ abysmally low approval rating, which makes clear
she is a liability to an 80-year-old Biden running to be president until
he is 86 years old, as racist and misogynistic won’t help make her more
popular or help Biden win the electoral college.
The Biden campaign can raise a lot of money and hold lots of ribbon
cuttings at factories and try to rehabilitate Harris – but nothing will
calm the jitters building in the party about the increasing likelihood
of a second Trump term.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
