October 13, 2019

This still doesn't answer the question — wafted at the recent Trump rallies — "Where's Hunter?"

I'm reading "Hunter Biden to Leave Chinese Company Board, His Lawyer Says/He plans to resign from the BHR board of directors on or by Oct. 31, his lawyer said in a statement" (NYT).

That only tells where he will not be at some slightly precise point in the future — "on or by Oct. 31" — and only if he follows through with his "plan."

An elusive character, that Hunter.

It's a written statement and it's not written by him but by his lawyer, George Mesires.

I've read the entire text of the lawyer's statement, which I reprint in full after the jump. My comments are minimal because I'm seeing things I would pursue if I were doing a serious investigation, but that's not what this post can possibly do.

I must say that I can understand why Hunter Biden doesn't make himself available for interviews. It strikes me as similar to why Trump doesn't want to hand over all his old tax forms. It's complicated, and he has enemies. Anything he puts out there will be used against him, and he'll get twisted up trying to offer comprehensible explanations.
A Statement on behalf of Hunter Biden, dated October 13, 2019
By George Mesires


Hunter Biden’s business activities have received significant press attention. Since 2016, I have served as Hunter’s lawyer. In recent weeks, I have received numerous questions about those activities, many of which have been shaped by allegations bearing little resemblance to the public record. The following is a succinct, fact-based accounting...
 Succinct and fact-based... that's what we want.
... of Hunter Biden’s business activities in Ukraine and China. Hunter has also outlined specific commitments that would govern his business and financial dealings during a Biden Administration.

Ukraine: Burisma Holdings Limited (“Burisma”)

In April 2014, Hunter was asked to join the board of Burisma...
"Was asked"... where is the human agency? Who asked him and why?
... the largest independent natural gas producer in Ukraine. At the time, Hunter was of counsel with Boies Schiller Flexner LLP [fn 1] (“Boies Schiller”), a major U.S. law firm, and was advising Burisma on its corporate reform initiatives...
The inference we're prompted to to make is that Hunter was asked to join the board because of his position — "of counsel" — at Boies Schiller, which was already advising Burisma. I have no idea what work Hunter did to deserve the designation "of counsel" and to what extent it was a matter of using the Biden name. What year did this happen? Joe Biden was Vice President at the time.
... an important aspect of fueling Burisma’s international growth and diversity. Vibrant energy production, particularly natural gas, was central to Ukraine’s independence and to stemming the tide of Vladimir Putin’s attack on the principles of a democratic Europe. To further its goals of independence, Burisma sought to adopt standards and practices traditionally employed by Western companies.
At Hunter’s urging, Boies Schiller engaged Nardello & Co., a leading global investigative firm, to assess, among other things, Burisma’s corporate structure and governance practices. Burisma agreed to pay the legal expenses of Boies Schiller to support Hunter in developing corporate reform initiatives.

Because of Burisma’s stated commitment to corporate best practices, it was able to attract well-qualified board members, including the former president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, a leading advocate of democratic principles in the region. President Kwasniewski, familiar with Hunter’s work on behalf of Burisma, recommended that Hunter join the board.
Hunter joined the board as a non-executive director, meaning he was an independent board member and not a member of the management team. At no time was Hunter in charge of the company’s legal affairs. Like all Burisma directors, Hunter was compensated for his board service.
Hunter focused his work on the principles of corporate transparency, governance and responsibility, which was based on his prior experience as a lawyer and director on other boards, including the Chair of World Food Program USA, which supports the largest humanitarian organization in the world, Vice-Chair of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), to which he was appointed by President George W. Bush, Center for National Policy, Truman National Security Project, and the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign.

Hunter stepped off Bursima’s board in April, 2019. Despite extensive scrutiny, at no time has any law enforcement agency, either domestic or foreign, alleged that Hunter engaged in wrongdoing at any point during his five-year term.

China: BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company (“BHR”)

Founded in 2013, BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company (“BHR”) is a Chinese limited liability company formed with the stated intent to invest Chinese capital outside of China. Hunter neither played a role in the formation or licensure of the company, nor owned any equity in it while his father was Vice President. He served only as a member of its board of directors, which he joined based on his interest in seeking ways to bring Chinese capital to international markets. It was an unpaid position.

BHR was capitalized with 30 million renminbi (RMB), or approximately $4.2 million USD at today’s currency exchange rates. In October 2017, Hunter committed to invest approximately $420,000 USD (as of 10/12/2019) to acquire a 10% equity position in BHR, which he still holds.

To date, Hunter has not received any compensation for being on BHR’s board of directors. He has not received any return on his investment; there have been no distributions to BHR shareholders since Hunter obtained his equity interest. Moreover, Hunter played no role in directing or making BHR’s investments. Hunter intends to resign from the BHR board of directors on or by October 31, 2019.

Conduct During a Biden Presidency

Hunter undertook these business activities independently. He did not believe it appropriate to discuss them with his father, nor did he. Hunter always understood that his father would be guided, entirely and unequivocally, by established U.S. policy, irrespective of its effects on Hunter’s professional interests. This was the standard observed throughout Hunter’s professional career. When Hunter engaged in his business pursuits, he believed that he was acting appropriately and in good faith. He never anticipated the barrage of false charges against both him and his father by the president of the United States.

Hunter makes the following commitment: Under a Biden Administration, Hunter will readily comply with any and all guidelines or standards a President Biden may issue to address purported conflicts of interest, or the appearance of such conflicts, including any restrictions related to overseas business interests. In any event, Hunter will agree not to serve on boards of, or work on behalf of, foreign owned companies.

He will continue to keep his father personally uninvolved in his business affairs, while availing himself as necessary and appropriate to the Office of the White House Counsel to help inform his application of the Biden Administration’s guidelines or standards to his business decision-making.

____

fn 1. After graduating from Yale Law School, where Hunter served as an editor of both the Yale Law & Policy Review and the Yale Journal of Law & the Humanities, Hunter worked in numerous posts, including as a Senior Executive VP for a major U.S. bank, and as Executive Director of E-Commerce Policy Coordination for the United States Department of Commerce. Hunter also taught as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Masters of Science program.

119 comments:

Narayanan said...

Maybe some checks need to be cashed by 10/31 !

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

There's a big difference between Trump, who is currently President and Leader of the Free World, and Hunter Biden, who is a notorious fuck-up. Or is there?

I can't see this comparison working to Trump's advantage.

David Begley said...

“I can understand why Hunter Biden doesn't make himself available for interviews...”

Joe Biden doesn’t make himself available for interviews! Not on any of the Sunday shows. Worse than Hillary.

His campaign knows that the more unscripted moments Joe has, the more he sinks in the polls.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Hunter Biden is not running for office. But - don't Americans deserve the truth about The Clintons and the Bidens? The Harry Reid family, and the John Kerry family? etc...
There is obvious use of power for personal financial gain on a huge scale.

Why are democrats off limits?

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

It's pretty clear Trump administration needs to get a FISA warrant and tap all of Hunter's phones, emails and computers as well as all those 2 jumps from Biden.

Then we need to get Hunter's tax returns and personal bank records. And then get all the tax returns and bank records for these two companies.

These are the rules the new progressive rules.

David Begley said...

Hunter’s lawyer left out the $1.5 billion the ChiComs gave to Hunter’s hedge fund, Rosemont Seneca Partners. What are the terms of that deal? 2/20?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Allegations leveled at Trump are treated like slam-dunk convictions.

Allegations leveled at Democrats are wiped away with a cloth.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Fn.2

Hunter was a cokehead washout from the US Navy just two months before he landed his job at Burisma.

gilbar said...

our Beloved Professor Althouse said...
I must say that I can understand why Hunter Biden doesn't make himself available for interviews. It strikes me as similar to why Trump doesn't want to hand over all his old tax forms. It's complicated, and he has enemies. Anything he puts out there will be used against him, and he'll get twisted up trying to offer comprehensible explanations.


BUT! there's NO Comparison. The US Constitution EXPLICITLY states, that ALL tax forms, phone records, etc; MUST BE turned over to the Authorities (the DNC), whenever, and WHEREEVER they might be able to be of use.

Since, according the the US Constitution, we are ALL Property of the Democratic National Committee; our SOLE Purpose MUST BE to Aide and Assist the DNC in ALL WAYS. Failure to do so Will result in Impeachment... Or Suicide

I mean, That's what it says, isn't it? It IS a <"Living Document" after all

Narayanan said...

It was noted - On subpoena for tax returns thread -
"According to the Committee, the documents will inform its investigation into whether Congress should amend or supplement current ethics-in-government laws."


I'm Surprised eagle eye leagle beagles missed the Democratic terms for action :
we're trying to show our people super certain that corruption is bipartisan, then we will modify ethics rules.

Paul said...

on or by Oct. 31... gotta rake in some more money before he leaves.

Folks, you may think 5-6 million would be enough to have no worries (and actually you don't) but the more $$ you make.. the more $$ you want to make. Even those with 100s of millions want.. MORE. It's just human nature.

So I am not shocked Hunter made $$ off daddy's VP. Just as Hillary and Bill made $$ of his presidency and his wife's Sec. State job.

Greed is truly the root of all evil. The love of money and what you can do with that money.

Big Mike said...

Anything he puts out there will be used against him, and he'll get twisted up trying to offer comprehensible explanations.

Plus, of course, he’s crooked as all Hell.

Michael K said...

There is a process server looking for him to serve a subpoena for a paternity test.

Hunter is not reformed.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Sorry - reads like a heaping pile of CYA.

Gunner said...

Where in the World is Hunter Biden?

Someone please do the Rockapella theme song.

Oso Negro said...

"Appointed by George W. Bush". The ruling class takes care of its own.

Narayanan said...

Amusing slogan on Nardello website:

The deeper you dig, the better positioned you are to make informed decisions.
_________
Lawyer speak for keep track of where you bury bodies?!

Seeing Red said...

Boies

David Boies? That LIAR who was Al Gore’s attorney and LIED to the FLSC about the Illinois chad case to get the recount?

Incestuous.

Sebastian said...

"It strikes me as similar to why Trump doesn't want to hand over all his old tax forms."

Ah yes, "similar." In one case we have a long-time businessman involved in a complex business that has been extensively scrutinized by the IRS and the person himself relentlessly scrutinized and attacked for four years, by the combined forces of Dems, deep-staters, the MSM, and prog prosecutors. In the other case, we have a person with no relevant business experience hired or given investment money by foreign companies at a time his father exercised significant influence on policy toward the countries involved. Similar.

"It's complicated"

Why? What evidence do you have to say so? Who has seriously investigated him?

I say it's simple. I say the explanation for the Althouses of America pretending the cases are similar is also simple.

Beasts of England said...

Why is Hunter resigning if he’s doing nothing improper? And how will the investment firm function without his expertise?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Why would Hunter Biden travel with his father on Air Force Two during his dad's time as VP of the US?

rehajm said...

That’s a lot of resume. Wasn’t he in the service?

Feels as authentic as The Liz real Indian piece in The Boston Globe

Michael K said...

David Boies? That LIAR who was Al Gore’s attorney and LIED to the FLSC about the Illinois chad case to get the recount?

Boies has other interests too. He was the lawyer for Theranos that enforced all the NDAs employees were forced to sign and which cost the parents of the kid who blew the whistle $400,000 in legal fees.

She even put Boies on the board, not a good investment. I doubt he will be representing her at her trial for fraud next summer.

Michael said...

Anyone who has any doubt about what an absolute ruthless operator David Boise is should read about his work running legal interference for Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.

These people take no prisioners.

n.n said...

Where in Kiev and Beijing is Biden?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Father's an sons never talk business. Especially while on a 10 hour flight to Ukraine.

Hagar said...

The difference between "crime" and "wrong."
The media are quite right that so far no evidence has been presented that the Bidens have engaged in criminal activities. That is presumably what Giuliani et al. are working on finding out.
In the meantime, the Bidens have not denied that they received the money (now also Joe himself, $900,000 for "lobbying," presumably after he left office) and we have the infamous video clip of Joe bragging about having that Ukrainian prosecutor fired.
However, there is no law against badly run corporations frittering their money away on worthless board members and lobbyists, or whatever. If there were, a lot, maybe most, corporate boards with be in trouble.
But wrong? Oh, yeah, in context, the Bidens' behavior have been - and is - very "wrong."

Wince said...

Founded in 2013, BHR (Shanghai) Equity Investment Fund Management Company (“BHR”) is a Chinese limited liability company formed with the stated intent to invest Chinese capital outside of China. Hunter neither played a role in the formation or licensure of the company, nor owned any equity in it while his father was Vice President. He served only as a member of its board of directors, which he joined based on his interest in seeking ways to bring Chinese capital to international markets. It was an unpaid position.

BHR was capitalized with 30 million renminbi (RMB), or approximately $4.2 million USD at today’s currency exchange rates. In October 2017, Hunter committed to invest approximately $420,000 USD (as of 10/12/2019) to acquire a 10% equity position in BHR, which he still holds.


So Hunter got a 10% stake at the initial capitalization value of $4.2 six years later in 2019, conveniently when his father was no longer Vice President? That sounds a lot like the 10% share was held aside for him from inception at the ground-floor price until they thought the coast was clear.

And 10% is a large percentage for "a non-executive director, meaning he was an independent board member and not a member of the management team," whose beat was simply corporate compliance and "[a]t no time in charge of the company’s legal affairs."

Marc in Eugene said...

Wafted at the recent Trump rallies....

Wafted? and the use of the verb garner is out of bounds?

Mary Beth said...

Hunter undertook these business activities independently. He did not believe it appropriate to discuss them with his father, nor did he.

Wasn't there a video of Hunter saying he talked to his father about his business dealings?

Bob Boyd said...

allegations bearing little resemblance to the public record

By design, criminal activity is rarely part of the public record...until it is. The public record is continually being updated.

pacwest said...

Everybody knows what's going on. Everybody. Nobody is stupid enough not to know. Chuck Todd knows. Althouse knows. Even ARM knows. Chuck Todd is a liar. Althouse does some sort of Jedi mind trick on herself (cruel neutrality). ARM just wants to change the subject. Everybody knows.

I'm suprised China isn't doing more to get Biden elected. He's much cheaper to bribe than the Clintons were.

Seeing Red said...

Why is Hunter resigning if he’s doing nothing improper? And how will the investment firm function without his expertise?

Ahhh, remember when Nancy Pelosi orchestrated “the appearance of impropriety” for democRATS to win an election?

Bob Boyd said...

Where's Hunter?

Back in rehab?

Limited blogger said...

I see the MSM trying to drag Trump's sons into the discussion.

Think any comparisons between the children will favor Trump.

Yancey Ward said...

Pretty simple- if what he was doing was on the up and up, there is no reason to step down, is there?

Dust Bunny Queen said...

There are many significant differences between Trump being forced to disclose his tax returns BEFORE he was a public official and Hunter Biden's business insider dealings WHILE his father Joe was in a position of influence.

Although Hunter can be kinda/sorta considered a private individual, it is obvious that Joe Biden used his OFFICIAL capacity as Vice President of the United States to influence (nice way of saying coerce) people to enrich his son Hunter by putting him into positions that Hunter was in no way qualified to occupy. QUID PRO QUO

Trump on the other hand, before the 2016 election was a private individual with many business holdings. Yes. He became rich. Yes. There might have been some unusual and even slightly shady dealings ....actually usual dealings in the rarefied world of property development...especially NYC development. HOWEVER, Trump didn't use the power of the United States Government to force deals.

Trump was not in a position of Governmental power. Biden was. Trump didn't misuse an elected position, because he wasn't elected to anything at the time. Biden was.

Maybe both parties are dirty players. However, one party was playing with Government power and abusing his elected position to enrich his family AND himself.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

David Frum said ...
And this is why House needs to see those Trump tax returns. Trump has green-lit a new Middle Eastern war by a dictator who controls some unknown percent of Trump's global licensing income. We cannot begin to assess US Middle East policy without knowing who's paying what to Trump.


Seems reasonable to me. Also need to see his son's, daughter's and son-in-laws tax forms.

Gojuplyr831@gmail.com said...

"My comments are minimal because I'm seeing things I would pursue if I were doing a serious investigation"

So would a journalist. Too bad there aren't any of those around anymore. Climate change must have diven them into extinction.

gilbar said...

DBQ points out that...
Although Hunter can be kinda/sorta considered a private individual, it is obvious that Joe Biden used his OFFICIAL capacity as Vice President of the United States to influence (nice way of saying coerce) people to enrich his son Hunter by putting him into positions that Hunter was in no way qualified to occupy. QUID PRO QUO


Hunter received a DIRECT COMMISSION into the Navy: No ROTC, OTS, Service Acad, or prior service

Hunter was TOO OLD for Entry, but received a WAIVER that allowed someone as old as him in

Hunter had PRIOR Drug Issues, but received a WAIVER that allowed a druggie into service

Hunter had his Oath of Service administered by his pop, The Vice President of the United States

Drago said...

David Frum!!!

LOLOLOLOL

Narr said...

Reporters, the working men and women who tried to find out what was happening and report it fairly, disappeared long ago, and were replaced by Journalists, credentialed ideologues who tell us what to think.

I want to know what her plan for confronting Erdogan is. Hahaha hohoho hehehe!

Narr
Can't we find some way to deport the Egregious Frum back to Canuckistan?

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Clearly, Biden is done for. Trump should move on to Warren. That is going to be a hilarious shredding.

tommyesq said...

allegations bearing little resemblance to the public record.

There's a fudge factor if ever I have seen one - does this mean that non-public information supports the allegations?

t no time has any law enforcement agency, either domestic or foreign, alleged that Hunter engaged in wrongdoing at any point during his five-year term.

Again, no denial that something improper occurred - just a statement that Hunter hasn't been charged. This statement doesn't even mean that he is not being investigated, only that he has not been publicly accused by an investigative (or at least law enforcement, which may be a more narrow subset of investigative) agency.

When Hunter engaged in his business pursuits, he believed that he was acting appropriately and in good faith.

More of the same - not a statement that he was acting appropriately, only that he believed that he was.

Under a Biden Administration, Hunter will readily comply with any and all guidelines or standards a President Biden may issue to address purported conflicts of interest.

So we have to count on sleazy Joe Biden to set appropriate limits, entirely of his own choosing, to rein in his son's profiting off of his relationship to his father? (And note the correct "rein" rather than "reign!")

Derek Kite said...

One down. Expect some egregious act by Trump where he clumsily pokes around at the various places she taught, and just as the Ukrainian thing forced the media, even the Democrats to scream about Biden and Ukraine, they will be forced to defend Harvard's racial criteria for hiring and admissions.

I'm looking forward to what the Democrats call blacks, asians and hispanics when a substantial number of them voting hand Trump victory in 2020.

Temujin said...

This is why I feel like I'm living in the Bizarro World.

Clearly the Clintons spent years taking money from foreign nations and individuals. Both for their campaigns (Charlie Trie, Johnny Chung, and others) and before, during, and after Hillary's stint as Secy State (The Clinton Foundation). No one sought to sell their influence more obviously or more successfully than did the Clintons.

But nothing happened.

Clearly the Clintons, with Obama's team overseeing it, and our 'national security' divisions working it, arranged to spy on the Trump Campaign. Further, they created false documentation about it, false FISA warrants for it, and set up a 2-year, multi-million dollar scheme to remove the President. Oh...with the fawning media spending 24/7 trying to pull it across the finish line.

Nothin has happened about that. (at least...not yet).

Hunter Biden...well, any 7 year old could see what his purpose was. As son of the US Vice President, he's a natural for the job, right? Any of you have a son that had Hunter's background? Would you see him on a board of directors for a major international firm in the energy sector? No- I didn't think so.

Trump asked the Ukrainian Prez to see if his people could look into the corrupt attempts to play with our 2016 election and...Holy Hell!! It's Impeachment Time.

And of course, the press is pulling the cart on this one as well. I watch the news, yet I know what I know. And I know they are an active part of a coup. Our Freedom of the Press has been thoroughly compromised. And I'm watching a slow-motion crash of our national honor.

Drago said...

pacwest: "I'm suprised China isn't doing more to get Biden elected. He's much cheaper to bribe than the Clintons were."

Up until about 2 weeks ago the Chinese were all in on Biden's potential win and continuing their political pro-dem operations: shut down trade negotiations, retaliatory attacks on Chinese entities working with or owned by US businesses, ordered their boy in NK to launch another couple of missiles, launched even more cash at the paid for China lobbyists in Washington DC (knowing of course that no DOJ/FBI types would look askance at that foreign influence) and were pushing hard on their paid for media types to go even more negative on Trump.

But then starting about 2 weeks ago the Chinese began to realize what most observers realized: Biden is an absolute joke of a candidate and is not likely to make it to dinner tonight with all his clothes on much less make it a race for the Dem nomination. Biden has the biggest political glass jaw in history. (did you see his LGBTQABCDEFG performance with Andersen Cooper?)

The Chinese could also not have missed the toothlessness of the Biden Campaign threats against journalists to STOP TALKING ABOUT HIS CORRUPT ACTIVITIES WHILE VP!! when only some of the media organs complied with this Hillary-like demand.

So what we've seen in the last couple of weeks is the Chinese coming to the realization that at this point with the leftiest lunacy on display amongst all the dems, especially nutjob fake indian liar Pocahontas Warren, Trump is likely to get reelected which means the absolute best time for the Chinese to cut a deal with Trump is in the lead up to the election.

After Trump is elected Trump's hand will be so much further strengthened the Chinese will be squeezed even harder.

Better to get what you can now.

Of course, this is all based on what is really happening and is clear to all observers so naturally it will fly in the face of whatever LLR C****-like weak tea ARM chooses to dish up.

Birkel said...

Drum uses "unknown percentage" to acknowledge that it is between zero and 100%.
The smart money is on zero.

mandrewa said...

I did get most of the way through the 2-hour Glenn Beck timeline on Ukraine the other day. You can find it by searching for "Glenn Beck Ukraine Timeline" on Youtube. It's longer than it needs to be and it is bit irritating at various levels, but he did some real yeoman's work and he put a lot together.

And I agree with a number of things he said.

First of all, the Ukraine business is not about Hunter Biden.

The Democrats want you to think that it is because they are ready to dump Biden, and they are trying to distract from the real news.

It's not news that the Democratic Party is corrupt. One would think every intelligent person knows this already.

True it's rather remarkable to see the list of sons of prominent democrats that were in Ukraine feeding at the trough, including Nancy Pelosi's son and John Kerry's, plus a surprising list of Washington insiders who one would think would not be in the Ukraine. Yet somehow they are.

Now I realize that if these were Republicans this would be front and center with the national news media prosecuting the case for a week. But since these are Democrats it is not of interest to most of the media, except the media actually is using it to get rid of Biden.

So what is the real news?

Well first one has to wonder what role did Obama play. There is no proof of Obama's personal involvement but at the very least the Obama administration, through the ambassador that they appointed, and other Democratic operatives, did some very corrupt things in the Ukraine.

Second, what happened to $3.6 billion of taxpayer money? It may be more than that but we know at least it was that much. And it disappeared in an egregiously obvious way, and the Ukrainian authorities were investigating it and the Obama administration tried to predetermine the result by choosing the prosecutor, and when that didn't work, because the prosecutor that they had chosen started to go against them, they demanded, through our ambassador, that the Ukrainine government shut down the investigation.

Now I believe that this sort of thing is where the Democratic Party, or really it is actually the people associated with it, get their money. It's mostly laundered taxpayer money.

Now I can't prove that. We know that $3.6 billion disappeared. We know it involved people linked to the Democratic Party. And most of all we know that the Obama administration tried to shut down the Ukrainian government investigation.

But we don't know, or I don't think we know, where the money actually ended up.

Third, and this is where it gets complicated, it looks like Ukraine is where the Obama administration's Trump-Russian Collusion narrative was created. They wanted an excuse to justify the FBI 'wire-tapping' the Trump campaign, or so we can infer. And Ukraine seems to be were the original story, or evidence, was manufactured.

Now it wasn't much of a story, because apparently the FBI barely needs hardly any excuse to 'wire-tap' Republicans. But they needed something.

And it all begins with Paul Manafort, which is so strange because at the time, Manafort wasn't even Trump's campaign manager. But it's like they knew ahead of time that Manafort was going to become someone important in the Trump campaign, and they begin their investigation of Manafort when Manafort is still working with prominent Democratic
Party operatives like Podesta's brother.

And that's odd also, because since when did the Obama administration voluntarily investigate Democrats?

Of course the Obama administration knew before they began that Manafort was corrupt. But this became the pretext for a very widespread 'wire-tap' of the Trump campaign by the FBI.

And that sums up the major issues or the real news from Ukraine story as of now and as far as I know.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Temujin, all those financial transactions were on the public record, which is why you know about them. You can reasonably view the Clintons and Biden as corrupt, as I do, but by complying with disclosure laws they apparently avoided breaking any laws. Trump's lack of transparency is the problem. If everything at least meets the minimum standard of being legal, as did the Clinton's and Biden's shit, then there should be no problem releasing the records. The fact that Trump will not even meet minimum transparency standards is evidence that his behavior is not even legal, much less not corrupt.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Bill Kristol said ...
Who wanted Trump to withdraw U.S. troops and abandon the Kurds? Not the Defense or the State Department. Not the foreign policy establishment or the American people. Not Republicans or Democrats.
Who wanted Trump to abandon the Kurds and withdraw U.S. troops? Erdogan. And Putin.


Narayanan said...

Derek Kite said...
One down. Expect some egregious act by Trump where he clumsily pokes around at the various places she taught...

they will be forced to defend Harvard's racial criteria for hiring and admissions.
_____________
That would be a glorious twofer : with Harvard Asian admission Case heading to SC

Oh my! (Dorothy voice)

bagoh20 said...

You got to love how Chuck Todd would not air Trump's critique of Hunter Biden, because he's not running for anything, and therefore attacking him is "crossing a line". How many attacks oh Trump's family members have they aired to date?

So the standard by the Press is that you can't investigate Biden or publish any evidence becuase he's running, and you can't do either to his son becuase he's not running. The Bidens are now martyrs.

narciso said...

well it was a cornucopia, that involved a whole host of democratic figures, benenson, devine (Bernie sanders guy), podesta,(who isn't even indicted) greg craig, (judge Jackson made sure that he was 'free as a bird) jonathan winer, he and podesta represented uranium one, through
apco,

Seeing Red said...

Minimum transparency standards?

What were Obama’s college transcripts again?


narciso said...

seeing as boies is based in nyc, the sdny, could very well have investigated hunter's board seat on the board of burisma, but that's why they brought in the Atlantic council, which is tied to crowdstrike, one of the leaker's associates misko, just happens to be a millennium fellow, shokin was fired, and it took a year and a half to reopen the case, as I'v spelled out before, by looking through back issues of the kyev press,

narciso said...

Manafort didn't even do the lobbying on behalf of the Hapsburg group, one of whose member is kwasnievski, who happens to be on the burisma board, hanging out with prince albert of Monaco every winter,

bagoh20 said...

This has nothing to do with Hunter Biden. He could have acted completely legal, and Joe Biden still could have acted completely corrupt in creating the legal opportunities for Hunter. The switch to talking about the legality of Hunter's actions is just a distraction.

Birkel said...

By God, bellows ARM, "If Trump is not a witch he should give all the records to Reverends Hale and Parris!"
/Schitty parody

Michael said...

ARM

I assume you believe the IRS is incompetent or crooked or both in that they have reviewed and passed on Trump’s returns for many years. And the corollary must be that Democrat congressmen are better equipped to ferret out financial misdeeds than the IRS. Or, LOL, that you are.

narciso said...

there was one missed attribution, in that piece, the bulk of the tax guaranteed money went to privat bank which went belly up, after shokin was fired, not zylochevsky, he was running his own skim through Cyprus, as mark steyn spelled out two weeks ago,

narciso said...

well she's basically pitched a fraudulent theory of bankruptcy law, for 15-20 years, even more significant that the critical race courses that Obama taught at university of Chicago,

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Michael said...
ferret out financial misdeeds than the IRS.


Weak misdirection. The issue is what fraction of Trump's earnings come from Turkey and Russia. There is nothing illegal about earning the bulk of your income from foreign sources but the public should know those numbers when attempting to assess a leader's actions.

gilbar said...

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
Bill Kristol said ...


Just to Clarify, ARM IS Chuck, right?

Milwaukie guy said...

Isn't Crowdstrike, the certifier of the DNC hack, not the FBI, owned by a Ukrainian?

Is the mirrored server still extant?

tim in vermont said...

It’s pretty clear that any good board needs a crack addict’s perspective.

Why not just say it? He rents himself out as a human shield to protect the company hiring him from prosecution. Just like Romney’s kid, Pelosi’s kid, Kerry’s kid. Then when the shields work, and the prosecution avoids the third rail of implicating the kid of a prominent American politician, you can claim that there were no misdeeds!

Narayanan said...

Derek Kite said...
One down. Expect some egregious act by Trump where he clumsily pokes around at the various places she taught...

they will be forced to defend Harvard's racial criteria for hiring and admissions.
_____________
That would be a glorious twofer : with Harvard Asian admission Case heading to SC

Oh my! (Dorothy voice)

Milwaukie guy said...

The Ukraine. Broker a peace deal with Russia that transfers the Crimea back to Russia for peace and Russian withdrawal. Ukraine joins NATO. Tell Euroweenies to grow a pair, at least of division strength that can deploy. Oh, and Germany, how about an air force, too?

narciso said...

that's an intriguing question, no he's a whole different lizard,

tim in vermont said...

ARM is not Chuck, Chuck doesn’t have the self discipline, nor could Chuck ever concede, as ARM has, that Trump is on the right side of a lot of important issues. ARM’s problem is that he isn’t pursuing the proper solutions, so he thinks that we ought to give power to people who don’t even bother with giving lip service to those problems, on the idea, I guess, that as Democrats, they will do what Obama never did and address them.

tim in vermont said...

Nobody among the Democrats will ask Biden why he didn’t recuse himself on issues involving the Ukraine or China, for that matter. Presumably they want to leave the low hanging fruit to Trump.

Just like nobody will ask Warren what she thinks the price of a gallon of gas should be. Or if you should pay tax on the value of an asset that you haven’t sold yet, and that might go down.

tim in vermont said...

"Bill Kristol said ...”

War monger who voted for the war monger Hillary said...

Birkel said...

ARM really wants Trump's tax returns to reveal something important that Lois Lerner's pals haven't already leaked.

The odds ARM continues to be disappointed across every phase of Xer life seem good.

Narayanan said...

Narr said...
Reporters, the working men and women who tried to find out what was happening and report it fairly, disappeared long ago, and were replaced by Journalists, credentialed ideologues who tell us what to think
________
How many Journalists have *Finger on Cheek* to footnote their first draft of history!?

tim in vermont said...

"President Biden may issue to address purported conflicts of interest.”

Joe Biden is so honest he doesn’t even know what a conflict of interest is! Another good question would be to ask Joe to define the term, because based on his statements, he doesn’t know what the term means. Biden's either ignorant, a moron, or a desperate liar.

Trump’s kids don’t do overseas deals since the election. They are only finishing out contracts on previous deals. They are highly visible here in the US. Still people just assume that they must be as dirty as Romney’s kid.

Yancey Ward said...

I doubt that is Chuck, but he has taken up the task of reading and linking the remnants of the NeverTrump brigade. It does appear that Kristol and Frum are reaching their target audience of leftists these days.

narciso said...

I dubbed him ellis, after hart bochner's character in die hard, recall there was a coke smuggling operation, run from Venezuela through west Africa, through prague, that was headed by a Hezbollah employee working for Ukrainian arms export agency, what operation Cassandra tried to disrupt, according through team leader, derek maltz,

Narayanan said...

Burisma and CrowdStrike connection through Atlantic Council.

Google won't show.
Seeing on Duck Duck Go.

narciso said...

and they shut that down, because it allowed iran to receive currency, blocked by the sanctions,

Anonymous said...

ARM we know you’re a Neocon shithead, quoting other Neocon Iraq War shitheads doesn’t impress people. It does confirm your low intelligence however.

Drago said...

ARM: "Weak misdirection. The issue is what fraction of Trump's earnings come from Turkey and Russia. There is nothing illegal about earning the bulk of your income from foreign sources but the public
should know those numbers when attempting to assess a leader's actions."

LOLOL

If only there had been a special counsel with a massive DOJ/FBI investigative team that despised the target with an unlimited budget and with full global access to all American cituzen information including tax returns AND secret wiretaps of everyone around the investigative target AND access to all our allied intelligence services to help investigate.

Boy, THEN we could have gotten to the truth of what Trump did!!

History began 15 minutes ago for ARM!

Michael K said...

Trump's lack of transparency is the problem.

If only Trump was as transparent as ARM, we could see right through him.

Come on, ARM, you are grasping at straws and those are illegal in California. Get a life.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Giovan Pietro Bellori
you’re a Neocon shithead


Remind me what you did to oppose the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

"Bill Kristol said ...
Who wanted Trump to withdraw U.S. troops and abandon the Kurds? Not the Defense or the State Department. Not the foreign policy establishment or the American people. Not Republicans or Democrats

WTF? The War Department wants to wage wars? Go figure. Government in a nutshell.

And the great mass of the "American people", Republican or Democrat, has no idea who the Kurds even are, never mind the significance of any policy decisions regarding them. They do know what wars are, however.

narciso said...

maybe I got it wrong

https://polination.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/crowdstrike/

narciso said...

it's like those Russian nesting dolls,


In 2017, Burisma Holdings signed a cooperative agreement with the Atlantic Council to promote international support for an energy independent Ukraine.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

On the issue of "Trump's" tax returns, I don't think that many people understand how incredibly complicated, complex, interwoven and difficult those returns are to be able to understand. It isn't as if Trump has a couple of 1099's, a W-2 and files a schedule 1040.

I put Trump's tax returns in quotes because those returns are not just those of Trump. To get a real picture of what "Trump's" tax returns are will involve the returns of multiple corporations, LLCs, Reits, and involve the personal and business returns of numerous other people and other separate legal entities.

These tax returns and supporting schedules are going to amount to a big fat pile of incomprehension when the dopes and dimbulbs in Congress finally get their wish. A giant foot high stack of papers and they are going to be like the kid at Christmas....digging through the pile of horse shit just SURE that there MUST BE A PONY under all that pile.

Good luck kids!!

roesch/voltaire said...

The 50,000 a month Hunter made pale in comparison to the millions the Trump children are collecting from deals in foreign countries, along with brand name rights.i suggest the children play show down and pull out their tax forms on the count of free money.

narciso said...

let me see if this works,


http://johnhelmer.net/the-hunt-for-burisma-part-ii-what-role-for-igor-kolomoisky-what-london-missed-what-washington-doesnt-want-to-see/

rehajm said...

These tax returns and supporting schedules are going to amount to a big fat pile of incomprehension when the dopes and dimbulbs in Congress finally get their wish

The leftie's leading Presidential candidate has no idea what a tax loss carryforward is. There's no reason to expect comprehension from lowly Congress critters.

tim in vermont said...

The 50,000 a month Hunter made pale in comparison to the millions the Trump children are collecting from deals in foreign countries

They were doing those deals *before* Trump became president, and have stopped taking new deals, and are now in the process of finishing out contracts made at a time when almost nobody, except Mick, believed that Trump would never be president.

You guys just say this stuff, but you have no evidence whatsoever that the Trump kids are profiting from access to dad. Hunter Biden made it his whole career.

Rosemont Seneca Bohai was controlled by Mr. Archer, who left Burisma’s board after he was charged in connection with a scheme to defraud pension funds and an Indian tribe of tens of millions of dollars. Bank records submitted in that case — which resulted in a conviction for Mr. Archer that was overturned in November — show that Rosemont Seneca Bohai made regular payments to Mr. Biden that totaled as much as $50,000 in some months.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/13/us/politics/hunter-biden-china.html

Read the link, there’s lots more.

Pelosi’s kid had a close brush with prosecution too, and it is still pretty unclear how he escaped prosecution for something that clearly happened when he was president of the company prosecuted. I doubt it had anything to do with the fact that he was the son of the Speaker of the House. The kids act as human sheilds protecting the companies that hire them.

Hire a Trump kid and you make yourself a target. It’s exacty the opposite. I have no problem with applying the standards applied to the Trump children to all politicians. Romney would blow a gasket, I am sure. With his kid.

Michael K said...

.i suggest the children play show down and pull out their tax forms on the count of free money.

R/V shows how little he knows about any sort of business. Trump had a going business that could not be just put in a blind trust. The Trump children are running that business. The only thing Hunter ran was his nose after snorting cocaine.

tim in vermont said...

"Remind me what you did to oppose the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq.” said the chickenhawk.

At least we learned. Obama sent troops into Syria, we are just now extricating ourselves from that bright idea when I thought that we had an election that said no more overthrowing dictators.... Then Sidney Blumenthal convinces Hillary who convinces Obama to throw gasoline of the fire of that civil war.

Remind me of the penance you have done for the thousands upon thousands of refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean, the wages of refuges launched by Obama’s disasterous adventures, which HE COULD HAVE AVOIDED had he only listened to the people who elected him on the issue, thousands of refugees than destabized the EU.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

It's a "Hunter's Moon" this weekend.

Hunter has become the hunted.
As he is a dope of questionable character, and the 'apple doesn't fall far from the tree", in terms of his gaffe-tastic dad, it is no wonder they are keeping him far away from anyone who would get him on record. And no surprise no one in the media cares to.

Curious, isn't it?-- as we have asked times before--
"Where's Hunter?"
"Where's Ghislaine?"
"Where's Mifsud?"

it's almost as if there is a concerted effort to keep these people from scrutiny, eh?
Who would do that, and why??

Michael K said...

Remind me what you did to oppose the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq.


I thought it was a good idea to see if Arabs could rule themselves without tyrants,

Then Bush put Bremer in charge of the Iraq occupation.

All was then lost. That was 2008. "Nation Building " was the neocon concept. It didn't work. The Democrats, just like in Vietnam, supported the invasion, then reneged. They always do that. Eisenhower was trying to scrape up troops during the Bulge but Congress had cut off the draft.

tim in vermont said...

Why did Hillary’s campaign manager have 70 thousand shares, worth millions of dollars, of a company run by Putin cronies? Why did those shares become suddenly worthless within days of Hillary’s loss?

It was a “clean energy” company in Russia, same as the “clean energy” company that Pelosi’s son works for in the Ukraine.

But we don’t like Trump, so he must be equally guilty!

Why don’t you guys have chapter and verse listing of the corruption of the Trump children?

tim in vermont said...

It’s long been said that the real scandal is what’s legal.

Francisco D said...

The 50,000 a month Hunter made pale in comparison to the millions the Trump children are collecting from deals in foreign countries, along with brand name rights.i suggest the children play show down and pull out their tax forms on the count of free money.

How do you know this r/v? Are you the Trump Organization CFO or are you just bulling it out of your ass? I very strongly suspect the latter, as always.

BTW, politicians and the children of politicians who get bribed by foreign governments are quite a bit different from the hard working children of business tycoons who actually worked for their money. That is why they have to destroy Trump.

Drago said...

roesch/voltaire: "The 50,000 a month Hunter made pale in comparison to the millions the Trump children are collecting from deals in foreign countries, along with brand name rights"

LOLOLOL

Yeah, they weren't doing any of that before Trump was elected President, were they?

Oh, wait.

You are a moron.

Michael said...

ARM
A quick look at Trump’s assets (understanding as I am sure you do that the bulk, if not all, are licensing agreements and not owned) overseas and it is preposterous to assert that the bulk of his come comes from those assets. And since the hard assets are owned by others it is more difficult still for the financially astute to believe there is anything nefarious about any of them.

narciso said...

yes bremer in the 80s, was at large ambassador like cofer black would be in the 00s, he was powell's man, because state wanted dinosaurs like pachachi, who had last been significant in the post six day war aftermath at the UN, the Company wanted possible war criminal Baathist generals, like Samarrai, they settled for Alawi, and Defense wanted the Shia and Kurdish exiles, that Chalabi had brought in, we got the worst of both worlds, specially after Chalabi was slandered as having leaked the codes to the Iranians, and they ended up with a genuine Syrian and Iranian puppet in Malaki,

Michael said...

RV wrote. “The 50,000 a month Hunter made pale in comparison to the millions the Trump children are collecting from deals in foreign countries, along with brand name rights.i suggest the children play show down and pull out their tax forms on the count of free money.”

The “deals” were in place before Trump was elected. But to be sure perhaps you could tell us which new deals they struck in which foreign countries since Trump took office. I am sure you have this information at hand.

buster said...

ARM: "There is nothing illegal about earning the bulk of your income from foreign sources but the public should know those numbers when attempting to assess a leader's actions."

Is it impeachable? If not, why should Congress see his tax records?

wildswan said...

Far as I can tell Hunter Biden was hired to clean up corruption at Burisma - or at least to be sure that said corruption conformed to US-EU standards, not to that of Russia.

Hired to cleanup "lean up corruption" - because What else does "advising Burisma on its corporate reform initiatives" mean?

"at least to be sure that said corruption conformed to US-EU standards" = What else is meant by:
"Hunter focused his work on the principles of corporate transparency, governance and responsibility"
and then comes his experience with corporate governance etc.
"based on his prior experience ... other boards, including the Chair of World Food Program USA, ..., Vice-Chair of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), ... Center for National Policy, Truman National Security Project, and the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign."

So you see, Hunter Biden was a reformer. We've misunderstood. The Ukrainians were acting Russian in their corruption and it's always easy to see how corruption in another country works, especially when that other country is Russia. So the Ukrainians needed to reform. What would Biden do? Hunter was showing them that.

ndspinelli said...

Check Betty Ford Clinic, Hazelden, etc.

Nichevo said...

Dust Bunny Queen said...
On the issue of "Trump's" tax returns, I don't think that many people understand how incredibly complicated, complex, interwoven and difficult those returns are to be able to understand.


They just want to see his pee-pee. They want EVERYBODY to see his pee-pee while they point and laugh. Big, small, straight or curved, cut or uncut, doesn't matter. They just want to be boss. Above all they want to be always the ones pointing and never the ones pointed at.

Orly said...

Where’s Hunter?

I say he’s in South Africa with his new wife.

Gospace said...

Hunter Biden popped positive for cocaine a whopping one month after being commissioned.

He wasn't court martialed. Why not?

He apparently didn't receive NJP in the form of Admiral's Mast. Why not?

What was the character of his discharge? A DD requires conviction at general court martial. A BCD at special or general.

That leaves other than honorable, general under honorable conditions, and honorable. Funny how the media shows no curiosity about this.

It's difficult to get a job with an OTH.

Gospace said...

Oops! I forgot that that there's a different procedure for commissioned officers. But he was clearly eligible to be separated under those procedures for the officer equivalent of an other than honorable discharge.

Mr. Majestyk said...

Beasts of England said:

"And how will the investment firm function without his expertise?"

LOL! That was a good one!

Anonymous said...

Remind me what you did to oppose the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq.

I like to call it the Kristol/Frum/ARM war.

Anonymous said...

Remind me what you did to oppose the Bush/Cheney war in Iraq.

Shouldn’t you be asking that of your friend Peggy Noonan?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

the corrupt corporate hack-D press figure they didn't do enough for Hillary. They are NOW attempting to leave any semblance of credibility in the trash can so they can be advocates for THE PARTY.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

"Hunter, 49, married the South African 32-year-old in May after only knowing her for 10 days — and just three weeks after he broke up with Hallie Biden, his late brother Beau's widow."

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

#Where'sBidenHidin'?

"Where's Hunter? He has totally disappeared!
Now looks like he has raided and scammed
even more countries! Media is AWOL."
--PDJT

Narayanan said...

Have anybody congratulations to Joe Biden for new grandson?

Narayanan said...

@ARM: out of respect for your avatar (my culture venerate idols and elders)
Business people like stability
(I don't include weapons merchant)
Trump is business man.

You should be able to take steps to conclusions.
Even if $$$ from Russia and Turkey . By the way why did you leave out Ukraine?

JamesB.BKK said...

He's keeping the 10% in BHR? Hmm. The question to ask yourself is: "How would I react if this was an ExxonMobil company and the recently appointed foreigner board member advising on governance is the low performing son of an Indonesian Minister.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Narayanan said...
Business people like stability


Is what is currently happening in Syria look like stability to you? Or, for that matter, does the confused and contradictory 'Trade War' look like stability?