( President Biden): When a person enters public life that person needs to consider who and what can affect their political efforts, what can advance their political process, and what can be an obstacle to success.
America’s Presidents, past and present have experienced just that sort of challenge to their political survival. President Biden has tried to manage his son Hunter Biden while encouraging him to become a self-made man, a capitalist, and a success. Hunter has been non of these, journeying into sectors of international business that allied him with Chinese and Russian business interests at best called corrupt and a threat to America’s security.
Hunter, an addict, and abuser of alcohol were as addicted to celebrity, as he was to monetary power. Hunter has been under investigation since 2018 but the American Federal Government’s probe into his financial and tax affairs continues. The New York Times reported that suspicions of money laundering had fueled this probe, but no proof of wrongdoing has risen so far, but former President Trump’s insistence that Hunter be investigated initiated the continuation of the probe. Through a partisan lens, Hunter is as good a target as the President is, and Republican forces will continue to push the investigation.
The Republicans have some ammunition indeed. Hunter has given a laptop to a Delaware repair shop, only to not pick it up. The owner of this shop made copies of the hard drive, passing it onto Trump‘s lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who could sense political opportunity offering itself to the Republican cause. Many hundreds of personal emails have been viewed firstly by Republicans and then by Federal Agents.
Hunters’ personal privacy had been violated, but National Security always trumps those rights. Further peril exists due to Hunter’s business practices. Hunter was a paid board member of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy firm owned by an oligarch who was seen as corrupt, and an ally of Moscow. Advising wealthy Romanian and Moldovan executives facing corruption and criminal charges, along with investing in private equity funds attached to the Chinese Government have placed Hunter in a very bad place. President Biden is facing challenging questions too. Was the president involved in any of these suspicious deals? If so, was the president using his position to misdirect federal investigations and protect his son?
Recent charges from The Jan 6th Committee regarding the assault on the Capital, have placed former President Trump in hot water to say the least. Trump forces may steep President Biden in a crisis of his own, regarding possible illegal practices by his son, and try to attach the father to his son’s practices.
The Democrats fear that the investigation will deride both Hunter and Joe Biden, accusing them of the very same thing Democrats have accused former President Trump’s Family. International finance, business, and political practices have rules that legitimate people must abide by. Does political and monetary power change these rules, manipulate and derail the transparency the public seeks and demands?
Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca
