2023-12-14 03:44:55
by Massimo Gaggi
Important step by Congress to officially open a parliamentary investigation for the collection of evidence: the motion passed with 221 and 212 no. Meanwhile, his son Hunter: My father has never been involved in my activities
NEW YORK – Important step by the US Congress towards the Republicans’ attempt to impeach Joe Biden. On the day in which the president’s son, Hunter, accused the Trumpists of distorting data and testimonies on his financial crimes to try to attack his father and refused to testify in Parliament behind closed doors, saying he was ready to answer anything but only in a public session, the House voted on a motion officially opening a parliamentary inquiry to gather evidence against Joe Biden. All the Democrats opposed it and spoke of revenge for the two impeachments suffered by Trump, carried out without evidence, only with conspiracy theories. But the speaker, Republican Mike Johnson, stressed that this is only a preliminary move to give parliamentarians more investigative powers.
Words that also convinced the right-wing moderates, skeptical about the opportunity of a parliamentary attack after evidence against the president had been searched without success for a year, to vote unitedly with the other republicans for the motion which passed with 221 votes. 212 no. This vote concluded a very tense day that began early in the morning with the appearance of Hunter Biden who, in front of the American TV cameras and with the white dome of the Capitol in Washington behind him, explained his refusal of the quote with which the majority House Republican ordered him to appear for closed-door testimony. In the depths of my drug addiction – said the president’s son -, I did financially irresponsible things and I am answering for them. But to think that this could be a ground for investigation into the impeachment of my father is beyond absurd: shameful. I am prepared to testify to the House in public, not behind closed doors. For six years I have been in the crosshairs of Trump’s attack machine: I do not accept that my words are used – as the Republicans have been doing for years – to misinform by leaking selected pieces of the depositions in order to accredit misleading, false reconstructions.
Here I am, I am – continued Hunter Biden – ready to give answers to legitimate questions that everyone must be able to hear, without manipulation. James Comer, Jim Jordan, Jason Smith (the most influential and active Republican lawmakers in the attempt to impeach the president, ed.) and others have distorted facts extracted from bank documents, manipulated my text messages, used personal data that was stolen from me and they did a malicious job of editing the statements of my friends and business partners. What the Republicans are doing is incorrect and indecent: My father has never been financially involved in my business, in my law practice, or in the relationships I have had with foreign clients.
The response of the Republicans, who now control the House and are on the offensive against the president, was not long in coming: Joe Biden not financially involved? – commented Jim Jordan -. Interesting. Up until now they had said that the president was not involved and that was it. Now Hunter tells us he’s not involved financially. In what other ways then? He has to come and explain it to us. James Comer, president of Oversight, the Commission that summoned him, is also harsh: It’s not up to him to decide how he should be questioned, we don’t let Hunter Biden impose the rules, said James Comer, president of the Oversight Commission. And then: We will not give him discounts because he is the president’s son, we will ask for his indictment for contempt of the Congress, contempt of Congress and refusal to comply with a subpoena which is a legally binding summons.
Faced with the prospect of years – and perhaps decades – of prison for the two indictments already received by the judiciary for not particularly serious crimes (having possessed a weapon for 11 days without declaring drug addiction and unpaid taxes for 4 years, but then paid subsequently and in full), Hunter risks relatively little for refusing to testify in Congress: the Oversight Commission must meet again, declare him in contempt and turn the case over to the chamber which must vote on the request to proceed criminally. Request which, if approved, will be examined by the Ministry of Justice which is responsible for deciding whether to proceed or not. it is likely that Minister Merrick Garland, always careful to show his independence from the White House to the point of entrusting the criminal investigations into Hunter Biden to a magistrate appointed by Trump, will send the case to the Court of Appeals of the capital for possible sanction .
The (tendentially progressive) magistrates will probably take into account his willingness to testify publicly: if it is true that it is not up to the witness to decide how he will be questioned, it is also true that, in cases of subpoena, the modalities of the session are generally agreed upon by the parliamentary body with the lawyers of the aforementioned person. However, there is additional pressure and stress for the president who is being dragged, without evidence, towards impeachment proceedings from which he will certainly emerge acquitted even in the event of formal indictment (to reach a conviction, two-thirds of the votes of a Senate today with a Democratic majority are needed ), but which will be used in the media to counterbalance the effect of the trials against Trump. And Dad Joe realizes that if he weren’t president, his son’s crimes wouldn’t be prosecuted so severely. Hunter himself said it, accentuating the dramatic tones, after the second criminal indictment: They want to kill me to hit my father.
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December 14, 2023 (changed December 14, 2023 | 02:21)
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