But if you want to believe a political rally is "incitement to insurrection", — NOS4A2
More hereOne such lesson came when Donald was seven years old, and his father was brought before a U.S. Senate committee investigating abuses in a housing program for war veterans and middle class families. President Eisenhower had been outraged to learn of the bribes that developers paid to bureaucrats and of the alleged profiteering practiced by Trump and others. Ike called them “sons of bitches.”
As federal investigators had discovered, the elder Trump had collected an extra $1.7 million in rent—equivalent to $15 million today—before beginning to pay back his low-cost government loan. He was able to do this because a bureaucrat named Clyde Powell approved the paperwork. Powell, who had never been paid more than a modest government salary, had mysteriously amassed a small fortune. (While it was clear Powell accepted bribes, the sources were never officially identified.) In addition to collecting the extra rent, Trump paid himself a substantial architect’s fee. And he charged inflated rents based on an estimate of construction costs that was far greater than what he actually spent. All of this was legal, even if it did victimize taxpayers, veterans, and other renters.
The problem with your claim is that it seem to merely be parrotting a GOP talking point, that is rooted in applying confirmation bias to anecdotal evidence, applying false equivalences, and an unwillingness to consider their guy uniquely culpable. We're all partisan, but that doesn't excuse poor reasoning.The real problem is the preferential treatment, the justice system and intelligence community protecting one of its own. — NOS4A2
Mischaracterization. The former intel officials did not say it was misinformation. Here's a quote from the letter:Hunter linked daddy to Chinese deal in threat to business partner.
Joe Biden showed up at business meetings with Hunter and his Chinese partners.
The FBI authenticated Hunter Biden's laptop almost a year before we knew it existed and found no evidence of misinformation. Former intel officials come out and say it’s misinformation before the election. — NOS4A2
"Hidden"? It's policy to keep investigations private, unless and until an indictment is made. You complain of "anti-Trump" leaks, and yet everything we know about the Hunter investigation is a product of leaks.Hunter deducted hooker and sex club payments from his taxes
The investigation into Hunter Biden had started due to a foreign porn website back in the 2018, and of course all of this was hidden from the public, unlike anti-Trump leaks.
As you know, a Trump appointed prosecutor (Weiss) was given free rein to handle Hunter's investigation and worked the plea deal with Hunter's attorneys. Plea deals are common. I have read the IRS Whistleblower's testimony, and it means one of three things: 1) Weiss and Garland have both lied; 2) the whistleblower lied; 3) the whistleblower misunderstood something that was said.Prosecutors wanted to charge Hunter with felonies, but all he got was misdemeanors.
Biden’s Department of Justice worked to block the investigation.
Agents wanted to search Biden family homes but were told the optics would be too bad.
IRS wanted search warrant for Hunter’s storage locker but a Biden-appointed prosecutor tipped off his lawyers.
This is according to the whistleblowers, and it absolutely should be investigated. But bear in mind, this occurred when Trump was President in June 2020. The DOJ has a policy of standing down on matters that are relevant during an election during the 3 months prior to the election. The controversy seems to surround the fact that this was a couple months prior to the official "freeze". Were they, perhaps, exercising extra caution to avoid an appearance of partisanship - as when Obama failed to make a fuss in 2016 about Russia's campaign assistance for Trump? (see: this). Given Trump's public interference with DOJ, a bit of extra caution might have been in his best interests. But again- it needs to be investigated, rather than jump to conclusions in any either direction. An allegation isn't proof; at worst, it points to a need to investigate.Agents wanted to search Biden family homes but were told the optics would be too bad.
IRS wanted search warrant for Hunter’s storage locker but a Biden-appointed prosecutor tipped off his lawyers. — NOS4A2
So you're a conspiracy theorist. That says it all. It provides context for your obvious confirmation bias.The double standards are between those who oppose the deep state and those who do not. — NOS4A2
You're treating a distorted partisan narrative as established fact. No signatories of the letter were in the CIA at the time of signing. They could only be guilty of disinformation if they knew the laptop was legitimate, but I've seen no evidence that any of them (or Blinkin) actually knew the laptop data was legitimate. It does makes perfect sense for the campaign to want to minimize attention to the distraction - that's the nature of political campaigns.But your partisan outrage leads you to jump to the conclusion they lied, and that this constitutes cheating, and then criticize me for failing to do the same.why are you being a running dog for the CIA? The entire purpose of the letter was to frame it as disinfo, to sew the seeds of doubt in the public, and to provide Biden with a talking point should Trump bring up the laptop in the debate. — NOS4A2
Contemporaneous emails show the organizers’ intent in drafting and releasing the statement: “[W]e think Trump will attack Biden on the issue at this week’s debate and we want to offer perspectives on this from Russia watchers and other seasoned experts,” and “we want to give the [Vice President] a talking point to use in response.”
That wasn't an irrational conspiracy theory- the Russians did such things in 2016- and they merely noted this seemed consistent, while not denying it possibly being real. They were telling the truth as they saw it, so they did nothing morally or legally wrong. I already noted it was politically motivated, but you're going to have to explain what's wrong with that. I gather you don't like the fact it was an (unintentional) untruth. Shall I tally up the intentional untruths spread by Trump & his supporters in all 3 of the elections he's beenthey are spreading a conspiracy theory and misinformation before an election. — NOS4A2
When I read the letter in 2020, I focused on the sentences I quoted, and accepted that the laptop info might be true. I read the NY Post articles, deciphered the real info from the hyperbole and speculation, and concluded Hunter Biden is an asshole drug-addict, but also saw nothing implicating Joe. It was reported the FBI had the info and were investigating, and yes- I thought that appropriate.I’m surprised you weren’t there telling everyone “it needs to be investigated, rather than jump to conclusions in any either direction.” — NOS4A2
The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee has released evidence that casts significant doubt on GOP claims that the FBI ignored evidence that President Joe Biden accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian energy mogul during his time as vice president.
In a letter to House Oversight Committee chair James Comer, Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin reminded his GOP counterpart that Congress has had evidence “that directly contradicts the allegations” levied against Mr Biden in an FBI form which Republicans have claimed to be proof of alleged corruption on the part of the president.
“As part of the impeachment inquiry against then-President Trump, Congress learned that ... the Ukrainian oligarch and the owner of Burisma, whom Republican Committee Members appear to have identified as the source of the allegations memorialized in the Form FD-1023, squarely rebutted these allegations in 2019,” Mr Raskin said.
A “whistleblower” who has repeatedly accused the Bidens of corruption has been charged by the Justice Department with arms trafficking, acting as a foreign agent for China and violating Iran sanctions.
Gal Luft, who is a citizen of both the United States and Israel, is accused of paying a former adviser to Donald Trump on behalf of principals in China in 2016 without registering as a foreign agent.
Prosecutors say that Mr Luft pushed the former government employee, who is not named, to push policies that were favourable to China.
They also allege that he set up meetings between officials of Iran and a Chinese energy company to discuss oil deals, which would violate US sanctions.
They also alleged that Mr Luft “conspired with others and attempted to broker illicit arms transactions with, among others, certain Chinese individuals and entities” by working as a middleman to find both buyers and sellers for “certain weapons and other materials” in violation of the US Arms Control Act.
Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.