Garland pledges 'there will not be interference' in DOJ's probe of Hunter Biden

[Celerity]

https://www.wral.com/garland-pledges-there-will-not-be-interference-in-dojs-probe-of-hunter-biden/20253097/

CNN — Attorney General Merrick Garland assured a Senate panel on Tuesday that there will "not be interference" in the Justice Department's probe into Hunter Biden's business activities, and emphasized an appointee of former President Donald Trump is leading the investigation.

Garland was pressed on the matter during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee, with Republican Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty demanding to know whether he had been briefed on the probe. The attorney general noted that it's being run by David Weiss, the US attorney in Wilmington, Delaware.

"I'm aware of that, but he reports to you," Hagerty responded. "He is supervising the investigation and I'm not at liberty to talk about internal Justice Department deliberations, but he is in charge of that investigation," Garland said. "There will not be interference of any political or improper kind."

The probe began as early as 2018 and concerns multiple financial and business activities in foreign countries dating to when Hunter Biden's father was vice president. Investigators have examined whether Hunter Biden and some of his associates violated money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying laws, as well as firearm and other regulations, multiple sources previously told CNN.

snip

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. So of COURSE there is nothing political about it!

God forbid a Senate Republican should have his precious feathers ruffled!

[global1]

2. Garland Is Commenting On Hunter - Has He Made Any Statements About The Crimes TFG....

has committed? What about the J6 insurrection and coup?

[tavernier]

3. Has Garland ever heard of a man called Donald Trump,

or know anything about his family? Daughter? Son in Law?

Didn’t think so. Maybe somebody should bring him up to speed.

[Ohio Joe]

7. Indeed, he has...

If you think DOJ is not doing anything, then why do you think they keep climbing the ranks with prosecutions and indictments?

Garland could have spent four years going after the low level thugs at the Capitol, had a bunch of show trials and called it a career. This was what I feared most at first.

But... He did not stop there.

He went after and caught the next level up and now has 12, including 2 not at the Capitol, charged with seditious conspiracy. Again, he could have stopped there... Had the trials and called it a career. At this point, he probably would have even been made to look as if he had gone above and beyond. A lot of people never expected the investigation to go that far.

But... Again, he did not stop there.

He has now flipped two of the seditious conspirators (that we know of) and in the agreement said he plans to use him in the Grand Jury (we'll get to that). He could have stopped there, not wanted them in a Grand Jury, and had the show trials doubly nailing the 12 in even bigger fashion and bigger TV clip drama with their own on the stand pointing the finger.

But... Still he did not stop there.

He convened a 7th Grand Jury for 1/6. You do not do that unless you plan to go higher... And any higher is TFG's inner circle, in this case (with the flipper being Josua James) that mean Roger Stone. The same Roger Stone that currently is having a fairly public falling out with maga world. We also know that at this point there are at least eight of TFG's inner circle under investigation... They are:

TOM BARRACK
RUDY GIULIANI
ROBERT COSTELLO
SIDNEY POWELL
MARK MEADOWS
ALEX JONES
ROGER STONE
ERIK PRINCE

For more on Grand Juries for 1/6, see here:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216589606#post12

We also know what is needed... What is nice to have... What is known to be had... What is still needed... And how what is needed might be gotten to go directly after TFG, see this previous post of mine:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216561245

So... Where and when do you think Garland stops? Does he throw the Grand Jury to let them off? What if they indict? My suspicion is that this Grand Jury is just to go after the inner circle and not TFG yet... I think that for a reason... He has gone after this from day 1 as though it were a mob case, it certainly appears to me to be a text book mob case. Once he has indictments against the inner circle, you have a different set of defendants than any before... Older men who tried for a coup and failed... Older men now facing dying in jail going up against someone they know has them nailed.

[tavernier]

13. On my knees I hope you are right.

But I live in Florida and it’s very hard to imagine that those crooks… including our governor… will ever be held accountable for anything. And to add insult to injury, just the appearance that Garland is more concerned about “hunting down Hunter” while the Trump kids swan around Palm Beach planning their return to the White House, makes honest and law abiding citizens a little nuts.

[Ohio Joe]

16. I do not believe he is...

He can't refuse to answer the question put to him from a committee... He tried to dodge around it but he is not a professional bullshitter and so answered. The investigation is going nowhere... It's been going for three years (four? I'd have to look but at least three) and has nothing to show for it. It is left alone because if it was ended, it would be a tool for repugs to use for years to cry 'cover up'. Letting it die it's quiet death is really the best idea. Every now and again repugs will try to use it as some kind of 'ahhh ha, we got you now!' but at this point it means little with zero to show for it... And that only grows more meaningless with time.

[tavernier]

20. Ok... you make good sense.

Strange for a guy from Ohio.
…
Sorry, raised in Michigan and couldn’t resist.
Go Blue.

[agingdem]

18. I sensed Garland was clearing the debris...

going after the wagons circling Trump: his inner circle, enablers, co-conspirators..he's purposely getting out of the way of the J6 committee, allowing them to do their thing with no DOJ interference...if Garland indicts prior to the public hearings and the final report then Garland becomes the story and it will detract from the value of the committee's work ...but then again a day without someone bashing Garland is a day without sunshine...

[Ohio Joe]

21. I think that is part of it but I also think it's a bit more...

Nobody knows the real reason but my speculation would be... They are currently talking to the two seditious conspirators who pled guilty and as far as I know have not announced a sentencing date for either. My guess is, they want to see how helpful their testimony and provided evidence is before they agree to a reduction in sentence. Until all that is determined, no charges will come against the inner circle. The 7th Grand Jury (that they both will testify at) is underway... I'm guessing there is a lot of evidence to present before the Grand Jury decides on charges so I suspect it will not be until August or September that we hear much more that really matters/tells us anything definitive.

So while I agree he would not want to step on the committees toes, I think the timeline just goes past them anyway. All just speculation on my part here though.

[WiVoter]

4. I Don't Understand Garland's Thinking

I don’t know if he (& others) have been threatened, bribed, or what. I don’t get the delay either. Is that some sort of strategy? I mean, we are on short leash here. Just wish the cult would be held to the same standard.

[Grins]

5. "I'm not Bill Barr!" AG Garland didn't add.

Or should it have been: "I'm not Bill Barr - you duplicitous, hypocritical, baby-devouring carbuncle! You can take that crap to CPAC!"

[dalton99a]

6. How about Jared Kushner's financial and business activities as senior advisor to his father-in-law?

[The Magistrate]

8. A Sanctimonious Cretin, Ma'am

By their formal adherence to regulation without the least concession to contingencies 'good men' go down before scoundrels. As Mr' Lincoln observed, the Constitution is not a suicide pact. Neither are cultural norms when engaged with people who act in disregard of them. Normalcy is not restored by pretending things still are normal, but by recognizing and correcting the aberration.


"Asked if a man should repay evil with good, he replied: 'With what, then shall I repay good? Repay good with good, repay evil with straightness."

[dalton99a]

9. +1

[llashram]

10. Benghazi! Benghazi!

Last edited Tue Apr 26, 2022, 02:18 PM - Edit history (1)

and a goddamn republican is still there at Garlands' acquiescence? Something stinks!

[Beastly Boy]

11. So Garland pledges integrity.

Let's not have this heinous deed be left unpunished!

[Walleye]

12. Statute of limitations?. Plus Hunter did not try to overthrow democracy

We don’t know if he did anything wrong, I doubt he committed any criminal acts

[Sympthsical]

14. A preview of the Senate if we lose

It'll be two years of Hunter.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

15. 4 years now and they haven't found anything?

[Mad_Machine76]

31. 4 years?

Garland's only been in office for a little over a year by now

[SoonerPride]

17. I thought Garland didn't comment about ongoing investigations

That's what a vast swath of posters on DU has sworn was the case.

[Emile]

19. +1. Heard that one several times!

[stopdiggin]

24. did you read his statement?

"He is supervising the investigation and I'm not at liberty to talk about internal Justice Department deliberations, but he is in charge of that investigation," Garland said. "There will not be interference of any political or improper kind."

that's about as close to "no comment' as you get when responding to a U.S. senator.

[SoonerPride]

30. He confirmed an ongoing investigation

and won't do the same when asked if they are merely investigating trump.

[hamsterjill]

32. Exactly.

n/t

[stopdiggin]

33. Sigh. Whatever, dude.

I concede the 'high moral ground' to the Okie.
Garland is quite obviously a snake and a (not too well concealed) Republican operative. Better?
----- -----

[SoonerPride]

35. No he's just feckless and afraid of upsetting anyone

[Crunchy Frog]

22. Well, at least they know where their priorities are.

[kacekwl]

23. This guy is

freaking hilarious. Please resign.

[budkin]

25. I'm glad Garland is laser focused on the most pressing issue for DOJ!

"Where's Hunter?"

[maxrandb]

26. Why Democrats lose this game

Last edited Tue Apr 26, 2022, 03:24 PM - Edit history (1)

I mean, it's not like the DOJ investigation of Hunter Biden, requested/demanded by Donnie Dipshit and started by Billy Goat Barr was anything but political to start with.

But, that's not the point.

By dipshit Retrumplicans asking Garland about Hunter, they got exactly what they want. The story gets played on our Kindergarden debate level media.

I want to know why there were not relentless questions about DOJ investigating a fucking $2B bribe from the Saudis to the Former Defeated Guys Son-in-Law?

Obviously, Garlands answer would be the same "we don't blah, blah, blah" But, Dems...at least one of them, should be assigned to hammer the fucking hell out of Garland about Donnie Dipshits corruption and malfeasance. That way, it gets played on the media.

I know that Dems think we still have a functioning government where committees do the hard work of governing, but that hasn't been true since they put cameras in committee rooms.

[spanone]

28. ⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧⇧

+1,000,000

[spanone]

27. hagerty is 'my' senator and a real pos.

Him and marsha blackburn....two shitstains.

[FloridaBlues]

29. Meanwhile no investigation of trump family!! We did have over a year to investigate could do it

Even now. Still waiting!

[jalan48]

34. What a guy! No wonder McConnell voted to confirm him.