DIRTY POLITICIANS AND DIRTY LAWYERS - NEVER A WONDER WHY THE BIGGEST PARASITES ARE LAWYER-POLITICIANS LIKE JOE BIDEN AND LAWYER KAMALA HARRIS

 The $1,300 haul might not be a significant sum for Emhoff. Her father, entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff, and her famous stepmom have reported earnings of $11.5 million since their marriage in 2014. Unlike Hunter Biden, she does not bear the burden of being the sole breadwinner for her extended family.

Biden's brother, Frank Biden, has come under fire for touting his relationship with the president as part of his work for a Florida law firm. He was recently photographed (sans mask) at a Ft. Lauderdale birthday bash for boxer Floyd Mayweather. The vice president's niece, Meena Harris, has been warned to stop profiting from her aunt's image via her #Resistance clothing company.

Then there's Hunter Biden. The First Son, who recently moved his family into a $5.4 million mansion in Venice, Calif., continues to cause headaches for the administration. He remains under federal investigation for potential tax crimes related to his shady business dealings in Ukraine and is reportedly still "working to unwind" his 10 percent stake in a Chinese investment firm.

Biden Muscles Out Chicago Prosecutor Hot on the Heels of Powerful Dems

Lawmakers from both parties have called for John Lausch to keep his job

 
 
 

US Attorney General William Barr (L) listens as US Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois speaks on Operation Legend, the federal law enforcement operation, during a press conference in Chicago, Illinois, on September 9, 2020. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP) (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Kevin Daley - FEBRUARY 18, 2021 6:20 PM

President Joe Biden is forcing Chicago's top federal prosecutor to resign amid ongoing criminal probes of powerful Illinois Democrats and their associates. 

U.S. attorney John Lausch is prosecuting close confidants of Democrat boss Mike Madigan, an ally of former president Barack Obama who resigned from the state legislature Thursday after a decades-long reign in Springfield. Lausch's office will also prosecute Chicago alderman Edward Burke (D.), an influential figure accused of strong-arming businesses into retaining his law firm. 

Lausch's abrupt removal has drawn bipartisan criticism from Illinois lawmakers who say he should be allowed to finish his work or depart on a longer timeline to ensure an orderly transition. The president asked all Trump-appointed U.S. attorneys to resign by the end of February but allowed two to remain in place to conclude politically sensitive work.

With much of the state's Democratic establishment in his sights, it's not clear why Biden did not extend the same courtesy to Lausch. Madigan's resignation, timed as it is with Lausch's imminent departure, will raise even more pointed questions for Lausch's successor about the future of the case. 

"A new administration asking an old administration's U.S. attorneys to resign is nothing unusual, but you typically want to see a little bit of time given," said Zack Smith, a Heritage Foundation legal fellow and former assistant U.S. attorney. "There are many sensitive investigations going on, and it takes time for a new U.S. attorney to build partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies."

The Biden administration maintains there is nothing unusual with removing Lausch. "This was an across the board transition, with only one exception in keeping a U.S. attorney in place in their district, in line with how previous administrations addressed this issue," a White House official told the Washington Free Beacon. The U.S. attorney in Delaware will stay on as that office continues an inquiry into Hunter Biden's tax affairs. U.S. attorney John Durham will step back from his role as the top prosecutor in Connecticut, but will remain in the Justice Department to conclude his probe on the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation.

Madigan was a titanic figure in state politics who, with the exception of two years of Republican control, served as speaker of the Illinois legislature from 1983 until this year. From his perch in the state capitol, Madigan kept a tight grip on redistricting, legislative business, and day-to-day electioneering. His influence was such that Obama backed and cut ads for a Madigan recruit in a local primary while in the White House. 

Prosecutors accused an Illinois utility giant, Commonwealth Edison, of providing payments, subcontracts, and no-show jobs to Madigan allies as a reward for favorable legislative action. An unnamed lobbyist described the arrangement as an "old-fashioned patronage system" in a 2019 meeting with ComEd personnel, according to legal filings. 

ComEd cut a deal with Lausch's office in July 2020, agreeing to turn over reams of evidence and pay a $200 million fine. The utility giant described its scheme in detail in a deferred prosecution agreement, admitting that it provided "jobs, vendor subcontracts, and monetary payments" to Madigan loyalists "even in instances where certain political allies and workers performed little or no work that they were purportedly hired to perform for ComEd."

Madigan has not yet been indicted, but remains at the very center of the probe, identified repeatedly in court papers as "Public Official A." A former legislator and longtime Madigan confidant, Michael McClain, has been charged in connection with the scheme, as have two top ComEd executives and a consultant. 

The matter is ongoing and complex, so getting Lausch's successor up to speed will be a daunting challenge on its own. A grand jury impaneled for the case in January 2019 was hearing evidence as late as December 2020, according to local press. 

Lawmakers in both parties have raised concerns that Lausch's removal would disrupt the ComEd probe. Sens. Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) and Tammy Duckworth (D., Ill.) said Lausch should remain in place until his successor is confirmed by the Senate, a move supported by Illinois's five Republican congressmen. The GOP lawmakers emphasized that the scope of the investigation is "historic" in a Feb. 9 statement. 

Lausch's office is currently prosecuting other public corruption matters. Fourteenth Ward alderman Edward Burke is expected to stand trial in 2022 on racketeering, extortion, and attempted bribery charges.

The criminal complaint against Burke alleges that he strong-armed businesses and development projects into retaining his law firm, Klafter & Burke, for tax work. For example, the complaint accuses Burke of withholding permits for remodeling at a Burger King in his ward until the company agreed to hire his firm for property tax work on other Burger King locations in the state. 

First elected in 1969, Burke is the longest-tenured member of the city council. As chair of the council's finance committee, he is the city's top appropriator. His wife, Anne Burke, is a justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.

Gravy Train Keeps Rolling for Second Stepdaughter Ella Emhoff

Hunter Biden 2.0

 
 
 

Andrew Stiles - FEBRUARY 22, 2021 3:40 PM

Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, continues to benefit financially from the fact that her "Momala" is just one 78-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.

Emhoff, 21, scored a major modeling contract with IMG Models just days after her stepmom was inaugurated, and made her runway debut last week during a virtual fashion show presented by Proenza Schouler.

The Brooklyn-based "artist" has also used her newfound celebrity status to make money by selling her homemade knitwear. Emhoff's first "collection" of one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories sold out almost immediately on Mall, a boutique online shopping platform.

The collection comprised five pieces: a striped sweater vest ($260), a "flower boob sweater vest" ($300), a striped knit dress ($320), a pair of half-striped knit shorts ($160), and a "Tweety bag" ($260).

The $1,300 haul might not be a significant sum for Emhoff. Her father, entertainment lawyer Doug Emhoff, and her famous stepmom have reported earnings of $11.5 million since their marriage in 2014. Unlike Hunter Biden, she does not bear the burden of being the sole breadwinner for her extended family.

Predictably, the media coverage of Emhoff's overnight transition into a hipster fashion icon has been excessively fawning. The New York Times described her style as "Wes Anderson chic," which is just a fancy way of saying "rich and white." And yet, the fact that Emhoff has tattoos and doesn't shave her armpits has compelled many to embrace her as a revolutionary figure bringing much-needed diversity to the fashion industry.

Not everyone agrees. Slate published an article, for example, making the (somewhat obvious) case that there isn't anything particularly revolutionary or diverse about being a rich, white, tall, thin, female Brooklynite with tattoos and armpit hair.

Ivan Bart, president of IMG Models, told the Times that being a model is "not really about shape, size or gender anymore." Emhoff was a perfect fit for the organization, Bart said, because she exudes "cheekiness" and "joy" and "communicates this moment in time."

IMG is part of the entertainment conglomerate run by Ari Emanuel, brother of Rahm Emanuel, the former Obama chief of staff, and Patrick Whitesell, a Democratic megadonor who contributed more than $150,000 to Democratic candidates and committees during the 2020 election cycle.

Emhoff is hardly alone when it comes to first and second family members who have cashed in on the political success of the Biden-Harris ticket. President Joe Biden's pledge that family conflicts of interest would not be tolerated in his administration is already being put to the test after just a month in office.

Biden's brother, Frank Biden, has come under fire for touting his relationship with the president as part of his work for a Florida law firm. He was recently photographed (sans mask) at a Ft. Lauderdale birthday bash for boxer Floyd Mayweather. The vice president's niece, Meena Harris, has been warned to stop profiting from her aunt's image via her #Resistance clothing company.

Then there's Hunter Biden. The First Son, who recently moved his family into a $5.4 million mansion in Venice, Calif., continues to cause headaches for the administration. He remains under federal investigation for potential tax crimes related to his shady business dealings in Ukraine and is reportedly still "working to unwind" his 10 percent stake in a Chinese investment firm.

Joe Biden Held Hostage -- Day 34

By John Green

Joe Biden conducted the most anemic presidential campaign in history.  Using COVID-19 as an excuse, he stayed off the campaign trail for months, limited press access, and held strange rallies with no voters in attendance.  When he called a voter “fat”, and challenged Donald Trump to a fist-fight, we knew he was past his prime  and his prime was never very impressive.  Nobody has ever admired Joe for his intelligence, wisdom, statesmanship, or creativity.  No, it was obvious he was merely a transport mechanism to deliver the White House to the political left -- rather like a political trojan horse --  with a “coexist” bumper sticker.

While we expected that a Biden presidency would have nothing to do with Joe Biden, I certainly didn’t expect it to look like this.  Is it just me, or do his executive order signing ceremonies look like creepy hostage situation videos? 

• Prisoner sitting at a desk -- check
• Prisoner appears disoriented and confused -- check
• Prisoner reading a statement clearly written by someone else -- check
• Masked captors flanking the prisoner to keep him on script -- check

It’s important to note that in these situations the power doesn’t reside in the guy seated behind the desk -- regardless of his title or any trappings of importance.  The power is held by the masked captors lurking the background.  The power brokers in the Harris/Biden administration are San Fran Nan and Not-Mrs. Brown Harris.  The most liberal former senator, and the most unhinged current congresswoman are the real shot callers in the executive branch now.

This raises another question, why would two people from the legislative branch be so anxious to circumvent the legislature?  Joe has signed something like 50 executive orders in his first month in office.  This puts him on pace for the most executive orders of any president in history.  This is an affront to representative governance.

A quick read of these executive orders reveals why the Speaker and the VP are using executive orders in lieu of congressional legislation.  Most of the orders being signed could not possibly withstand public scrutiny.  The American electorate still has a substantial helping of divinely issued common sense -- even if Washington doesn’t.  If these measures were debated in congress, the citizenry would be screaming at their representatives to “knock it off.”  A reading of the executive orders reveals that ambitious radicalism is hiding behind some very innocuous titles.

• “Ensuring a Lawful and Accurate Enumeration and Apportionment Pursuant to the Decennial Census,” is an order to count illegal aliens when determining how many congressional districts each state will be allotted.
• “Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation,” is an order to ensure that transgendered people may use any restroom they choose.
• “Protecting Worker Health and Safety,” is an order expanding the authority of OSHA to include measures like mask wearing and social distancing in private businesses.
• “Protecting the Federal Workforce,” is an order to unionize federal employees and protect bad performers from termination.
• “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,” is an order to re-enter the Paris Climate Accords, restrict fuel exploration and designate climate change as a national security issue.  Does that mean that the Patriot Act may be brought to bear against “climate deniers”?  After the “Russia collusion” hoax and “FISAgate”, who can say?
• “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans,” is an order to ensure aliens (even those of the illegal variety) have access to government programs and benefits.  It also changes the “public charge” calculation so that visa applications are not denied merely because the applicant would depend on government assistance to live in this country.
• “Establishment of the White House Office of Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships,” is an order to expand policy making with regards to community faith-based programs.  To an operator of a church outreach program, can there be anything scarier than a federal employee telling you they’re going to “partner” with you?

Rather than debate these matters in the House and Senate, the power brokers have decided to just have the old guy in the blue suit declare them to be so.  They achieve their goals, and Joe gets all the blame.

I still have one question -- Why the rush?  Joe is signing executive orders at a pace of almost one per day.  The administration is behaving as if they’re working to a deadline.  Could it be that they’re trying to get as much done as possible before Joe inevitably blows up his own presidency?  Joe being Joe, it is only a matter of time before he does or says something so socially unacceptable that he becomes unsuitable as a delivery mechanism.

What happens when the “useful idiot” is no longer useful?  That’s where section 4 of the 25th amendment comes in.  It allows the vice president, working with the cabinet and the Senate, to remove a president who is no longer able to discharge the duties of office.  Given that Joe wasn’t able to discharge the duties while running for the office, making this declaration after he’s in office seems rather straightforward.

With Joe Biden out of the way, what will the new administration look like?  It will be the Harris/Pelosi administration -- with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez serving as the new Speaker of the House.  I only wish “buyer’s remorse” were a company I could buy shares in.  Republican prospects for the 2022 and 2024 elections are looking better all the time.

John Green is a political refugee from Minnesota, now residing in Star, Idaho. He is a retired engineer with over 40 years of experience in the areas of product development, quality assurance, organizational development, and corporate strategic planning. He can be reached at greenjeg@gmail.com.