SHOCKING SHAKE-UP in Hunter Biden plea deal ... Did lawyers LIE?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMBHiEyp_Ms
Judge Throws Out Hunter Biden Plea Deal Over Blanket Immunity for Crimes
Hunter Biden got broad legal immunity from all tax crimes between 2014 and 2019
The highlight of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton was when immunity deals were handed out to all her associates in “exchange for their cooperation” and then all of their devices were erased and destroyed.
The Hunter Biden investigation followed by a slap-on-the-wrist plea deal was equally a cover-up pretending to be an investigation.
And a judge just threw it out the window.
Judge Maryellen Noreika refused to accept a revised plea deal between the two parties after a three-hour hearing Wednesday, which would have offered Hunter Biden broad legal immunity from all tax crimes that took place between 2014 and 2019, as well as any drug or firearm charges. She ordered prosecutors and Hunter Biden’s attorneys to strike a new deal that limits the legal immunity offered to the first son.
The rejected deal came after the collapse of an initial plea agreement, which fell apart following a series of unusual last-minute disputes between his attorneys and federal prosecutors. Hunter Biden’s attorney, Chris Clark, said the agreement was “null and void” after a top prosecutor in the case said it would not provide the first son permanent legal immunity, the New York Times reported.
Permanent legal immunity in exchange for what? Nothing. So Hunter Biden is pleading not guilty while assuming that the party will protect him.
Even the New York Times coverage of this legal circle has been forced to admit it’s a cover-up.
From the start, the judge seemed highly skeptical of the unusual deal — which offered Hunter Biden broad immunity from prosecution in perpetuity, questioning why it had been filed under a provision that gave her no legal authority to reject it. When she asked Leo Wise, a prosecutor, if there was any precedent for the kind of deal being proposed, he replied, “No, your honor.”
Why strike a deal that cuts the judge out of having a say? Because it’s a rigged game.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers repeatedly cast the deal as the final chapter of the five-year inquiry into the president’s son. But Judge Maryellen Noreika quickly punctured that assertion when she asked a prosecutor, Leo Wise, if the Biden investigation was “ongoing.” He replied “yes,” adding that if Biden’s team thought otherwise, “then there’s no deal.”
The investigation has to be ‘ongoing’ to stalemate congressional investigations, but it also has to be over so Hunter Biden can move on at the same time.
The Democrat media keeps referring to Judge Maryellen Noreika as a Trump appointee which is true in the strictly technical term in which presidents allow Senate members from that state to pick judges regardless of party. Noreika was backed by local Democrats and was being considered by Biden for another judicial appointment (safe to say that’s dead now) and had ruled against a lawsuit by the computer repairman who found Hunter’s laptops. So, safe it to say she’s hardly MAGA, but this may have just been a bridge too far.
The judge who will review Hunter Biden’s plea deal on Wednesday accused a member of Biden’s legal team of misrepresenting herself in a phone call to the court — a bizarre episode that prompted the judge to threaten sanctions even as Biden’s lawyers insisted it was all a misunderstanding.
In a brief order Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika wrote that an employee at Latham & Watkins, a law firm representing the president’s son, had called the court clerk’s office and falsely claimed to work for a Republican lawyer in the hopes of persuading the clerk to remove documents that apparently contained Biden’s personal tax information.
And the congressional rollout of materials on the Biden crime family probably didn’t help either.
Judge Maryellen Noreika decided she didn’t want to rubber stamp blatant corruption. It’s a pity that too few in the political or the legal system feel the same way.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss said in a court filing at that time that Hunter Biden would plead guilty to failing to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, and would enter a pretrial diversion agreement to avoid felony charges for illegally purchasing a handgun while addicted to illegal drugs.
Weiss did not mention in his June 20 filing that the agreement would also grant Hunter Biden legal immunity for any tax crimes committed during the six-year period from 2014 through 2019.
So now Hunter’s team will work with his dad’s prosecutors on a slightly less obnoxious cover-up.
Reader Interactions
HOW MANY OF THESE PIGS ARE GAMER LAWYERS ON THE TAKE?
“Protect and enrich.” This is a perfect encapsulation of the Clinton Foundation (TWO GAMER LAWYERS) (WHAT ABOUT THE CHINA BIDEN PENN CENTER?) and the Obama (TWO GAMER LAWYERS) book and television deals. Then there is the Biden family (FOUR GAMER LAWYERS - JOE, HUNTER, JAMES, FRANK) corruption, followed closely behind by similar abuses of power and office by the Warren (GAMER LAWYER) and Sanders families, as Peter Schweizer described in his recent book “Profiles in Corruption.” These names just scratch the surface of government corruption (ADD GAMER LAWYER KAMALA HARRIS AND HER LAWYER HUSBAND AND THE BANKSTERS’ RENT BOY, LAWYER CHUCK SCHUMER AND GEORGE SOROS’ RENT BOY GAMER LAWER TONY BLINKEN AS WELL AS CON MAN ADAM SHIFF). BRIAN C JOONDEPH
SHOCKING SHAKE-UP in Hunter Biden plea deal ... Did lawyers LIE?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMBHiEyp_Ms
Report: Major Democrat Donor Bought Hunter’s Art, Named to Prestigious Commission by Joe Biden
Hunter Biden reportedly knows the identities of at least two of his art buyers, one of whom is reportedly a large Democrat donor, Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali, who President Joe Biden placed as the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.
The White House previously claimed Hunter Biden would not know who the identities of the “anonymous” art buyers when questioned about conflicts of interest and ethics concerns.
Naftali is Los Angeles real estate investor and is influential in California Democrat circles. In 2023, she donated $13,414 to the Biden campaign, along with $29,700 to the Democrat National Campaign Committee this year, according to Business Insider, which reported Naftali is one of at least three buyers of Hunter Biden’s art:
In July 2022, eight months after Hunter Biden’s first art opening, Joe Biden announced Hirsh Naftali’s appointment to the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. It is unclear whether Hirsh’s purchase of Hunter Biden’s artwork occurred before or after that appointment.
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An administration official told Insider that her appointment had been recommended to Biden by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They said there was no connection between her art purchases and her appointment. They said that Hirsh Naftali was deeply involved with Jewish causes in Los Angeles and Israel — valuable background for a commission that works to preserve many historic Jewish sites across Europe. They noted her service on a policy board at the RAND Corporation, a prominent think tank. Membership on the commission is an unpaid position that is often filled by campaign donors, family members, and political allies — the same crowd that often winds up with US ambassadorial appointments. Hirsh Naftali’s fundraising activities mark her as the kind of well-connected donor who often wins such appointments, regardless of any relationship they might have with the president’s family. But they do not address the possibility that Hunter Biden might have voiced his support for her appointment.
Hunter Biden also reportedly sold art to his top lawyer, Kevin Morris, who also paid Hunter Biden’s unpaid IRS bill of about $2 million. The entertainment lawyer is at the center of Hunter Biden’s new-found career of painting modern art, an occupation connected to the art market known for corruption.
Morris helped Hunter forge a framework to sell art to anonymous buyers through a dealer with ties to the Chinese art market. Morris was also involved in Hunter’s 2021 controversial memoir.
FLASHBACK: White House Under Fire After Hunter Biden Art Show Ethics Debacle
The White HouseAccording to the New York Post, both Morris and Hunter Biden are represented by the same agents.
The third buyer’s name is unknown to Insider. But this single buyer bought 11 Hunter Biden artworks for a total of $875,000, Insider reported:
That one buyer represents the majority of the $1,379,000 in receipts that Hunter Biden’s gallery received for his work, the documents show, with the gallery receiving a 40 to 45 percent commission. The $875,000 art buyer resides outside New York and purchased some of Hunter Biden’s largest format works, including a 12-foot-long red-white-and-blue piece painted on sheet metal and entitled “Pandemonium.”
In total, Hunter Biden anonymously sold about 12 paintings for less than $500,000, the Washington Post reported in January. It is unclear how much money the art generated at the sale, but estimates suggest he earned at least five times more than the average American artist — all while being a novice painter.
Insider reported Monday that Hunter Biden’s gallery has $1,379,000 in receipts for his work.
The art industry is known for shady business transactions. A Senate subcommittee report detailed in 2020 how the art market serves as a vehicle for money laundering:
The art industry is considered the largest, legal unregulated industry in the United States. Unlike financial institutions, the art industry is not subject to Bank Secrecy Act’s (“BSA”) requirements, which mandate detailed procedures to prevent money laundering and to verify a customer’s identity. While the BSA does not apply to art transactions by art dealers and auction houses, sanctions do. No U.S. person or entity is allowed to do business with a sanctioned individual or entity.
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While the art market is not regulated by the BSA, it is governed by unwritten rules. A large number of art sales happen through intermediaries referred to as “art advisors” who can represent both purchasers and sellers. In a typical transaction, a purchaser may not ask who owns the piece of art they are purchasing; the seller may not ask for whom it is being purchased or the origin of the money. And in general an art advisor would be reluctant to reveal the identity of their client for fear of being cut out of the deal and losing the business.
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Because the art industry is not subject to BSA requirements, when a piece of art is sold, there is no legal requirement for the selling party to confirm the identity of the buyer or that the buyer is not laundering money through the purchase. While the four biggest auction houses have voluntary anti-money laundering (“AML”) programs, the employees who facilitated art purchases in the Subcommittee’s case study said they never asked the art advisor the identity of his client. Instead, the auction houses considered the art advisor the principal purchaser and performed any due diligence on the art advisor, even when it was well-known that the ultimate owner was someone else. With regard to the funds used to purchase art, the auction houses told the Subcommittee they rely on financial institutions to ensure the integrity of the funds, even though the auction houses interact directly with the buyer. But these voluntary AML policies are just for sales through the auction houses. As stated above, the majority of art sales are private transactions. A private dealer interviewed by the Subcommittee stated she had no written AML policies, tries to work with people she knows and trusts, looks for red flags, and relies on her gut. She also explained that her practices have significantly changed over the years and that she also relies on advice from AML lawyers.
Secrecy, anonymity, and a lack of regulation create an environment ripe for laundering money and evading sanctions.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
Money Honey: Hunter Biden's Art Patron Has Funneled Millions to Democrats
Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali sent big checks to Biden, Obama, DNC
The California real estate investor and Biden administration commission member who purchased Hunter Biden's art has contributed more than $4.5 million to liberal politicians and causes, according to federal campaign finance disclosures reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali has funneled roughly $4.53 million to Democratic candidates since 2004, the disclosures show. President Joe Biden is a major recipient of that money—his campaign and victory fund has received more than $220,000 from Naftali, nearly $7,000 of which came in April. Naftali has also sent the Democratic National Committee more than $200,000 since Biden became president, and she contributed nearly $75,000 to former president Barack Obama's campaign and victory fund from 2008 to 2012. In addition to the campaign contributions, Naftali sent $250,000 to the Biden Inaugural Committee, disclosures show.
Naftali's status as a Hunter Biden art buyer, which Business Insider revealed Monday, contradicts the White House's promise to install "reasonable safeguards" around the scandal-plagued first son's art shows. The president appointed Naftali to his Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad in July 2022, nine months after Hunter Biden's first show.
In addition to the appointment, Naftali has visited the White House at least 13 times since December 2021, the Free Beacon reported Tuesday. One of those visits saw Naftali meet one-on-one with White House senior adviser Neera Tanden.
The White House claimed all Hunter Biden art buyers would remain anonymous. But the first son, according to Insider, knew of at least one buyer—wealthy Los Angeles attorney Kevin Morris, who loaned Hunter Biden millions of dollars to pay off back taxes. While someone close to Morris told the New York Times that the attorney may have received the art as a gift, Insider found that Morris purchased the art.
In addition to her contributions to the Biden campaign, Naftali—who did not return a request for comment—last year hosted a fundraiser for Vice President Kamala Harris. Naftali has also contributed to a who's who of congressional Democrats, including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.).
The Biden administration told Insider that Pelosi recommended Naftali to serve on the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad. But Hunter Biden has indicated that he holds sway when it comes to the commission's members. Hunter Biden's cousin, Missy Owens, in March 2015 asked if he could secure her mother a spot on the commission. In response, Hunter Biden noted that "Eric," an apparent reference to business partner Eric Schwerin, asked to serve on the commission in 2008. Schwerin landed on the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad in 2015.
Hunter Biden's lack of art experience has not stopped the recovering drug addict from selling paintings for big money. The first son sold at least $875,000 worth of art to a single patron, money that comes as he navigates a litany of legal and financial problems over his failure to pay federal income taxes and his ownership of a firearm while addicted to drugs. Hunter Biden is also on the hook for $5,000 in monthly payments to support a child that the Biden family does not acknowledge.
Meghan Blonder contributed to this report.
Hunter Biden’s Art Patron Visited White House Over a Dozen Times
Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali secured a private meeting with a top Biden adviser
The California real estate investor who purchased Hunter Biden’s art has landed more than a dozen private White House visits, including a one-on-one meeting with one of President Joe Biden’s most senior advisers.
Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali has visited the White House at least 13 times since December 2021, according to a Washington Free Beacon review of White House visitor logs. Naftali attended several large events at the White House but has also had several more intimate visits. She met White House senior adviser Neera Tanden on March 21, the visitor logs show.
Naftali was identified Monday as a buyer of Hunter Biden’s art work, a revelation that raises significant ethics concerns for the White House. President Joe Biden appointed Naftali, who owns a commercial real estate firm in Los Angeles, to the prestigious Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad just nine months after the younger Biden’s first art show. Naftali has donated more than $13,000 to the Biden campaign and $36,500 to the Democratic National Committee.
The White House promised that they would install "reasonable safeguards" around Hunter Biden’s art show, and claimed all buyers would remain anonymous. But Naftali’s visits could cast doubt on those claims, particularly as Business Insider reported that Hunter Biden knew the identity of at least one buyer: his close friend and adviser Kevin Morris, who has loaned the embattled first son millions of dollars.
Hunter Biden has suggested in the past that he holds influence over the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. In March 2015, Hunter Biden’s cousin, Missy Owens, asked whether he could secure a spot at the agency for her mother.
Hunter Biden responded by recalling a time when "Eric"—presumably his business partner Eric Schwerin—asked about an appointment there in 2008. Schwerin was confirmed to a post on the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad in 2015.
All of Naftali’s White House visits occurred after Hunter Biden’s first art show opened in New York City in November 2021. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
In addition to the meeting with Tanden, a longtime Democratic operative, Naftali met with White House policy adviser Richard Figueroa on Dec. 14, 2021, and Sept. 14, 2022. She visited the West Wing with six other people on Sept. 15, 2022, and the East Wing residence with around forty others on Sept. 17, 2022.
Despite little experience in the art world, Hunter Biden has sold at least $1.3 million of his works, including $875,000 worth of paintings to a single anonymous patron. Those art purchases have likely provided a lifeline to Hunter Biden as he faces a series of legal and financial problems.
Hunter Biden was indicted last month on misdemeanor charges of failing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes. He also pleaded guilty to a felony gun charge for owning a firearm while addicted to drugs.
Hunter Biden settled a paternity lawsuit last month involving his four-year-old daughter, whom the Biden family has refused to acknowledge. Hunter agreed to pay $5,000 in monthly child support and give his daughter some of his paintings as part of the settlement.
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