This week, Republicans in the House of Representatives revealed the testimony of an IRS whistleblower who worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. That whistleblower had two revelations to present. First, he said that the federal prosecutor overseeing Hunter's case told at least six witnesses that he had been blocked by Attorney General Merrick Garland from special counsel status -- a status that would allow him a free hand in fully investigating Hunter. Second, the whistleblower presented a WhatsApp message between Hunter Biden and a Chinese executive shaking down the executive for cash by leveraging Joe Biden's presence in the room.
"I am sitting here with my father," Hunter texted, "and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to hold forever a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father."
This was not the first piece of evidence clearly linking Joe to Hunter's influence-peddling operation. Hunter's laptop infamously contained a message from one of Hunter's business partners, James Gilliar, suggesting that 10% of a deal with CEFC China Energy Co. be "held by H for the big guy." Gilliar, in other texts, has also referred to Joe Biden as "the big guy." And Hunter himself complained in text messages to his daughter, Naomi, "I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years. It's really hard. But don't worry, unlike Pop, I won't make you give me half your salary."
Joe Biden, for the little it's worth, has claimed to know nothing about Hunter's business activities. That's absolutely incredible, considering that Joe squired Hunter around on Air Force Two, including to China -- where Hunter signed lucrative deals -- and that Hunter's business partner Tony Bobulinksi alleges he met personally with Joe Biden over business issues.
The credulous reaction to this obvious trail of corruption from many in the media has been incredible to behold. The going line these days in Biden-allied media is that Joe's suspected influence-peddling operation and pressure on his Attorney General to dump the Hunter investigation isn't corruption -- it's actually a sign of his magnificent parental love. In the words of The New York Times's Nicholas Kristof, "The real meaning of the Hunter Biden saga, as I see it, isn't about presidential corruption, but is about how widespread addiction is -- and about how a determined parent with unconditional love can sometimes reel a child back... That can give others hope."
Meanwhile, this loving father isn't exactly a loving grandfather when it comes to Hunter's illegitimate child, Navy Joan. The same week Hunter was let off the hook by Biden's Department of Justice, Biden signed a child support agreement with former stripper Lunden Roberts in which Roberts accepted a deal including a massive reduction in child support and a prohibition on Navy Joan using the Biden family name. Joe himself refuses to acknowledge the existence of Navy Joan. Yes, that famed Biden name is apparently reserved for raising cash in Ukraine and China; those who are actually sired by Hunter Biden in untoward circumstances are disowned by the upstanding Biden family.
Joe indeed loves Hunter. But that love is twisted. Hunter is a 53-year-old wreck of a human being with a trail of abuses of other human beings behind him. Joe may have helped curb Hunter's addiction. Still, he has also apparently used his son as a tool and continues to use him as a crutch -- and meanwhile, Joe has enabled Hunter throughout his adult life, humoring his egregiously evil behavior. The story here, then, is twofold: political corruption and the corruption of familial love into something much uglier.
Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show," and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is "The Authoritarian Moment: How Left Weaponized America's Institutions Against Dissent." To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
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