Tipsheet

A Dem's 'Friendly Fire' Incident at IRS Whistleblower Hearing Caused 'Dresden-Level' Damage to Biden

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  July 20, 2023 10:30 PM

He did it. He said the quiet part out loud. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) might have damaged the Biden defense irreparably due to the mounting evidence that the president and his son, Hunter, are involved in a bribery operation. The sordid activities of Hunter Biden and his unscrupulous government access deals are well documented. What he did with the cash got him investigated by the IRS, which seemed poised to charge him until the Biden Department of Justice derailed such efforts with their pervasive meddling.

Democrats were unprepared to deal with IRS whistleblowers Joseph Ziegler and Gary Shapley during this week’s House Oversight Committee. All they could do was try and distract the broader audience from the more significant points both men were making, which suggested that Justice Department officials were shielding the president’s son from prosecution for legitimate tax offenses. Shapley alleges this was done over fears that some felonious road ended with the president. 

So, let’s rehash how Goldman screwed over the Bidens:

Jonathan Turley of George Washington University Law School commented that Goldman’s failed line of questioning inflicted “Dresden-level” damage to any defense of Biden while opening the door for a potential special counsel appointment into these matters. However, that would only happen in a sane world. As Turley noted, the only thing that saved Goldman's "friendly fire" incident from being truly fatal was the clock; his time expired (via NY Post): 


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Goldman was trying to get the witnesses to say there is no evidence that President Biden was personally involved in the alleged felonies of his son. 

He raised the shocking WhatsApp message that Hunter had allegedly sent to a Chinese official with foreign intelligence contacts. 

In the message, Hunter wrote: “I am sitting here with my father 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 forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”

[…] 

Goldman pressed veteran IRS investigator Gary Shapley about his suggestion that Joe Biden discussed the foreign dealing with his son. Shapley eagerly said he would be happy to explain, but Goldman cut him off and said he did not have time for such explanations. 

At this point, most lawyers would have reversed engines out of troubled waters, but Goldman plowed full speed ahead. He said the references to Joe sitting next to his son do not mean that they actually discussed his business. 

Goldman then went even further and raised a “lunch where Joe Biden came to say hello at the Four Seasons hotel to a lunch that he was having with CEFC executives.” 

He then reads from the record in how Biden associate Rob Walker described the origins of the meeting with the Chinese officials to get his dad to stop by: “Hunter told his Dad that ‘I may be trying to start a company or try to do something with these guys.’ “ 

Goldman then pounced and said slyly, “Now let me ask you something, that doesn’t sound much like Joe Biden was involved in whatever Hunter was doing with the CEFC if Hunter Biden is telling him that he is trying to do business with them, does it?” 

That is when Shapley stated the obvious: “No, but it does show that he told his father that he was trying to do business and …” 

[…] 

Too late. 

Goldman was citing the testimony of Walker that Joe Biden not only came to lunch on Hunter’s foreign dealings but did so after being told that Hunter wanted to lay the foundation for such a deal. 

This is the same Joe Biden who has repeatedly told the American people that he never discussed any of Hunter’s deals and had no knowledge of such deals. 

[…] 

Even when he flew his son to China, where Hunter cut lucrative deals, he insists that they never mentioned that deal. 

There are also repeated references to President Biden as the “Big Guy” in emails who was to receive a 10 percent cut on a deal with the Chinese as well as other benefits. There are other references to Hunter Biden paying portions of his father’s expenses and taxes. People apparently were told to avoid directly referring to President Biden.

Goldman saw Turley’s comments or column about his trip-up and threw a little jab about how he wasn’t a litigator, which the law professor quickly debunked by listing his history as one. In contrast, Goldman will forever be remembered as the clown who served as lead counsel in the first Trump impeachment effort. 

“I was surprised to see that Rep. Goldman responded to my column in the New York Post by saying that I have no experience as a litigator. That will come as a huge surprise to my past and current clients,” wrote Turley. “However whatever litigation experience I may have; I try to not to take over arguments for the opposing counsel. Of course, it takes a truly experienced lawyer to make arguments for both sides in the same hearing.” 

Mr. Goldman, you’re an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune with a net worth of at least a quarter of a billion dollars. Leave public life and become a philanthropist or do something else because you’re not good at this New York congressman stuff.