Tipsheet

Is CNN Serious About This Piece on the Biden Bribery Allegations?

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  September 15, 2023 10:00 PM

CNN’s fact-checking brigade reactivated after being dormant for years since Trump is no longer president. They were garbage then, and they’re still pathetic trying to debunk or marginally disrupt the mountain of allegations against Joe Biden, his son, Hunter, and the rest of the clan and their influence-peddling operations that’s secured tens of millions of dollars since Joe was vice president. 

They did their best, going through the most serious allegations of felonious activity by the Biden family. Still, it’s a beautiful self-own, which occurs in the first section [emphasis mine]:

Claim: Biden family and associates got $20 million through shell companies 

“Bank records show that nearly $20 million in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates through various shell companies,” McCarthy said. 

Facts First: This is true about Joe Biden’s family and associates, but there is no public evidence to date that the president personally received any money. 

As Matt Margolis initially posted on PJ, they don’t even hide that this alone is a legitimate basis for an impeachment inquiry. He also dissected other major points in this shoddy fact-check: 

…The lack of journalistic curiosity about these shell companies is quite alarming. We’ve been pointing out that these companies had no apparent purpose but to launder foreign money before distributing it to members of the Biden family. Does having 20 shell companies to filter millions of dollars through sound like legitimate business to CNN? What were these companies selling, if not the product of Joe Biden’s influence?

The next allegation CNN attempts to dispute is that an FBI informant said the Bidens received a bribe.

CNN’s response: 

Facts First: It’s true that an informant gave a tip of this nature to the FBI in 2020, and that the bureau had viewed him as a credible informant. But the underlying allegation that the Biden family was given a bribe is totally unproven; the informant was merely reporting something he said he had been told by a Ukrainian businessman. 

Missing from the fact check is that the source of this claim is a longtime FBI informant who has a history of providing the FBI with reliable information.

Suspicious activity reports aren’t evidence of wrongdoing. Maybe, but a normal person would be barred from opening another account. Also, 170-plus reports from six banks don’t raise any red flags, CNN. Of course not; Biden is a Democrat. 

Joe Biden was often on the phone with his son as Hunter spoke with his clients. They weren’t talking about golf, sports, or the grandkids. Biden admitted to forcing the Ukrainians to fire Viktor Shokin, who was investigating Burisma when he was VP, threatening to withhold aid if they didn’t. Hunter was on the board of Burisma, a position that its executives knew would afford them a legal shield, plus access to top-level Obama officials. Hunter Biden’s trove of emails proves that—it’s why he could accrue millions of dollars. The man knew his way around DC, which is what these oligarchs wanted. 

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And if this was a nothing burger, why did the Department of Justice engage in a pervasive campaign of interference in any probe involving Hunter? Why was David Weiss appointed special counsel? You all know this: it was done to roadblock any inquiries into this family’s business. Weiss' appointment is especially glaring as House Republicans can no longer solicit his testimony about what happened when he was reviewing evidence regarding Hunter's tax violations. Mr. Weiss allowed some of the most serious violations to lapse under the statute of limitations. 

CNN’s so-called fact-check is why this once admirable beat is dead. It’s Democratic Party propaganda, where they admit Biden’s family is corrupt, but Joe's not, as if that’s a shield from scrutiny. Also, you'd have to hit Hunter's crack pipe to make that reasoning somewhat sensible. It makes the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry legitimate. However, this piece is not nearly as embarrassing as Speaker Kevin McCarthy torching a reporter to the point where she admits that there’s evidence that some funny business might be going on, adding to why the GOP and everyone else is saying, ‘Hey, let’s investigate this guy.’ 

You can’t say there’s nothing there, CNN. Credible testimony from two IRS whistleblowers alleges they were prevented from discovering the truth. Why? The inquiry is not going away. It hopefully will lead to impeachment proceedings based on their findings. And we have months to figure this out now that there’s a pause in Donald Trump’s legal drama.