Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) is a hot commodity on the Sunday shows and has been ever since he was elected. He also served as the attorney for Democrats in former and potentially future President Donald Trump's impeachment. In the context of the investigations into Hunter Biden, and the Biden family overall, he's weighed in as a member of the House Oversight Committee. His takes are tone deaf at best, and at worse, even serve to hurt the Biden family.
Goldman on Sunday spoke to Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union," in which he was inevitably asked about Attorney General Merrick Garland designating U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden case. This is after Weiss already brought a sweetheart plea deal that would have allowed Hunter to avoid jail time for even future crimes.
TODAY: AG Merrick Garland appoints David Weiss as special counsel in Hunter Biden investigation
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 11, 2023
JUNE: IRS Whistleblower Shapley testifies that he personally witnessed David Weiss claim that "he was not the deciding person in whether charges were filed" against Hunter Biden pic.twitter.com/gZcaNkPAbS
When asked by Tapper if he agreed with Garland's claims that it was "in the public interest" to appoint Weiss, Goldman punted by saying "I defer to the attorney general's determination on this," a narrative he would stick to throughout the segment.
He then went on to downplay the considerable confusion that Garland and Weiss have caused when it comes to whether or not Weiss was given full authority to charge Hunter Biden.
"What we now know is that David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware, was right all along, that he did have ultimate authority," Goldman claimed. "And when he requested special counsel status because the plea agreement has broken down and he may have to charge Hunter Biden in--outside of his own district, which he requires additional authority to do, he got it."
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When it comes to the fuller picture than the one Goldman provided, IRS Whistleblower Gary Shapley spoke to how Weiss told six witnesses that he did not have full authority. In late June, Garland claimed that Weiss "was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own," not speaking to whether or not Weiss was told he couldn't bring charges.
On June 7, Weiss was the one who sent a reply to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) who had sent Garland a letter on May 25. In it, he claimed he did have full authority. But then on June 30, in a letter that came as part of a Friday night news dump right before the 4th of July holiday, in which he claimed his charging authority was limited. Then, on July 10, Weiss wrote Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to clarify that he had not requested special counsel designation, but had had conversations with departmental officials.
🚨🚨WATCH🚨🚨
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 11, 2023
House @JudiciaryGOP Chair @Jim_Jordan highlights why David Weiss CANNOT be trusted to conduct a thorough investigation into Hunter Biden. pic.twitter.com/fHiCFPIssy
Such a response wasn't the only way in which Goldman expressed laughably blind loyalty to the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ). "And this is just another reflection of the true independence of this Department of Justice. A Trump-appointed U.S. attorney is investigating the president's son," he claimed, going on to use a talking point we've heard fellow Democrats and the mainstream media use ad nauseum. "That is pretty remarkable. And you don't hear from the other side a respect for the fact that Joe Biden has stayed out of this investigation."
This DOJ has reflected anything but "true independence." Garland appointed as special counsel the very same U.S. Attorney who brought about the plea deal, something Republicans are rightfully saying is meant to "distract." There are also larger issues about the independence of the DOJ, which has actually been politicized and weaponized by Biden.
Not only has the DOJ been weaponized against parents protesting at school board meetings and against Catholic churches, but the president himself expressed frustration with the pace of the investigations against former and potentially future President Donald Trump. The New York Times, typically a friendly outlet, reported in April 2022 such comments from the president.
"The attorney general’s deliberative approach has come to frustrate Democratic allies of the White House and, at times, President Biden himself. As recently as late last year, Mr. Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments," the outlet reported. "And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6."
That's hardly something that reflects "true independence." And that's definitely doesn't sound like Biden has "stayed out" of it, at least not when it comes to the investigations against his most likely rival for the general election next November.
Why This April 2022 New York Times Story Is Suddenly Gaining New Attention https://t.co/eekC7e2zmE
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 7, 2023
"And so I defer to Merrick Garland and David Weiss," Goldman went on to say once more, as he then congratulated himself for his stance on the first son. "If Hunter Biden has committed crimes, he should be charged with them. I'm a Democrat saying that. You don't hear any currently elected Republican saying that, if Donald Trump committed crimes, he should be charged with them and held accountable. And that's a critical distinction that the public needs to understand."
Rep. Jake Auchinloss (D-MA) had used virtually the same talking points last week while on "Fox News Sunday."
The segment further discussed Hunter Biden's plea deal, in that Tapper reminded that Republicans are saying Weiss can't be trusted as special counsel. "Well, no one knows what the evidence is. So when they say this is a sweetheart deal, they are blowing smoke, because they have no idea," Goldman said.
Not only did the congressman have a role in Trump's first impeachment, he also worked with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Goldman thus brought up his role as "having been a federal prosecutor for 10 years" to claim what Hunter got was "not at all a sweetheart deal."
Goldman's prior comments about the "true independence" of the DOJ ended up coming off as even more tone deaf, in that he claimed it was Trump who would weaponize the DOJ, just as he did in a previous Sunday show appearance.
It's not that the Hunter Biden plea deal was "not the ordinary course" because Weiss is, at best, incompetent, but, according to Goldman, "because you have a petty, vindictive bully running as the--for president on the Republican Party who will use revenge and weaponize the Department of Justice to potentially charge Hunter Biden."
Expanding upon such claims, Goldman not only warned that Trump "would weaponize the Department of Justice to charge Hunter Biden, go back and charge him," but even claimed that the plea deal broke down "because of the threat of Donald Trump's weaponization of the Department of Justice if he were to become president."
Delusional Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman says Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal has "broken down" because of former President Trump pic.twitter.com/I4lml9uoH9
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 13, 2023
When it comes to his perspective on the plea deal, and why it fell apart, Goldman problematically leaves out another key player, Judge Maryellen Noreika. When the plea agreement came before her, she raised concerns about the unprecedented nature of it, and if she even had the authority. Thus, it fell apart.
Weiss wasn't the only one appointed by Trump, Noreika was too. It was a fact that Hunter Biden and his legal team picked up on, which left them "fuming" as the deal fell apart.
Hunter Biden's Legal Team 'Fuming' at Judge https://t.co/K7rMlfPZuE
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 28, 2023
Once he let Goldman get his ranting done with, even Tapper had to raise issue with the congressman's claims that he "stayed out of" the investigation into his son. A clip was played of Biden claiming in early May that "my son's done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him." What Tapper left out is that Biden tied his presidency to Hunter by saying "it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him."
Joe Biden on the allegations of corruption against his deadbeat son, Hunter: "My son's done nothing wrong. I trust him, I have faith in him, and it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him." pic.twitter.com/zWh4kwY4K0
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 6, 2023
"Does the president need to stop publicly saying his son did nothing wrong," Tapper asked Goldman.
"Well, look, I think the president has been very clear that he's going to let the process play out," Goldman offered, consistently trying to downplay the situation, in that Congress is "simply investigating a private citizen." On his own, Goldman brought up how Congressional investigations are also looking into not just the plea deal, but how Joe Biden may have been involved in his son's shady business dealings, as then vice president.
"And yet, notwithstanding all of the time, effort and all of the moving goalposts, there's no evidence connecting President Biden to any of his son's business dealings," Goldman claimed, going on defense. "And you can sing all you want and make all sorts of accusations, but the fact of the matter is that President Biden, there's been no evidence to show that he's been involved in anything. And so Hunter Biden will be treated by the Department of Justice as he should be. But Congress needs to stop investigating a private citizen and stop this fishing expedition to try to link President Biden to Hunter Biden's conduct, when there is no evidence to support that."
Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman: "There's been no evidence to show [Joe Biden] has been involved in anything!"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 13, 2023
Except sworn testimony, bank records, text messages, photos, e-mails, visitor logs, lunch meetings, and more. pic.twitter.com/X6Q6PwscpI
In response to Goldman's defensive claims, even Tapper couldn't help bringing up testimony from Devon Archer, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, which made clear that then Vice President Biden was "the brand" and had taken calls with shady, corrupt characters.
"But shouldn't President Biden have realized what Hunter was doing here, getting on the phone, talking on the speakerphone with his business associates? Did he at the very least show a major lapse in judgment and a blind spot with his son and how he handled this," Tapper also asked.
"Shouldn't President Biden have realized what Hunter was doing here — getting on the phone, talking speakerphone with his business associates — did he, at the very least, show a major lapse of judgment?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 13, 2023
Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman: "They never discussed business!" 🤡 pic.twitter.com/Mx3RnCKYyg
Goldman tried to undermine Archer's testimony, which he had heard as a member of the House Oversight Committee, just as he has done in the past.
"Look, I think that same witness also made very clear that they never discussed business, that Hunter Biden was trying to promote an illusion of access to his father for his own reasons," he claimed, still trying to defend the president. "That's Hunter Biden. And you can make whatever judgment you want to make about whether that was appropriate or not. But the president saying hello to people when his son puts them on the phone is not at all doing anything to influence any policy, to use his position for any nefarious purposes."
Released transcripts and takeaways from the Committee would show then Vice President Biden to have played a different role than Goldman would like us to believe, though.
Devon Archer Confirms VP Biden Was 'The Brand' https://t.co/WDpc1XiTPx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 1, 2023
The Transcript of Devon Archer's Testimony Has Landed https://t.co/YBWpyaVDnR
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 3, 2023
It is noteworthy that to close the segment, Goldman did point to how Biden was connected to Burisma in that he called for the firing of the prosecutor, bragged about it even. "That's the only connection that President Biden had with any of Hunter's business dealings," Goldman offered.
That's some connection.
