Over the weekend, the allegations returned to the fore, and for good reason. The New York Times reported on Saturday:

John F. Kelly, who served as former President Donald J. Trump’s second White House chief of staff, said in a sworn statement that Mr. Trump had discussed having the Internal Revenue Service and other federal agencies investigate two F.B.I. officials involved in the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia. Mr. Kelly said that his recollection of Mr. Trump’s comments to him was based on notes that he had taken at the time in 2018. Mr. Kelly provided copies of his notes to lawyers for one of the F.B.I. officials, who made the sworn statement public in a court filing.

  • Yewb@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    If any other person were even accused of some of these actions it would be arrest first then we figure out the full story.

    Put them all in prison, Hunter Biden, Trump, Fucking all of them I don’t give a shit about any identity politics, break the laws? Go the fuck to jail!
    No one should be above the law.

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Let’s be clear, Hunter Biden hasn’t actually been formally accused of anything.

      After this much time of people searching for anything, yet there still isn’t enough evidence to make a clear accusation, seems kind of obvious that he doesn’t deserve to go to prison. Unless someone can provide some kind of evidence of criminal activity, but I won’t hold my breath.

      This isn’t a “both sides are the same” thing. Not even close.

      • skepticalifornia@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Additionally, Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and did not take an oath to uphold the Constitution nor did he have access to classified information that he could mishandle, nor did he have influence over our government’s most powerful arms of justice. There is no comparison between what Hunter Biden and Trump are alleged to have done - but the right would sure like for you to think that they are equivalent.

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          1 year ago

          Oh they know Hunter did absolutely nothing wrong. They just need a scapegoat for when people point out the obvious crimes Trump committed so they have a “both side” argument.

          They don’t seem to understand nobody cares about Hunter and his “laptop”. It’s just Hillary’s emails 2.0 … with less credibility because they aren’t even targeting a politician 😆

          • Froyn@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            And like a millions times more the revenge porn. Imagine if that was the content of Hillary’s emails.

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          1 year ago

          Meanwhile Trumps children and Jared Kushner did have much of that and they’re likely criminals. But of course if these people could think, they wouldn’t be Trump supporters.

            • SulaymanF@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Sure we will. Like Vietnam and Watergate, 40 years from now we’ll have all those Republicans write autobiographies about how Trump was awful and how they tried to hold him back and how they were never on board with his atrocities and begging history to judge them separately. We’re already seeing hints of this with the Bush administration about Iraq.

              • FinalBoy1975@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Yes, it’s quite predictable in politics to view the former politicians of the future writing their memoirs. History repeats itself a lot in the political arena.

        • prole@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Oh so is the GOP going to start disparaging people for tax crimes? Usually that doesn’t hurt their opinion of people.

          Tax crimes by a private citizen do not warrant the resources being used up during this witch hunt.

        • Reliant1087@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          He pled guilty to lying on a form about his addiction while purchasing a firearm and not paying taxes for two years while he was an addict (through he paid the back taxes after that eventually I think).

          I honestly appreciate the fact that everyone was transparent about this and chose to be upfront and take responsibility rather than do all the shit that republicans do when accused of something.

      • Yewb@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        My comments were more along the lines of no one is above the laws Democrats and Republicans.

      • Arcane_Trixster@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        He was just convicted of tax evasion and possession of an illegal firearm, Hunter Biden i mean.

        Nothing like he’s been accused of, but he has been formally charged and convicted recently.

      • AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        I mean fuck the GOP but the idea that Hunter is just some guy caught up in it all is ludicrous. The dude has been trading on his father’s name for his entire adult life. There was a federal investigation into a fund that he and his uncle had set up where they explicitly said they were going to trade access to Biden. That was at least twenty years ago but still.

        so many people say, “if he’d actually done anything unethical he should be punished” while completely ignoring that he essentially acts the exact same as one of the Trump kids - useless as fuck, makes bank on connections gained through nepotism and corruption.

        look at the list of companies this guy has been involved in. probably most of their kids are like this.

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          Sure, it’s not entirely ethical and a nepo baby, but to still compare him with Don Jr who is still continuing to spout election denialism and misinformation is a bit disingenuous. I agree, if Hunter committed any crimes he should pay just like anyone else, but him being a nepo baby isn’t the conversation we’re having right now.

          • AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            he’s more akin to Kushner, making business deals and getting on the boards of companies purely by his relationships.

            there’s a pretty big difference between being the kid of a senator and starting a lobbying company with the aim of leveraging your familial relations to advance the interests of corporations and billionaires paying you.

            but like, hasn’t he committed multiple felonies that generally do end up with people in jail? tax fraud, spousal abuse, gun he wasn’t allowed to have (IIRC). so, like, pardon me but i kind of think that seems like bullshit.

            if he should pay like everyone else he should be barred from having anything to do with politics and go to jail like everyone who doesn’t have a senator for a daddy would have.

            • Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              but like, hasn’t he committed multiple felonies that generally do end up with people in jail?

              I’m take that seriously when the GOP starts complaining about all the other rich people who regularly do shit like this and face no consequences.

              • AngrilyEatingMuffins@kbin.social
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                1 year ago

                So you’re against equal application of the law if the perpetrator is prominent enough. Yeah, this is why Democratic politics are nearly as corrupt as the Republicans.

            • RIPandTERROR@sh.itjust.works
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              Don’t think I disagree with any of that. I would expand on it however and say there’s an order of priority, and of the people that should be barred from having anything to do with politics and go to jail, I would not say he’s anywhere close to the highest on the list of those priorities.

                • Arcane_Trixster@lemm.ee
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                  1 year ago

                  He’s not actively doing it. Any accusations of the like stem from actions from a decade ago when his father was vice president, and nothing has ever been proven, though the GOP have annual witch hunts to try.

            • keeb420@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              hunter hasnt gotten a security clearance after failing to accurately fill out his sf86 multiple times and then got bailed out for billions on a building he was underwater on and then got billions more from another country for “no reason” while having access to classified documents.

      • Pillarist@lemmy.world
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        Don’t think that’s what the comment said… And I’m pretty sure Hunter pled guilty to a felony firearm charge and willfully failing to pay hundreds of thousands in taxes so, yeah, sounds like they’re both dicks. The argument that “your dick is bigger than my dick” is hilarious though.

        • Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social
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          Jesus fuck

          One side had a guy tax fraud and owning a firearm

          One side had a guy try to violently overthrow the government in order to install himself as dictator

          Gee, you’re right, they’re both equally bad WHAT THE FUCK HOW DUMB ARE YOU?

          • Pillarist@lemmy.world
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            Well I got to enjoy a few weeks of it feeling different from Reddit around here…

            The comment at the head of this was stating that no one should be above the law. (<- That is a period.) Not that no one should be above the law if their crime is a certain amount of awful… Not that no one should be above the law depending on their political alignment. No one.

            Then the response was arguing that Hunter did nothing wrong! There’s no evidence of a crime! You shouldn’t say they’re all the same!!! No one said their crimes are the same. No one said they’re the same in any way beyond that they are citizens of a country that has laws and they should be held accountable if they break them… And yes, Hunter committed and admitted guilt to crimes… And it doesn’t put a red hat on someone’s head if they acknowledge a fact that doesn’t fit in with your agenda.

            I responded and enter you. You really weren’t worth this response because you said the same dumbass thing the other person did. Arguing a point that wasn’t made because you’re so cocked and loaded to encounter one of those dumb right wingers that you think if anyone disagrees with you they must be wearing a maga hat. Pull your head out of your ass.

            • Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social
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              1 year ago

              I wasn’t talking about that. You also said

              so, yeah, sounds like they’re both dicks. The argument that “your dick is bigger than my dick” is hilarious though.

              bOtH sIdEs

              That’s what I was calling you fuckin stupid for. Repeating bullshit propaganda.

              No one said their crimes are the same.

              No, no, you didn’t say it…you just heavily implied it while winking and nodding in its direction. We’re not stupid, fuck off.

              • Pillarist@lemmy.world
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                Lol relying on telling the other person what they were implying to create an argument for yourself. Followed by saying “we’re not stupid” as if you have a bunch of people around you’re speaking for.

                I said they’re both dicks. They both are. You want to argue the size, you go for it, I’d agree that Trump 100% is the “bigger dick” of the two, he’s absolute garbage, but since I’m not on some fanciful battlefield fighting in your war of the blues & reds, I wasn’t concerned with who tarnished their side the most. My concern was more geared toward the fact that rich folks shouldn’t get away with doing shit the rest of us can’t. If you’re going to make statements for you and, whoever else falls under “we,” about whether or not you all are “stupid,” you should make less assumptions, it doesn’t help your case.

                • Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social
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                  since I’m not on some fanciful battlefield fighting in your war of the blues & reds, I wasn’t concerned with who tarnished their side the most.

                  That’s a favored tactic of the red side.

                  Both sides, impartial, enlightened centrism, yadda yadda.

            • Aesthesiaphilia@kbin.social
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              Well I got to enjoy a few weeks of it feeling different from Reddit around here…

              The main difference is that now instead of constantly telling fascists to fuck off, I also sometimes get to tell tankies to fuck off.

              • Pillarist@lemmy.world
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                Says this and a reply later says people aren’t allowed to have opinions other than the ones (he/she/they?) offer, which is apparently “if you aren’t blue, you’re red.” 🤦🏼‍♂️

        • keeb420@kbin.social
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          oh no some one took a plea deal. no if it can be shown he got special treatment as the presidents son, that i can outraged at. but people take plea deals all the time.

  • PlaidBaron@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The ending is gold.

    The Trump team’s response?

    ‘That guy is a psycho, dont listen to him’.

    Sounds like the kind of excuse the annoying high school kid uses. What a country.

  • Limeey@lemmynsfw.com
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    These fuckin guys, what shitheads. I wish this era of our country was just over, I am NOT looking forward to 2024 election