“The Hunter Biden plea deal shows that the Department of Justice has a double standard! It’s a slap on the wrist! It’s hypocrisy!”
Yada, yada, yada. We get it. What’s the GOP doing about it? That’s the real question that matters today.
On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported that Hunter Biden negotiated a deal with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss. Hunter will plead guilty to failing to pay about $100,000 in taxes for 2017 and for failing to pay a similar amount for 2018. He will also admit to the facts of a gun charge, an in-between of a guilty and non-guilty plea. The tax charges Hunter faces are misdemeanors, and he is expected to not face any jail time.
Legal experts such as Brett Tolman, a former U.S. Attorney for Utah, slammed the deal, pointing out that it ran afoul of the DOJ’s own protocols.
“DOJ is violating its own internal policies on this case. The Ashcroft Memo requires they charge the ‘highest provable offense’ and seek consistent sentences with other cases brought by DOJ. This prosecution is an absolute laughable joke. Thousands have been sent to prison for long terms for the same charges,” Tolman tweeted.
“They are ignoring decades of policy and precedent to seek felonies not misdemeanors and seek sentences within the guideline range. The diversion agreement on the felony is offensive to everyone not politically connected who sought diversions and were literally laughed at by DOJ,” he added.
They are ignoring decades of policy and precedent to seek felonies not misdemeanors and seek sentences within the guideline range. The diversion agreement on the felony is offensive to everyone not politically connected who sought diversions and were literally laughed at by DOJ.
— Brett L. Tolman (@tolmanbrett) June 20, 2023
George Washington University Professor of Law and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley weighed in on the legal developments as well.
“For many, this is gonna look like you ticketed the getaway driver after a bank robbery,” he told Fox News.
Jonathan Turley on Hunter Biden’s plea agreement: “For many, this is gonna look like you ticketed the getaway driver after a bank robbery.” pic.twitter.com/yvX7wskpIT
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 20, 2023
Tolman and Turley are not in Congress, but they are smart people.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP
So you would hope — even against all odds — that Republicans would take their observations, expand on them, and produce a credible plan that shows how the GOP will wield its constitutional authority to put an end to this perversion of justice and to hold Democrats accountable for their crimes.
Yet rather than have a robust response, Republican lawmakers seem to be mostly spouting off trivial observations.
“Today, you have Joe Biden’s Department of Justice giving the son of the sitting president of the U.S. Hunter Biden a slap on the wrist, and meanwhile you have them continuing this witch hunt against Donald Trump,” Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said.
NEW: @EliseStefanik reacts to Hunter Biden news.
“Today, you have Joe Biden's Department of Justice giving the son of the sitting president of the U.S. Hunter Biden a slap on the wrist, and meanwhile you have them continuing this witch hunt against Donald Trump.“@DailyMail pic.twitter.com/bBTGc5iIm8
— Kelly Laco (@kelly_laco) June 20, 2023
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) really let the American people know how mad he is by making his statement in all caps.
“DOUBLE STANDARD OF JUSTICE,” he tweeted.
DOUBLE STANDARD OF JUSTICE.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) June 20, 2023
I’m sure that has the DOJ shaking in their boots, Jim!
Such comments don’t really do anything to address the problem in the American legal system. How many more strongly worded letters will Republican politicians promise to send? Will another hearing make things right? Do they really think that any of that will force the DOJ or Democrats to change their ways?
It’s all a bit reminiscent of past corruption that Republicans promised to get to the bottom of, such as Benghazi, the IRS-Tea Party Scandal, Operation Fast & Furious, Hillary’s emails, and countless other examples. Once they get to the bottom of the outrage du jour, that’s where the GOP remains. Meanwhile, Democrats and their allies move on to the next abuse of power.
In one shrewd observation, Twitter user Shem Horne tweeted, “It’s a brazen move to try to throw your political opponent in prison, while letting your son off the hook for his crimes that implicate you, all while you are up for re-election in a year, but I guess if you don’t have an opposition party or independent press that’s what happens.”
It's a brazen move to try to throw your political opponent in prison, while letting your son off the hook for his crimes that implicate you, all while you are up for re-election in a year, but I guess if you don't have an opposition party or independent press that's what happens.
— Shem Horne (@Shem_Infinite) June 20, 2023
Indeed, that is what happens without any real pushback. So what’s a good place to start?
Well, for one, prosecutors in Republican districts could start going after Democrats. Democrats only understand force — and that’s a legal force that they’ve now opened the door to. Then, as former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) have touted, the next GOP president needs to start using his authority to actually dismantle the Deep State and restore order at the DOJ and FBI. Here’s just one way the president can do that.
Those suggestions aren’t set in stone. This author is open to any and all legal ideas. Stopping this rot is going to require creativity.
There is one Republican coming up with new ideas to fight back. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), to his credit, has vowed to block DOJ nominees until Biden stops harassing his political opponents, even saying he would “grind this department to a halt” to do so.
Until Merrick Garland stops using his agency to harass Joe Biden’s political opponents, I will hold all DoJ nominees. pic.twitter.com/UVRwi6Ue01
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) June 13, 2023
However, it’s abundantly clear that whatever the GOP-at-large has been doing up until this point hasn’t been working. The usual rigamarole of “demanding answers” simply won’t cut it anymore.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.