Wonder why you left out the Trump family?
46
It is interesting that for every 100 outright unethical acts and outright crimes republicans commit, they focus on 1 questionable act by a democrat, even if it's just President Obama wearing a tan suit or Secretary of State Clinton's use of a private email server.
Wasn't it Josef Goebbels who said "Accuse them of what your yourself are guilty"?
31
Mark Twain was right “The quintessential AMERICAN crooks are the Congressmen and Senators”!!!
12
Disappointed that you characterized Hunter Biden as not qualified for the positions he held...he has a Bachelor's degree from Georgetown and a JD from Yale...maybe you're not qualified for the position you hold?
31
Just vote for Warren!!
14
Why are you posting an article by the editor at large of Breitbart without clearly stating that in his bio???
80
What exactly did Obama promise Putin if he should win the election?
17
My favorite Trump campaign promise was that he would “Drain the Swamp”. Turned out not to be true, but it would be a good idea.
I don’t care who you are, what’s fair is fair. We are all sick of there being one set of rules for the rich and privileged, and another for the rest of us.
Watch out for that big voting block: people who don’t get up off their couch on Election Day because they’re disgusted by everybody.
8
Even if Joe and Hunter are pure as driven snow, is there no other location on this planet that Hunter could land business other than Ukraine and China?
18
Shouldn't the real time corruption of the Trump clan have been included in this article?
22
It would have added to readers' contextual understanding of this opinion piece if the NY Times had also given Peter Schweitzer's credentials as a senior contributor to Breitbart, the author of the book, Clinton Cash, and the president of the Government Accountability Institute which gets a large amount of funding from Rebecca Mercer.
51
And when his father said "China is not a treat" while his son is raking in Billions from the Communist Chinese run bank... is that against America's (and the world's) interest? Is THAT legal?
11
Turns out the Mercer family sponsored this guy to write his book, they took facts on Biden and Ukraine and spun them, mainstream media reported on the book, but conservative media picked it up and ran with it, trump saw it on the real fake news and then got involved and now it will probably end with his impeachment.
NPR Fresh Air explained it todaY
25
Amen ! They are all corrupt.
We sure could use an Abraham Lincoln about now.
6
The headline to this op-ed should have read:
"What Elaine Chao is Doing is Legal--and That's the Problem with the Trumped-up Biden Story"
16
OK. I'll support an investigation into Hunter Biden when we also investigate Trump and his illegal emoluments as well as his children and their business dealings around the world.
20
How many Chinese trademarks did Hunter Biden get? And how did the USA pay for them? Oh wait. That was Ivanka.
20
Now how about the cashing in done by Ivanka, Jared, Don Jr., Eric, and (of course) King Donald himself.
14
Just realized that Peter Schweizer previously was Breitbart News senior contributor... it wasn't even mention in his byline in NYTimes.
https://www.mediamatters.org/peter-schweizer/ny-times-elevates-peter-schweizer-again-and-doesnt-even-mention-his-work-breitbart
I'm surprised to say the least, I rely on NYTimes for higher standard of reporting and making clear for the readers who Schweizer is and what his agenda here.
Disappointing!
43
The difference between the Bidens, and McConnell/Chao, are plain as day and night! Joe Biden never profitted, while Mitch McConnell by marriage, is handsomely profiting from his office.
Tell me again, which one is completely illegal!
11
I support Joe Biden and I hate to say it but Hunter Biden would never have been put on a $50,000 per month retainer if he was not Joe Biden's son, which makes Hunter a swamp creature.
13
My guess is that Joe Biden would infinitely have preferred that Hunter Biden not be in business in Ukraine.
(On the other hand, Donald Trump loaded his family with government titles, perks, etc. and sends them around the world doing business. And this is different.)
But how could Joe Biden or anyone in his position forbid a relative, another free US citizen, from holding any kind of job at all?
On the other hand, requiring the Bidens and McConnell/Chaos to report their financial activities is an excellent and necessary idea. At the very least, it would get things out in the open.
If Trump weren't trying, once again, to create a perceived equivalency (Biden's son's legal business activities vs Trump's illegal phone call with Zelensky), none of this would at this moment be in the news.
But here it is, distorted and inflated and distracting us from the horrors Trump is inflicting daily on the world (the Kurds, the the Ukrainians, and...Americans).
10
I agree that the profiteering of families from the political positions and power of their members is suspect, and should be against the law. Unfortunately, that may be true, but Trump certainly is doing nothing personally, and nothing in his governmental role, despite his lies, to address this problem.
All Trump's pious lying that his "perfect" phone call was all about addressing the Biden family's "corruption" is transparently false. One need only look at Trump's own family situation to see how twisted Trump's comments about "corruption" really are. Actually, though, who would know more about "corruption" than Trump - a lifelong practitioner of every aspect of "corruption", both as a beneficiary and a solicitor of corrupt intentions?
Clearly, if the United States is going to address the problem of "corruption" of politically-connected children, the place to start, beyond the Bidens, is with Trump's family -- and that fix needs to start at the top, with 'Corrupt Trump' himself.
7
What about the POTUS? Is our only guardrail insuring the public integrity of decisions Impeachment? Some say the people speak every four years. A criminal POTUS has four years to perpetrate their criminality? The legislative branch MUST take back its power to check the executive with a law specifically stating a President can and will be indicted for any criminal activity while in office. We can no longer count on the Presidential selection process providing an individual of integrity. How could citizens not see the glaring conflict of interest inherent in the Justice Departments Office of Legal Council determining a sitting President can not be indicted? These are non-elected members of the executive branch - led by an appointee of the President. This is the fox guarding the chicken coup. Bidens kid, Chaos and her family can be covered later. There is a clear and present danger in a criminal President and the only recourse is impeachment. What happens if he does shoot somebody in the street and his party refuses to act to remove him? Really?
4
I have often said
"There is no corruption in the US because it is all legal."
4
Nepotism and cronyism are rampant in U S government from the Congressional family members who serve as White House advisors to the ambassadors with no diplomatic experience other than campaign contributions.. Decade on decade of cronyism is entrenched in DC.
6
Simply because Trump is doing wrong things doesn’t make it right for Biden to do the wrong things. We need to dump both Trump and Biden along with Mitch’s senate. They may not be crooks in the eyes of the courts but certainly crooks in spirit.
3
Stop talking about the Trump kids ( a really corrupt family) or, indeed the McConnell - Chaos’. We do not need the Democrats
to be represented by someone tainted by this clear case of nepotism.
This is yet another case of bad judgement on the part of Joe Biden. Trump will use this and it may cost the Democrats the election. Joe Biden should retire and listen to his record player.
.
3
The author forgot to mention that Biden, before getting the job from Ukraine for his son, argued for shutting down the gas industry for pollution in all his public appearances. Then, after Hunter joined Burisma, Joe argued for the increasing of the gas production in Ukraine and on his watch Ukraine received 3 billion in tax payer money for its gas industry where Burisma was market leader. One of that billion was parked in the bank of an oligarch who co-owned Burisma, Private Bank, and got lost. How do you lose a billion dollars? That oligarch was banned from entering the US, and soon after Hunter Biden was hired the ban was lifted.
Regarding the compensation for Biden,
- it was 10 times more than what an average board member gets in the US, and 100 more than what a board member gets in Eastern Europe.
- the guys who cut the check were corrupt oligarchs with a lot of bad press.
8
Perhaps not illegal. But certainly unethical and a horrible conflict of interest for Joe Biden. Biden was not a very wealthy man- until he became Vice President. Now he is a multimillionaire.
Today we found out that the Ukraine government started an investigation of the Biden connection in February of this year.
This whole narrative frankly stinks.
And Biden’s refusal to confront this issue with a frank explanation stinks to high heaven.
4
I don't like the optics of entitlement, no matter the Bushes with NBC, the Clinton daughter, or the Trumps. Unseemly if not corrupt. I'm a liberal Democrat.
5
Mr. Shweizer is not interested in investigating the Trumps because his smear book "Clinton Cash", through innuendo, supposition, and far-right conspiracy theories helped get Trump elected. His organization, the Government Accountability Institute, is financed by Rebekah Mercer and he is a sometime editor for Breitbart. Kudos to the Times for printing all points of view, but these folks are extremists.
11
At a minimum the New York Times should tell its readers who Peter Schweizer is: The president of the Government Accountability Institute (GAI) and senior editor-at-large of conservative media organization Breitbart News. The GAI was founded in 2012 by Steve Bannon and is funded by the Mercers and Kochs. Its purpose is to get mainstream news organizations to run their stories so they can weaponize the content and help President Trump get re-elected. All you need to know about Mr. Schweizer’s latest book is that he has two chapters on the Bidens, one on Elaine Chou and none on President Trump. In the language of professional poker players the Times was gamed by Steve Bannon and not for the first time.
17
One could hope that during the next Democrat debate, one or more of the candidates calls for the withdrawal of Joe Biden. Biden who is too easily branded as a crook who took a bribe via his son. Is this regard consider the fact that the prosecutor, that Biden got rid of, was followed by someone who dropped all charges against Hunter Biden's company. As you suggested these candidates should agree with Mr. Schweizer's view that payments to relatives of government officials, who are dealing with the briber, should be subject to criminal sanctions.
2
Excellent article but the Trump oligarchy should have been front and center. That is the most glaring.
1
Even if one believes half of the article's claims, it unfortunately lends legitimacy to Trump's bidding with Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.
While personally not taking side on the issue, the Democrats's bid to impeach Trump over the Ukraine issue, reminds me of the saying:
"Beware that Your Wishes may come True".
3
There are other laws regarding corruption that apply to civil servants. The Hatch Act, for example, restricts federal employee participation in certain partisan political activities. I do not know enough about the act to be sure, but I believe it applies to the executive branch, eg, Elaine Chao. I hope that means it applies to the President, too.
3
Good column. Those of us who've spent time in career civil service despise both the enrichment of political families, and the hypocritical political finger-pointing and/or deflecting, depending upon which side the political stands upon.
If this is ever going to change it has to change for both sides. Our system is indeed rigged to help the rich and powerful get even more rich and powerful.
I appreciate this focus upon the Bidens, and mention that their actions were legal.
I also want Trump removed from office. He and his are so much more corrupt than anything in recent memory. If not through impeachment then through election.
Do I expect reform? No. We aren't as great as we think we are. But I sure wish it could happen.
8
Thank you for writing this. Finally, someone has let the cat out of the bag. While Biden and son's actions may not have technically violated a law, it's still sleazy. Just like that other first family named, uh, Trump. I read today in this paper now that oh my Biden is calling for impeachment. I want to scream. True Biden does have some sensibility and respect for the law and for people -- mostly. But let's not pretend there wasn't something smelly going on with the China and Ukraine deals. I really hope Biden isn't going to try to sound self-righteous, either, because that means he's fair game for the other Democratic candidates. Warren may have a few things to say about Biden's push for the bankruptcy law changes, too. This ought to be what the candidates are talking about: how to close these loopholes, how to reform our political system from this type of thing. Maybe Hunter would want to donate the money he made?
5
Corruption is rampant throughout the US political system and the saddest part is that it is usually legal. From campaign contributions to the revolving door between both elected, appointed, and professional government workers and the industries they vote on and regulate. In Trumps case its direct financial ties to many unknown shady characters who are owners, members, and investors in his properties and businesses. The doorperson in Trump Tower probably knows more than the press or prosecutors.
4
Nepotism and familial connections have been going on for eons, and will continue. All we can do is try to expose them, whatever political party they are affiliated with.
5
Completely agree.
For the record, let's not forget that McConnell's brother-in-law, Gordon Hartogensis, was named to head the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation by President Trump.
To quote Politico:
Gordon Hartogensis has little professional paper trail, and has largely just managed his family’s sprawling investment portfolio after striking gold in a '90s startup and retiring by the time he was 29."
4
For those who are bothered by the absence of commentary on the Trumps-the author is making the point That there is corruption across the political spectrum that enriched these families.
We know Trump is corrupt-and blatant
About it. The parties in this article are circumspect and devious about their conflict of interest self dealing.
7
appearances are everything and the substance of an issue counts for almost nothing. so it is in the case of biden. the lack of any wrong doing on his part can not make up for the appearance of impropriety. what was he thinking when he let his son take a job in with a major Ukrainian company. were there no jobs available in the US. to allow his name to become entangled with a country know for its corruption was highly inadvisable. perhaps when he gave his go ahead he was not thinking about running for president in the future. well now is the time for biden to put aside his presidential aspirations. biden has become a failed candidate in much the same way HRC was due to the email server fiasco. in both cases the actual improprieties amounted to a non issue. but the appearance of corruption and illegality put and end to HRC's presidential aspirations and the same should be true of biden.
7
Totally. But not mentioning the Trump kids in this context is a glaring omission. Why did you exclude them?
174
Because Trump and his family were very wealthy even before he ran for President. Unlike the 2 cases mentioned in the article where their political influence is what made them wealthy with help from non American companies.
20
@California Guy - So it's only wrong if you start out low or middle income, but just fine and dandy if you're already rich and use your connections to get richer still?
36
@Adele Because the story is self enrichment by political families. President Trump has been a politician for 3 years. Corrupt Joe has been scheming for over 40 years.
23
But what exactly did he do? He was offered a job for a lot of money that didn't involve too much, it seems. There's only so many ways you can break the law as board of director. They mainly involve shareholders. Burisma was not a public company.
Did he fail his employer? Did he threaten or harm anyone? Did he sell out Ukraine or the US? Did he promise something he could not deliver? Did he embezzle funds? Did he lie to prospective investors?
While most of these things Trump actually did, he wasn't charged with anything either.
So unless a specific rule or reg has been violated, I don't see the relative of an elected official needs any special treatment.
4
Trump all but admits (and emails about Giuliani confirm explicitly) that Zelensky was not going to get what he wanted unless he (Zelensky) made a public announcement -- not just agree to do an investigation but make a public announcement -- that expressly targeted Biden (and the 2016 US election). The investigation itself might go beyond November 2020, which is why Trump and Giuliani wanted an announcement that publicly targeted Biden. This publicity could then be used by Trump in the 2020 political campaign, whereas a general announcement of an investigation of Ukrainian corruption -- which Zelensky was willing to do -- would not have served Trump's 2020 campaign.
Thus Trump clearly went beyond what the interests of the United States required, using the power of the United States in an (ultimately failed) attempt to engage the government of Ukraine in support of Trump's 2020 campaign.
Trump and Giuliani are savvy politicians. All they needed for the advantage of Trump's 2020 political campaign is plausible innuendo. A dragged out Ukrainian investigation would be perfect, because the innuendo would persist.
And what is behind the innuendo? True, as the article points out, US law allowed the Ukrainian energy company to pay Hunter Biden. But it was Obama, not Biden -- who was just an emissary -- who got the Ukrainian prosecutor removed. So the logical chain behind the innuendo is bogus. Trump is an expert at using such innuendo for political advantage.
4
@Abuelo
So what?
Obviously Biden knows that he is vulnerable on this issue- refusing to confront it, demanding that networks ban Guliani and Trump ads that mention it. That is not the way an innocent man reacts to accusations.
1
First: Both the McConnells and the Kushners have literally profited tens –if not, hundreds– of millions of dollars from their abuse of their roles in government.
To compare their corrupt actions to the fact that Biden's son had a job in banking, even though his ENTIRE career since leaving college in 1996 has been in banking, seems both an entirely false comparison and unashamedly disingenuous.
Second: When Donald Trump called the Bidens "crooked," every normal journalistic institution in the country said this was baseless.
It should truly bother all of us that, not much more than a week later, we are reading a large number of articles about whether the Bidens are indeed crooked... exactly what Trump had obviously hoped for when he made his (newest) false allegations.
So, when we wonder why Trump repeats so many bald-faced lies to a media that knows he is lying, the placement of story should demonstrate that he keeps doing so does so because it works so very well.
10
The Dems and the GOP are both culpable but not equally so. There is however one candidate that has been fighting this corruption for years with courage, honesty, and persistance. Elizabeth Warren is the woman of this hour.
4
If Joe Biden is the Democratic candidate for president, that takes away any opportunity for the party to campaign on ending corruption and nepotism in Washington.
2
Yes, yes, all true. But let's keep in mind that Trump is not being investigated for possible impeachment for acts that are immoral but legal, like using political connections to enrich one's family. That is very bad, yes. But what Trump is being investigated for is criminal, and even treasonous. Trump wants to enlist a foreign government to help him find corruption on Biden--corruption Trump himself practices--that of using political connections to enrich one's family--to affect the outcome of a U.S. presidential election, which is a crime. Unlike the corruption that Biden--and Trump himself--is guilty of, Trump's act is a crime, even treasonous. The question for the impeachment inquiry is not whether Biden is corrupt, or whether Trump is merely corrupt, but whether Trump is guilty of treason.
1
This could not have been stated more eloquently and cogently.
It is not a matter of partisan politics: It is a matter of politicians having at least a minimal sense of what appears improper. They lack that sense, and they are shameless in displaying their utter lack of shame. Hunter Biden had none of the skills required for securing, let alone performing, any of the high-level positions that were offered to him. He rode in on his father's coattails, and that left and leaves a stench of impropriety that stains both him and his father. Obama's use of Federal jets for the tourist activities of Michelle and his daughters, Trump's blatant and glaring nepotism, McConnell's profiteering abandonment of Republican principles in coddling China are equally glaring. Unfortunately, this country has fallen so low and has become so ungovernable because one-third to one-half of its population (including those sitting in the White House at the moment) at any given time refuse to obey--with impunity--the laws that others are obligated to follow and are punished for not following. There should indeed be a corrupt practices act that will rein in the sordid dealings of the politicians. But whether such a law, like the other ones on the books, has any realistic chance of being enforced is doubtful. We have become a lawless, ungovernable country, not least because the current enforcer-in-chief of the laws of the land is also one of the law's biggest violators.
4
Thank you NYT for these insights. Time to add another item to the already long list of repairs needed to our democratic republic once the decks are swept clean in 2020. For all of those on both side of the isle that talk about helping the working class, sure seems like they are helping themselves a lot more.
3
This issue is just one more example of why Joe Biden should not be the candidate of the Democratic Party in 2020. He has been in government long enough to have a closet full of shady associations and nearly corrupt deals. There are several candidates who will not bring this burden with them if they become the candidate in 2020. We need a clear choice in 2020 between the politics of the ultra right represented by the Republican Party and a vision to work to on the real problems facing the nation today such as economic inequality, healthcare access, climate change, and an increasingly dangerously well armed world.
1
What Hunter Biden did was legal.
So therefore, Trump telling Ukraine that he wanted them to do "a favor" to "investigate" Biden if they wanted their foreign aid is NOT legal.
Schweizer now presents the right wing justification for Trump's impeachment. I suspect his right wing funders now prefer Pence to do their bidding.
4
@RJ - Hunter's father openly admitted to withholding money until the prosecurtor was removed from prosecuting his son's company.
And you say Trump is guilty? Guess old Joe is too.
2
@alan
Please understand that Joe Biden withheld the money on orders from above so that the prosecutor who WASN’T investigating the company his son worked for would be replaced with one who would.
3
@alan
Sure, if the facts don't matter, Joe Biden is guilty.
The prosecutor that Joe Biden and all leaders of western democracies wanted removed was NOT prosecuting his son. That prosecutor wasn't even investigating his son. That's a fact.
That's why Joe Biden didn't have to make his request in secret and demand it as "a favor", and there were no corrupt Attorney General and White House staff who immediately tried to hide the conversation by pretending it was top secret.
Trump is guilty because he was demanding a sham investigation not into many corrupt companies, but to get Joe Biden. Trump made that very clear by mentioning Joe Biden numerous times by name. Probably Trump said worse since the Trump White House is refusing to release anything but the right wing "memo" version with the worst parts edited out.
Funny how you think Biden pushing a policy that even Republicans wanted is no different than Trump demanding a person favor that even his own party didn't want -- so corrupt that he needed a cover-up!
Not the same at all, unless you equate murder with jaywalking. Of course, if Trump shoots someone on Fifth Avenue, his supporters would treat it like jaywalking.
3
It's very strange that in a time when our current President's children are repeating in millions in deals for their previous money losing businesses, Peter Schweizer leaves them out.
This entire article would have signficantly more credibility if Schwiezer wasn't intentionally overlooking Trump.
In fact, can we look at Peter Schwiezer's own dealings and compensation and see whether his reporting reflects the desires of the right wing billionaires who largesse he depends on.
Trump describes people like Schwiezer. Trump could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue, and (if his billionaire funders wanted) Schwiezer would say it was justified while writing a book about how many other Presidents' policies caused innocent people to die.
8
I have mixed feelings about this. In the case of Hunter Biden, who was in a position to tell him not to take the job? There is no doubt that he got the job with Burisma because of his name. The most favorable interpretation, also the most likely, is that is all he was selling: Burisma badly needed international capital to develop its gas fields, and it presumably bought respectability.
Should there be a US law saying he couldn't take the job because his father was VP. Maybe so, but I wouldn't want to be in charge of drafting such a law.
4
"Consider two Washington power families: the Bidens and the McConnell-Chaos."
Chaos indeed. But isn't that what Putin is paying for when his oligarchs funnel money to McConnell and build an aluminum plant in Kentucky in return for his favors?
2
Birds of a feather flock together. No different in either parties at the end of the day – except the team mascots.
2
In the end, the Republicans need to move quickly past Trump's false accusations about the Bidens and decide how they are going to deal with a President who is acting even more unhinged and chaotic than in the past. If they do not; how many more situations like Turkey will this country face?
1
And with all of the Democrats claiming that the Bidens did nothing wrong, the likelihood of this kind of corruption being addressed by new legislation is zero. Indeed, if they had to vote on it,, Republicans wouldn't vote for it either.
We have a bipartisan swamp where the political Burmese pythons thrive.
4
Yes, and former presidents and others giving "speeches" for big money is obscene. The Clintons, the Bushes, Obama - they all do it. Giving speeches to banksters on Wall Street for $400k a pop may be legal, but it stinks of payola, of deferred compensation for light treatment and bailouts. Tarnishes the presidency and our nation and its image. I know those are rather quaint notions, especially now, but our aspirations and standards should rise above crass transactionalism. We once felt that way - the Reagan Restoration, enabled enthusiastically by mercenary centrist "Democrats," has lowered us grievously.
6
Joe Biden was veep when his son started his dealings with the Chinese and Ukrainians. Joe Biden should have told his son: "Hey son, I'm VP now, and someday I might run for president. Don't take these positions because you are trading on my name."
But Biden didn't do that, and that shows lack of good judgment. He'll pay for that in the upcoming election.
The author is absolutely right though; this is really corruption and should be outlawed.
9
Various levels of corruption are always in politics. But it's worse when it's legalized, normalized, and equated with "American Freedom".
It's the norm the 2010 Citizens United decision created. Our highest court pretended that any limits on big donor money in elections are anti 1st Amendment Free Speech. Thus anti American.
Thus the wealthy can without restrictions call the shots in our lawmaking and political discourse--for HC, gun safety, taxes, public services, etc. Mega donors can define what is centrist in our politics. Push back is labeled left wing.
No democracy can survive this-- we'll stand in long lines to choose alternatives designed by rich donors for their benefit and our loss.
This gives many politicians--of a certain type--- the excuse they need to exploit, cheat, and enrich themselves.
Once this distorted norm is set up by our highest court with such rationalizations, the politicians who lack a sense of ethics and public duty will go further out.
The GOP embodies this, finding every excuse to excuse whatever our crooked president does.
Now we see that some Dem voters will also rationalize 'not--as --bad' Biden.
But I've seen these some comments asking:
Why didn't Obama choose someone else to handle Biden's role with Ukrainian officials? Would avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.
And with the Ukrainian economy in shambles, how does anyone afford to pay an inexperienced board member $50k a month in salary? A MONTH!
3
I don't completely object to conspiracy theorists getting a platform for their crazy ideas on the NY Times op ed page, but give me a break; can't full disclosure apply to the author too, as well as to the politicians he criticizes? What about "Clinton Cash", the last major conspiracy he unleashed on our country. Hard to evaluate his arguments when we know how way out there he has been in the past. I fault the NY Times not for giving him the platform, but for failing to provide the needed context!
11
Trump solicited foreign interference in our election and that's illegal, but as his mentor Roy Cohn would advise, Trump is denying and deflecting at every turn. This opinion piece by Mr. Schweitzer of Breitbart "News" is nothing but a tired attempt to conflate the behavior of the Biden and McConnell clans with the truly treasonous behavior of a sitting president.
2
The solution is term limits.
@Manville Smith As one wag put it, "Two terms. One in Congress, and one in prison."
2
Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it isn't wrong! Our corrupt government requires modern anti-corruption laws. The Bidens conflicts of interest, nepotism, and cronyism, is something Joe Biden has yet to reckon with. If he can't, Joe should withdraw with dignity.
3
Schweizer makes good point indeed.
Just finished listening to Fresh Air where Schweizer's background and interests have been discussed by Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek . Schweizer became interested in Biden while doing research, funded by Mercer Family Foundation, on contributions to the Clinton Foundation. The objective of that research was to handicap Hillary in her presidential race. May Schweizer ties to the Mercers explain why Trump's children are not mentioned in this opinion piece.
10
In an absurd apple to oranges analogy after pulling an old photo out of the vault, Peter Schweizer frames the Biden corruption scandal, against the wrong background. A better choice would compare the money trail of Bill Clinton speaking engagements while Hilary Clinton was Secretary of State and candidate for President. In this apt quid pro quo arrangement, a valid comparison of influence peddling can be hatched exposing the deception for what it is.
Hunter Biden and his father are both dishonest and corrupt and no amount of deflection will change that. The only question is why the media refuses to cover either the Clinton or Biden duplicity.
5
There are a number of important points made in this article, but because of the author's own ethically and politically suspect ties (e.g. Mercer Foundation) those points will likely not get much attention. How unfortunate that NYT had Peter Schweizer write this opinion piece, his name alone will cause a lot of people to read as far as the author line, then go no further. Beyond that, a much better discussion of acceptable inside-the-beltway corruption and influence is Sarah Chayes' recent piece in the Atlantic (link follows); she does an excellent job of dissecting the Biden-Ukraine situation, and then explains the much broader context of Washington corruption. Chayes is particularly well-suited to write about political corruption, she's been observing and researching the topic for years and also worldwide, and unlike Schweizer, does so without a political axe to grind in the process.
Chayes' article: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/hunter-bidens-legal-socially-acceptable-corruption/598804/
2
Mr. Schweizer did an interview with Fox news where he went much further than the he has in this piece.
With Fox he argued that the Ukrainian energy company was notoriously corrupt and that Hunter Biden had no qualifications for the board other than his Washington connections through his father.
He also reported to Fox that Hunter was paid upwards of 3 million dollars until he reigned. Given the amount of money involved and Hunters dubious value to the company it made perfect sense for Trump to ask that the Ukrainian president investigate the matter.
The Fox interview was September 26th. Now, two weeks later, Schweizer stops far short of his defense of Trump, leaves out the corruption facts that he offered two weeks ago and writes a piece that basically claims that this is a broad problem that needs to be addressed.
I agree with him that the problem cuts across party lines. But that doesn't explain leaving out the facts that he offered to Fox and instead writing a piece for the Times blaming both parties, but saying nothing about the impeachment probe.
Very curious choice, both by Schweizer and the NYTimes.
3
Mr. Biden may be gaffe prone but even he knows that the deal he got for his son does NOT pass the smell test.
Mr. Biden, Sir, You are part of the stain of the swamp that is DC. Do us Dems a major favor and call it a day, retire your political career.
I have stated in the past, "Anyone but Trump", "Any Dem over any GOP." etc but the more that I read on the sweetheart deals given Hunter Biden, I might select Romney over you, Mr Biden. Sir, do not force me to make that choice, do the right thing for us Dems, America and your history, Toss in the towel.
6
Like Ivanka getting 18 patents and trademarks from China AFTER closing her business. Or foreign lobbyists booking rooms in Trump hotels.
3
@Bebop She also got trademarks from China right after a state dinner for the Trumps in Beijing, right before Trump lifted sanctions, and at critical junctures in trade negotiations. Trump wanted to "drain the swamp" so he could replace it with his family's.
It makes me feel dirty just reading about these sleazy dealings with foreign companies.
Another glaring thing about this is that the Ukrainian company's business if fossil fuels. Hello! Climate change!
I guess it's too much to expect that privileged people to think about anything but their own self-interest. Could he not take a board seat at an American clean energy company? I guess that would mean that he'd be only moderately rich instead of stinking rich. Oh, yeah, he's also not qualified for that either.
3
The “swamp” is what is immoral or unethical, but legal. I suggest you take a link at Elijah Cummings. In financial crisis after his divorce, he remarries, and within a few years, a charity is created, a huge salary is given to his wife to manage it, and millions of dollars of tax deductible donations come in from companies with legislation before congress. Perfectly legal? Yes it is. Under the pretext of charity, huge sums of “donated” money are now tax deductible. No wonder corporations are so charitable. Anyone notice what happened to the worthy Clinton Foundation after she lost the election. Corporate support evaporated. I wonder why?
6
I read an article in the New Yorker that Hunter Biden, who worked for David Boisi's law firm, was recommended by this firm to serve as a 'compliance' director with the Ukranian gas company and that the $50,000 monthly fee went to the law firm. Is this true?
1
It would be helpful to readers if you would do the appropriate thing and disclose who Peter Schweizer is, as well as his background and funding (Mercer Family). In addition, the co-author of his book, which was the impetus for the false but successful Hillary Clinton smear job leading up to the 2016 election, was Steve Bannon. Leaving these details in the ether you are doing a great disservice to your readers who put their faith in you. Capitulating to the most extreme edges of American politics and their unfounded conspiracy theories is a dangerous and tragic road to hoe.
7
Elizabeth? Are you listening? Add a ”washington corrupt practices act” to the to do list.
1
The Times should NOT publish an opinion piece from Peter Schweizer without also listing his current political leanings and affiliations. From a recent article by Jane Meyer in the New Yorker:
"A pivotal source of the allegations against the Bidens, for instance, is the Government Accountability Institute, a Florida-based opposition-research operation that was founded by the former Trump political adviser Stephen Bannon—the same conservative nonprofit that ginned up questionable stories about the Clintons during the last Presidential campaign. In both instances, much of the coverage of the scandal was kicked off by Peter Schweizer, a longtime conservative political writer who is an editor-at-large at Breitbart News and the president of the Government Accountability Institute. Since its founding, in 2012, the group has largely been funded with millions of dollars in tax-exempt donations from the family foundation of the New York hedge-fund magnate Robert Mercer, who was a major donor to Trump’s 2016 campaign."
6
Peter Schweizer is an editor at Breitbart, the right-wing propaganda outlet, as well as the president of the Government Accountability Institute, a conservative think-tank. Both Breitbart and the GAI are funded by Robert and Rebekah Mercer -- Trump's biggest donors. No wonder there's no mention of Trump's children in this article.
The sole purpose of this piece is to cast doubt on the trustworthiness of Joe Biden and to weaken the average Times reader's rightful outrage at Trump's blatant, continual, immoral and impeachable corruption.
If you're curious about Hunter Biden in Ukraine, I recommend Sarah Chayes' Sept. 27th article in the Atlantic.
5
Well, it may just take someone from the “opposition” to at least open our eyes. If you just tow the party line then you’re part of the problem. (Let alone, using only part of your brain.).
Peter Schweizer should be investigated. What is his connection to the Trump family? Did they pay him to submit this to the Times? What other organizations is he associated with? Brietbart? Fox?
"Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." -- Matthew 7:5
People say at least Biden's not as bad as our worst president and family.
This is what accelarates the downward slide in our politics---
Trump and family --atrocious.
Biden and family--not atrocious, just bad.
Hey we have other choices, let's not be played for suckers.
For 2020, if we over idealize Biden types, we accelerate our downward slide. In 2024 will our standards be even lower, after what we put up with in 2020?
Biden has the sympathy of many after Trump's vicious attacks. But Biden has for so long been phony and manipulative he's not even conscious of it. He seems so sincere, fooling the voters and himself.
Recently he assured his big donors not to worry--that nothing would change for them, if elected. That the rich are 'just as patriotic' as the poor.
How stupid does he think the public is?
1
This article is a COMPLETE DISTRACTION from the issue at hand: Trump's effort to use US foreign aid to buy smears of the Bidens from Ukraine. US democracy is at risk.
I write this knowing that it will make me a candidate for political prison in the Trump dictatorship, if it comes to that.
1
I agree with the author. But what about Ivanka’s Chinese trademarks and Jared’s solicitation of foreign investments in his failing real estate deals? Not to mention that neither one is remotely qualified to walk into international meetings with leaders of other nations. What authority, precisely, does Jared possess to negotiate with MBS or Bibi?
1
Members of Congress treat themselves differently than the general public, from the health care they receive to the situation in this article.
I remember sometime in the not so recent past that Congress was passing a law that stated they could not benefit from insider trading. Insider trading was illegal for the rest of us, just ask Martha Stewart. But Congress could do this?!?!
Congress should have to live like us regular people, subject to all the rules and laws and no special nothing just for being elected to Congress.
This whole thing is ridiculous. We have a president making money from his office, just by staying at Mar a Lago and holding on to his hotels. We have McConnell and Graham on the Russian payroll. We have Biden's son, who apparently wasn't the smart one, making money simply because of who his Dad is. Sure, plenty of people get jobs because their parents "know somebody" but then they have to be able to do the job. Not Hunter I guess.
There's way too much money in politics and government these days, time for some serious regulations.
Hmm, I wonder if Elizabeth Warren has a plan for just this situation?
1
I agree entirely! Let's reflect on the need for transparency (i.e. tax returns) to make sure this self-service isn't happening while those people are in office.
2
It’s an old story for politicians. “Politics is good business”. I’ve yet to learn about any once successful politician from local to national who didn’t retire very comfortably. Save HST who by all accounts was an “honest man”. Curbing the appetites of politicians and their extended families may be the ultimate
“Impossible Dream”.
Would be interesting to see tax returns and wealth holdings of the Biden’s. They’ve done well ! Cashing in the opportunities.
2
Peter Schweizer is completely correct: "we need a Washington Corrupt Practices Act, one that clearly shuts down foreign influence and self-enrichment for some of America’s most powerful families on both sides of the aisle."
Politicians (like all people in positions of responsibility) need to avoid impropriety and even the appearance of impropriety. Hunter clearly benefitted from his father's office even though no laws may have been broken.
Now, even though I believe Mr. Trump should be removed from office, his supporters can view this as just more shenangins to further "the left's" agenda - Plus, I do believe that bringing to light even what's been brought out so far, will hurt Joe Biden - I believe it already has.
1
I can’t argue with the thesis of this article but can’t help but wonder what an investigation into the international financial dealings of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner would reveal about how they have benefitted from their kinship with Mr. Trump in much the same way as Hunter Biden. But then, that would be fine with POTUS, because he believes he is not accountable to the same rules and standards as everyone else. I am no longer surprised - but am still shocked - at his constant lying and double-dealing. I am both sad and worried at the extent to which he is undermining US democracy and a stable world order.
2
If the Trump Presidency has taught us anything, it's that the Emoluments Clause means absolutely nothing. Anti-nepotism laws mean absolutely nothing. Separation of power means absolutely nothing. Why bother strengthening existing laws, or writing new restrictions, if Congress refuses to enforce them.
1
@MrMac: Congresscritters don't even seem to understand that they are the board of directors of the Federal Government of the United States.
1
re: many of the comments--
when enough citizens in a democracy have been conditioned to resign themselves to their powerlessness over corruption and inability to exercise any oversight over government, well, then, the majority rules, I suppose.
And Donald Trump is merely a symptom of that learned helplessness and apathy (masquerading as cynical wisdom.) Not the cause of it.
1
@DC Reade Many of the comments. Stop ganging up on politicians. Favoritism and nepotism are in the private sector as well. Just look at where you work. Family members have jobs, your company does business with friends and family members of your fellow employees. We are all part of the problem.
Don't complain about the Clintons making money. Their political opponents made them very marketable. They weren't born with silver spoons in their mouths. The worked for what they have, unlike the Trumps and Bushes.
@Alan Snipes
The private sector is about people representing their private interests. Favoritism and nepotism is a problem of a different order there than it is in the circles of government power.
The public sector is supposed to be about public servants elected to represent the voters who elected them, not feathering their own nests and hoarding opportunities to grant to their offspring.
Come on, this is basic...
1
Completely agree that this stuff is awful and has to stop. However, I see no attempt by the current regime to put a stop to name-selling and nepotistic self dealing, au contraire, it seems to be happening more openly and shamelessly than ever. To make matters worse, those with the power to punish corruption or admonish those engaged in unseemly money grubbing, seem largely to avoid looking at members of their own group, reserving their outrage at those outside it.
2
I would like to see a follow up article about Clinton Cash as it is a popular cri de coeur of the right that charitable contributions raised by Bill and Chelsea Clinton for the Clinton Foundation, usually in the form of huge fees for public speaking engagements from foreign players were a way to gain access and influence to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They (my brother and husband) also state the Clinton Foundation dried up and closed after Hilary left office.
My response has been that the money raised was not for personal gain- it actually went to help victims around the globe. And that Presidents have always enjoyed an active public life after office for charitable causes.
If this is truly considered self-dealing, self-enrichment and money laundering as the right positions it, as well as an unearned and unqualified lucrative job for Chelsea a la Hunter, I would like to know how it truly shakes out by a non-partisan clear eyed investigative journalist and whether the law this author suggests can be tailored to prevent such problems, if indeed they did occur as charged.
And throw in Billy Carter and the corruption of the Trump children. Sounds like a Times Sunday magazine -length article, sadly.
1
How else are politicians and their families going to become multimillionaires on a sub-$200K salary?
5
Wikipedia on Biden's son Hunter--
"After graduating from law school, Biden took a position at MBNA America, a major bank holding company which was also a major contributor to his father's political campaigns. By 1998, he had risen to the rank of executive vice president."
Pro publica, 2008---
"Biden has been particularly cozy with MBNA, a financial services company from Delaware."
Seems Joe Biden was once called "Mr. MBNA". He sided with banks and against consumer protection laws.
Sen Warren, for one, is known for the opposite---trying to protect people from exploitation when their financial security is destroyed.
Like after they lost a job, when millions of US jobs were off shored to low wage countries.
They may have huge medical bills, after an accident or major illness, and are uninsured.
And their offspring may have been exploited by high college tuition debt or vocational schools.
Trump University was sued for $25 million by students who proved in court they were lied to.
4
@Meredith I fully agree with you. Is it not sick that he is the favorite of the Democrats? What does it say bout them?
2
@European in NY It says that Biden so far has greater name recognition than the other Democratic candidates. It's early, today's frontrunners may not finish the race.
2
If $50,000 a month is the biggest payment he received, then working for Macdonald probably also quite lucrative for a Yale graduate.
Listen to today's Fresh Air on NPR to learn about the fine Peter Schweizer. Although it may be ad hominem, Schweizer is nothing but a right wing partisan employed by a "research" outfit funded by the Mercers. The critical analysis provided by the guest on Fresh Air exposes his current and previous work (he did the half-truth "expose'" of the Clinton Foundation) as primarily innuendo with a smattering of scattered facts.
2
This is a skillful piece of work, I have to admit. Cloaked in a discussion of Washington self-dealing generally, Schweizer uses Joe Biden's son to retail Donald Trump's evidence-free attacks against his major political rival. It's disappointing to see it in the Times.
4
George Washington Plunkett said "I seen my opportunity
and I took it."
Gotta hand it to him, Mitch McConnell married well. A beautiful and talented wife with a handsome dowry. And they look so happy together. I wish I knew their secret.
1
No it was not legal.
Receiving bribe money is not legal.
Having the son paid off monthly or receiving a suitcase full of cash is the same thing.
You got to hand it to them.
Always figuring out new ways to pull it off.
With Hillary it was a secret computer to use her office and run an extortion scheme with the money deposited in a foreign account (Canada).
Now we have Biden who figures out a way to take bribe money right in the open.
The drop off is his son.
Who would have thought of it.
5
"McConnell is corrupt" (Democrat partisan)
"Biden is corrupt" (Republican partisan)
"Both McConnell and Biden are corrupt" (Genuine patriot)
4
So some think Biden and son are just fine since Trump and family does worse?
If we over idealize any candidate as just 'not as bad as Trump' we accelerate our downward slide. Then in 2024 will our standards be even lower, after what we excuse now?
How could Biden Senior thought it ok for his son to take a 50,000 PER MONTH (!) directorship in a Ukraine company at the same time Joe is dealing with it as VP?
The Atlantic:
“Hunter Biden’s Perfectly Legal, Socially Acceptable Corruption
Trump committed an impeachable offense, but prominent Americans shouldn’t be leveraging their names for payoffs from shady clients abroad.”
By Sarah Chayes
Author of Thieves of State: Why Corruption Threatens National Security
2
We’re so caught up in the game of “who’s worse” that we lose sight of a fundamental principle: politicians and their family members are not entitled to enrich themselves by means of their public offices. It simply isn’t believable that Hunter Biden just happened to get a $50,000 a year job with a Ukrainian natural gas firm, having no background in the field, without there being some anticipated reward to the Ukrainians. The Clintons made similar arguments about their Foundation, huge donations were merely coincidental to a benefit extended to the donating country.
Despite what our elitist leaders think, Americans are not stupid. There is a price to be paid for corruption by all those who practice it.
5
In the third world countries politicians are corrupt. We look down at them and give looks of disbelief .
In our beloved USA politicians are corrupt and it is all legal. Legally they receive millions and millions but definitely according to excellent laws. It is such a charade.
3
Mr Scheizer:
It looks as if you built your essay around Larry Downing's photograph. It's a great photograph, but it's mute on the entire Trump clan. And so are you.
1
Interesting how many commenters here don't appear to be addressing who, exactly, Pete Schweizer is. Read Jane Mayer's detailed reporting in The New Yorker (https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-invention-of-the-conspiracy-theory-on-biden-and-ukraine). Mr. Schweizer, the author of the infamous "Clinton Cash" which has largely been debunked, a Breitbart Senior Editor at large, and president of Steve Bannon’s and Robert Mercer’s right-wing think tank, "Government Accountability Institute," is now promoting baseless tales about Joe Biden. Mr. Schweizer is hardly the person I would listen to when it comes to truth and rooting out real corruption.
6
Well maybe this shows that if you’re not consumed with WHO the person is and what identity group he falls you can hear the valid points (in my opinion) he’s making.
2
When your guiding thesis for government is to run it like a business, the corruption that pervades the business enters the political world. As Americans, we seem to have forgotten that we don't like the result in either case.
There is a practical inconsistency built into Trump's request that the Chinese government look into corruption by Hunter Biden. Anyone, whether Biden or any hypothetical businessman, who wants to do business in China will likely be doing business with State Owned Enterprises. In Biden's case it was The Bank of China. Asking the government to examine this transaction means examining the Bank of China. That is simply not going to happen, whether or not there was real corruption.
2
@TH Hunter started his first fund ever in June, after he left the Navy, and in December he raked in a billion in Chinese state money? Have you tried to get any cash from the Chinese?
1
@European in NY
False. The total raised was closer to $600,000 and that was after Hunter Biden invested $400,000 of his own cash.
Yes I have and I was very successful at that endeavor.
1
It is true: It is hard to defend the Bidens. One more reason to go for Elizabeth Warren.
2
A law like this is a reasonable idea -- just as soon as we finish defending the republic from a lawless president.
Given that the author doesn't mention the corruption by the president or his family, I can't help but suspect that he's really trying to deflect attention from Trump's malfeasance and obstruction in our current constitutional crisis.
3
Trump is in the tradition of demagogues past and present, who rise to power by decrying corruption even as they institute autocratic and repressive regimes. Paramount among their methods is attacking the free press and individuals who question or oppose them. His claim of purifying the state (now, the "Deep State"), by "draining the swamp" is belied by the putrefaction of his administration.
I would add that we need more stringent laws on conflicts generally. I should not have to research the economic interest that Trump has in real estate in Istanbul in order to get comfortable - or not - with our most recent troop withdrawal.
iI'm not arguing against the need but good luck with that. Neither side is incentivized to pass anything since they all have family who take advantage. And where do you draw the line? What job or board or company crosses the line? What family members? What level of government employee?
One line is clear - the president's immediate family should not be working for teh government. How many are aware that Barr has one kid in the WH and another in the Treasury Dept. Ghouliani has a kid in the WH as well. Super-swampy
For those who are screaming "The Trump kids!!!"
"A statement from Abigail Klem, president of the Ivanka Trump brand, said the brand’s trademark protection efforts were part of its 'normal course of business,' particularly in countries (like CHINA) where trademark infringement is common. Klem said: 'We have recently seen a surge in trademark filings by unrelated third parties trying to capitalize on the name and it is our responsibility to diligently protect our trademark.'"
3
What is really interesting here is that if Trump doesn't get removed from office, he has ensured that Biden will not be his opponent, without ever getting any dirt from Ukraine or China. He didn't intend it to work this way (he thought he would get Ukraine to do it for him) but it has. Whether or not Trump gets impeached, he has managed to ensure that Biden will never be president.
1
Dear Mr. Schweizer,
You profess to be interested in rooting out corruption. So, what do you think about Mr. Trump's refusal to release his tax returns?
2
A powerful indictment of the current sleaze. Good Government leagues once spread across the country to attack corruption at all levels, regardless of party or affiliation. We need another Progressive reform era.
1
The subtle point of this article that many seem to miss is that the Democrats are running against Trump on a supposed higher moral ground but with a candidate that is even more corrupt than Trump as a front runner (Hillary redux) of all the good democrats in this country.
And they are risking an impeachment inquiry against President Trump for such an unethical 76 yo as Biden? Making the USA look like a joke in the process? If the President of the most powerful country on earth cannot have a private conversation to investigate corruption because he is leaked and impeached who else in the world is safe?
Instead of fighting this lost battle to the bitter end, the Dems should rally around a clean and solid candidate.
5
Yes we should have a law regarding business activities of family members of highly placed politicians. But that doesn't mean that Hunter Biden did anything wrong. It may simply mean that there is an unseemly appearance of wrongdoing, which is bad enough.
Nonetheless, this does not meet the level of clear wrongdoing we see with the Trumps, where a son-in-law got a security clearance above the objections of security personnel and a daughter and sons continue to profit daily while they carry on businesses that daddy also profits from.
Meanwhile there is the issue of McConnell and his wife and her family. We already know that McConnell is corrupt: he held up all hearings for Merrick Garland but now says it is fine if Trump nominates a justice this year. This sort of double-dealing should be beneath the dignity of any senator. Obviously it is not.
This is one thing I agree that both parties are guilty of doing. Family members of politicians should have "conflict of interest" on their minds all the time, but money speaks louder than morals. Hunter Biden knew what he was doing was sketchy, but compared to Trump's kids he's an angel.
1
All lobbyists and political insiders must be much more strictly regulated.
This includes former government employees and representatives.
1
Excellent article.Hopefully, someone in Congress will take notice and take action. No reason why this can't be bipartisan.
4
Joe Biden has been mentioning his kids for years now, much more than any politician I can remember. I guess the chickens have come home to roost.
4
Legal or not, it was unethical for Hunter Biden to accept those lucrative posts. It smacks of pay for play -- in fact that is what it is. If sleepy Joe were honest Joe, he'd have told Biden not to take those posts. It smacks of corruption. If hunter took those positions Biden should have recused himself from riding point on Ukraine of China; of course if he did Hunter wouldn't have gotten those jobs. Any way you cut it, he had a huge conflict of interest and was susceptible to pressure.
The corruption here isn't in question. And what's more, when we see this we should investigate all of Biden's past dealings as somehow he's managed to live large and accumulate a nice personal net worth as a public servant married to a teacher. Sure he got a book deal, how exactly was that funded.
Trump merely asked about corruption in the Ukraine. The Biden's actually did it.
6
@Ralphie
$50,000 a month is lucrative? He can probably make more working as a receptionist in Amazon. He is a graduate from Yale for heaven's sake.
@Gordon That's what he was getting from Ukraine, who knows what from China. Don't care if he went to Yale or not -- the money he was getting from Ukraine and China was not for work or expert advise. Kickback.
1
I don't know how it's possible to talk about the need for a Washington Corrupt Practices Act, the Bidens and the McConnell/Chaos without even once mentioning Donald Trump and the BILLIONS in favors and influence that has spread across his family interests since he became President.
But then again, it also escapes me how the Courts can simply look the other way when it comes to the Emoluments Clause.
We already know from the recent G.O.P. tax law that wealthy individuals and big businesses receive a significant break at the expense of hard working American taxpayers.
That's why thinking Congress is actually going to change this situation is nothing short of delusionary.
They are part of the problem.
150
@N. Smith Right on! It's hard to imagine that any member of Congress did not benefit from the tax breaks provided by the GOP giveaway program.
2
Everyone needs to come clean and ditch the PeeWee Herman whataboutism.
Hunter Biden is just as sleazy and troublesome to the democratic process - such as it is these days - as are the Trump offspring.
The bright note: John Kerry's Heinz-heir step-son saw this, knew it was a problem with endless tentacles, stepping away from the Ukraine deal and Hunter Biden.
4
Your paper is making money because Trump is President. So is MSNBC, CNN and Fox.
Why is it Trump 24 hours a day?
Where are the speeches of Joe Biden aired liked
Trumps were religiously by CNN and Fox?
Your editorial board shows disdain of the President, while at the same time you and the other "Fake" media are helping Trump toward reelection.
7
@Kenneth
Well put. The media, NYT included, are giving Trump another free ride with 24/7 coverage. Whatever lie or inane remark or vindictive attack he spews it immediately dominates the news cycle. Hating him or favoring him are equal money makers. This major con artist has pulled the biggest con job ever and the media never gets tired of covering, though occasionally admitting something isn't true. They need to put less emphasis on his brouhaha and more on the facts. If it isn't true why is it being printed or broadcast? Americans thrive on headlines and soundbites. If there is no accuracy or substance why aren't his ravings being ignored?
The viper has managed to compromise a decent politician like Biden because his son took some high paying jobs. Big deal. It's a free coffee compared to the Trump brood's gravy train. Every white child in America with a connected or famous parent gets plum positions by virtue of their paternity. That's how America operates: it's who you know not what you know. That the media continues to give legs to Trump's false accusation despite occasional disclaimers is damaging the country and our democracy. But Benjamins speak louder every time. There is a pack mentality to disseminate just because the other media are going to get all the clicks ($$$) if you don't. There needs to be a moratorium or blackout on covering Trump esp when there is no basis in fact to what he is saying. The criminals to fear are the Trumps not the Bidens.
1
If you do this, you should also make it illegal for former officials to accept payment, any payment over expenses, for speaking engagements.
This means you, people named Clinton and Obama.
However, as noted by others, the "annointed" will always get away with it. Currently "annointed" translates in
ordinaryspeak as "Democrat".
Conversely, the "antiannointed" will be mercilessly attacked for nothing my the annointed. Antiannointed" means "Republican".
3
@Doug McDonald What is your concern about speaking engagements for former officials?
@Joel :
Its legalized payback for former favors. If you are going to ban some activities, ban them all.
I actually think none should be banned, especially for family members who are unconnecrted directly. Hillary and Ms. Obama were directly connected, as is Melania and some but not all other Trumps. Hunter is currently impossible to know about since we can assume that all press reports, especially in the New York Times, are possible lies. In essence it should be up to voters. Note that the voters DID actually decide to elect Trump, no matter what Hillary says.
1
Shame on the NYT for publishing this. Schweizer has been found to have made repeated falsehoods and errors in reporting about Democrats and is a senior editor at Breitbart, a publication well known for its propagation of conspiracy theories. This editorial serves no other purpose than to highlight Trump's most recent conspiracy theories surrounding the Bidens. Note, there's no mention of the extensive nepotism and other soft corruption engaged in by the Trump family. Don't be fooled by the false equivalency presented re: the McConnell-Chaos, who are in office and who will suffer no consequences by this article's publication--there's nothing fair and balanced about this.
10
@Harry M. The Russia investigation was also a conspiracy theory based on cooked up theory debunked by Mueller -- but when a conspiracy theory aims to topple down a President it is called constitutional crisis
2
@Harry M.
I strongly disagree and the NYT has made a good decision in publishing this. What falsehoods are in this Opinion?
3
@Alexgri There's nothing theoretical about the Ukraine call transcript and Volker's text messages. Stop playing the mis-direction game.
The reason there's conspicuously no mention of Trump's children's corrupt profiting off the White House is because the author Peter Schweizer's organization, Government Accountability Institute, was co-founded by Steve Bannon to undercut democratic figures, i.e. his earlier book "Clinton Cash". Unfortunate to see the NYTs giving this figure a platform for right wing propaganda
8
Who is the last president whose children did not try to profit off of his name? Not counting the Obama children, who are too young to have set on that path, I think you have to go back to Jimmy Carter, whose children did not make a dime trading off of their father's time in office. Even there though, who can forget that indelible image of brother Billy on the tarmac in Libya with Gadaffi?
It is perfectly legal to influence US politicians by handing out lucrative jobs to their children, husbands and wifes
From the NY Times:
“Handicapping IAC’s Investment in Chelsea Clinton”
Chelsea Clinton as a corporate director? Really?
Ms. Clinton was appointed last week to the board of IAC/interActiveCorp, the Internet media conglomerate controlled by Barry Diller.
For her efforts, Ms. Clinton will be paid about $300,000 a year in cash and incentive stock awards.
Not bad for a 31-year-old in graduate school.
NY TImes OCTOBER 4, 2011
From the LA Times:
"Why did NBC reportedly pay Chelsea Clinton $600,000 a year?"
The disclosure raises the obvious question of NBC's goal in giving a person without any measurable journalistic
or broadcasting experience .. The answer is equally obvious. Plainly, it was done to curry favor with the Clinton family
LA Time, JUN 16, 2014 | 12:08 PM
Joe Biden's family is no different. Hunter got jobs for he was not qualified and made deals that he would not have otherwise could have gotten
As to far this can go, The Economist has an interesting plot
https://www.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/640-width/images/print-edition/20161001_USC691.png
Again, this is perfectly legal.
4
Just so we’re clear, Joe Biden’s net worth can easily be looked up. So can his taxes; so can his charitable contributions. You might wanna do that before more hue and cry.
And progressives, feel free to compare to Elizabeth Warren. Because she’s got several times what Joe does.
Now of course, these revolving doors need to stop. But there’s a helluva difference between cashing in via books and speeches, or looking bad because of a job your son takes, and Trump’s swampy Cabinet—let alone Trump.
Lefties and progressives might want to keep their eyes on the prize a little.
1
Joe Biden’s corruption and cronyism should disqualify him from running for office again.
4
This is the swamp. Hopefully because of this Biden will not run. We need to pass laws to clean up this behavior. Just because a law is not broken does not make it right.
4
My father always used to say don't do anything that you wouldn't want your mother to read about on the front page of the New York Times.
It was sage advice.
Someone somewhere should tell politicians to follow this rule and tell their family to follow this rule.
4
"The Problem" is that this type of article rewards the corruption and lies of the administration by giving Trump exactly what he wants to help sow doubts about Biden.
1
Oh, so all adult children of all federal politicians (and maybe state, county, and municipal politicians' children) should be audited along with their parents and forbidden to take jobs with private foreign corporations. So the sins, if any, of the adult children are to be visited upon the parents? That should only happen if the parents employ the children -- which is called nepotism and is typical of authoritarian dictatorships and the Trump White House.
Sitting on the board of directors of a state owned foreign entity is another matter. It's the same as working directly for a foreign government. That what McConnell's wife has done.
By the way, Hunter Biden has a Law degree from Yale, unlike the Trump children, but like Trump's influential son-in-law advisor J. Kushner.
2
This article failed to mention, having influential parents can also cause great harm. Fame and connections are a double edged sword. Most of past and present top Chinese government officials' children had terrible personal lives and they silently suffered a great deal of sensors, limitations and control. ( look it up: Mao's children for example and many many others) The true is, of course it helps to have family connections some of the time. All of us benefit from connections some point in our lives. As long as their support, imagined or real, to their Children are within the law, we need to stop playing the idealist card. Also, do you know how much a top government official makes in China? Xi's salary is about 11,385 yuan, roughly $1626 in U.S. dollar. Good luck with that living in Beijing, supporting your family while working yourself to death! It is a miracle that anyone would want to be a politician in China. For what really?
1
Nonsense.
Not only does this piece conflate corruption with mere opportunism, but it also attempts to draw an equivalence between the opportunistic actions of a private citizen and those of elected officials, the latter of whom are actually prone to conflicts between their own and their constituents' interests.
Moreover, that this piece should feign objectivity by presenting current examples from both the "left" and "right", but with scarcely a mention of the current occupant of the White House, renders the entire soliloquy truly laughable.
6
A balanced article. It does point out to more than a little fishy dealings of Bidens, who, of course, are completely exonerated and ignored on the pages of NYT where only the impeachment is of interest. Certainly, the McConnell's hands appear a little dirty as well but he is not part of the impeachment so here he comes in as a useful balance in this graft-cases summary.
It might be legal but it is apparently disgusting. Should we be quiet about such things? Does it matter whether the ''accused' are candidates or senators or whatever?
4
The optics were so bad with his son Hunter, I can hardly believe Biden was so myopic. But he was inured to the system, just like he was inured to the schmoozing and the touchy-feely.
[And that’s a picture of him nearly 5 years ago, as vice president? Oh my goodness.]
You’re right. Time for the law. Way past time.
5
headline: "What Hunter Biden Did Was Legal — And That’s the Problem"
well, no. what trump did was ILLEGAL. and THAT's the problem.
at this point, any discussion of joe and hunter biden is cynical misdirection.
5
How about the millions that the Trump children are amassing on the people's dime? Let's have a full investigation of Ivanka and Jared, Eric etc.. Right now, what's more important is to "sort out" the chief liar and corrupt businessman sitting in the White House.
3
It is self-dealing and selling of political influence. I’m sick of it from all sides. They all do it to enrich themselves and their useless kids. Every branch and all parties are corrupt.
4
Since Joe Biden apparently knew that his son was to become a member of the board of Burisma, "I hope you know what your doing?" is hardly a sufficient response. Better would be, "Don't even think about it!"
4
Regardless of where on the political spectrum one's individual views may lie, clearly the points made in this article are both salient and important. I ran a global business in the software sector for several decades and was acutely aware of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and all its provisions and strictures. There were many large contracts and projects we accepted and undertook in connection with which we received various requests we were forced to deny. Likewise there were a number of opportunities we competed for and lost to overseas competitors who were unconstrained by the US FCPA provisions. We always felt that our positions on such practices were just and never attempted to circumvent them in any way.
I completely agree with the view that we should have similar provisions enacted legislatively and applied to all government officials at every level both during active government service and following service, restricting the same corrupt practices as those governed by the FCPA but applicable to overseas or foreign entities.
8
Good ideas but putting greater scrutiny on the financial dealings of immediate family members will only lead to friends and acquaintances being the ones who nominally receive the benefits which will, in one way or another, be passed on to the politician's family. In some countries bribery is paid over the table, in some under the table. In the US, bribery is paid around the table.
1
$50,000 a month for a board seat? We are talking about a Board seat, not a full time job. This does not seem typical of what a board member is paid; it does seem typical, or possible, that this amount of compensation ($600,000/year) might be paid to someone holding a very senior management position with the company, but not a board seat. Have I missed where this has been better addressed/explained?
11
@Mike We should add that the average salary at Burisma and Ukriane is about 300 dollars per month, and requires 40 hours per week, physical presence.
5
Who is going to take on the complicated legalities and illegalities of bribery and corruption in American politics? Republicans? Not hardly.
Democrats? Ditto.
We interfere willy-nilly in other countries' affairs, but have to lie about getting them to interfere in our politics.
We let politicians collect obscene amounts of money from lobbyists and then do their bidding, but if it's not spelled out in black and white, there's no 'quid pro quo.'
We voters are supposed to register our complaints at the ballot box, but if liars with deep pockets flood us with lies how are we to untangle the mess?
Trump is sort of right that it's unfair for Dems to get bent out of shape over one telephone call, even if it was a little bit not okay. Others pull comparable shenanigans without coloring outside the lines.
We're in a pickle, and I'm afraid it will take a hometown disaster (which will happen sooner or later) to wake us up.
Or maybe we're heading for a fall.
2
@Deborah Fink
It was much more than one telephone call.
2
@Deborah Fink
The country is in free fall as I write this. Republicon$ have repeatedly refused to even discuss the plethora of campaign finance reform the Democrats have proposed over the past 20 years. Mi$$ McConnell wont allow any discussion on election hacking, AK-47 massacres, let alone a domestic enemy that is aiding Russia, MSB/$audi$ and now Turkey. Your hometown disaster comment rings hollow. The entire country is in trouble.
2
Here come the whataboutism from the hear no evil see no evil hypocrites. But what about the Trump kids? The Trump kids are not doing any of this. In fact the entire Trump family has taken a haircut by foregoing a lot of foreign business opportunities precisely to avoid the appearance of cronyism. But nevermind that. Even if you have terminal TDS and hate everything Trump with every fiber of your being, ask yourself one thing: Is Joe Biden the man to take on China? Not when they bought him like they bought most of our CEOs who became lobbyists for the CCP on Capital Hill. If you must oppose Trump, then at least do your patriotic duty and vote for someone other than Xi Jinping's dream candidate--the bought and paid for Mr. Biden.
3
Us Democrats need to condemn the action of the Bidens as, while not illegal, as unethical, while doing the same for those doing the same on the Republican side.
By the way, anyone look up how much the Clinton Foundation is taking in these days? We need to walk the walk.
9
Foreign influence peddling is a puddle. The tax code is the real swamp. Hunter's $50K a month is nothing compared to what Wall Streeters take home - and it's tax-free. Add in all the corporate and other offshoring - it's trillions. And no one seems to mind very much.
4
I'll write the Trump part since the author didn't. The day of the Ukraine news, Donald Trump Jr. brayed on Twitter about landing a huge new deal in Scotland.
We know that Qatar bailed out Jared Kushner, who, by the way, has security clearance he couldn't get the official way (remember the concerns of intelligence officials was overruled). Why couldn't he get them? Because he's up to his eyeballs in debt and poses a risk to being manipulated by foreign governments.
The president himself is angling for his own resort to host the next G7 meeting. He and his family will profit enormously. Remember when the state department website was listing Mar-a-Lago as a good place for foreign dignitaries to stay?
We still have to wonder why Trump seemed so blasé about the killing of Khashoggi. Is it because Trump has properties in Saudi Arabia? Is it because Saudi royals own multiple floors in Trump Tower?
I could go on about Ivanka's 50 new patents in China, which, in itself is hilarious given the president's urging to buy Made in the USA.
I guess Tiffany is keeping her nose clean. There's that.
2
"Hunter Biden landed a board position with the Ukrainian energy giant Burisma Holdings. Despite having no background in energy or Ukraine, the vice president’s son was paid as much as $50,000 a month, according to financial records."
Board Members often do NOT have experience in the underlying company's strategy. Apple has seven Board Members, none of them (except Tim Cook) have experience in software, hardware of telecommunications. Board members are often picked due to their connections. Hunter Biden's experience and connections, (Lawyer, Lobbyist and yes, the son of a VP/Senator) would make him a valuable person on any Board.
Also, Board Member salaries are generally standard. Were the other Board Members paid $50K a year?
@Patrick in the US a board member makes about 50k per year. In Ukraine much less -- salaries are 300-500 dollars per month.
1
Perhaps legal technically, but sleazy and corrupt by most people's definitions, and that extends to Hunter's father as well, without whom it never could have happened. Joe would do the Democratic Party a huge favor by withdrawing from the Presidential race.
8
Trump is caught cheating but he distracts attention from himself to another and what Trump did is not addressed. We are acting like fools to even discuss this right now. It can wait.
I can see it already:
"I know that Trump is dumpster fire, but what about what Biden did, even Peter Schweizer thinks so!"
2
Very informative "opinion" piece. There is more news here than in most so-called news articles. Many thanks. I learned something.
3
Where’s the mention of trump and his family’s foreign dealings while he’s in office?
Trump has license to do whatever he wants. We cannot compare normal moral people to him. We should expect our politicians to behave morally. Just behaving legally is not sufficient. There should not even be a perception of improper behavior.
No.
The problem isn’t you are taking the bait.
Like a supposed doctor brought a bleeding out patient who says this guy has acne! Let us get on it!
Every time someone says Hunter Biden, the answer is Ivanka Trump.
2
@Katela
The answer is: BOTH parties with entitled, mortally deficient corrupt offspring. The apple rarely falls far.
The real problem with Hunter Biden is that a President Biden would be impotent to pursue his good bi-partisan pals Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao (smiling couple shaking hands with Joe Biden in picture above) for their in-broad-daylight personal profiteering through Chao's family connections with the Chinese Communist Party, President Xi, and the McConnell-Chaos returning the favor to Chao's family, and who-knows-what other favors they're doing for China.
The McConnell-Chaos self-dealing makes Hunter Biden look like a piker. But it won't matter, because a President Bien would not only have to keep his mouth shut, but he'd have to clamp down on Democrats in the Congress going after the likes of McConnell-Chao.
Joe Biden is disqualified from being President. He “looked the other way” from the practices of his son (who left the military due to issues with cocaine).
I hope the Democratic Party doesn’t shove him down our throats as they did Hilary. If they do, Democrats will lose again.
As a friend of mine says, “the Dems never lose an opportunity to lose an opportunity”.
Only Dem left standing is Elizabeth Warren, now that Bernie has had a heart attack.
6
Many Things That The “Not-For-Profit” Donald J. Trump Foundation Did Were Legal—And That’s The Problem.
I happened to catch this author talking about Biden's son and throwing all kinds of accusations around on Foxnews with Mark Levin. Nary a mention of Trump and his children in their discussion, just like in this article, and just a hint of talking about McConnell. I can't imagine who would fight strengthening disclosure...oh, yeah, the entire Republican party!
@Elizabeth Be sure there will be a book about Trump when time is due. Schweizer is methodical and waits to gather all the Trump presidency in one book.
1
It's actually pretty funny. If you look at the politicians who have gone to jail in recent years -- Blago, among many others -- they are the ones who DIDN'T actually get much if any money, and are mostly guilty of being unsophisticated big-mouths (a certain President of the United States also comes to mind). Meanwhile, Obama just bought a 15 million oceanfront property, totally legal. I'm sure Obama's vast wealth is all fine and dandy, along with plenty of other "public servants" who ended-up filthy rich. The lesson is: Whatever you do, don't be a blowhard. Blowhards end up in prison, even if they are actually the most honest of the bunch, which isn't saying much.
4
Correct, the Bidens didn’t break any laws but does that make it right?
Don’t forget that not too long ago insider trading by politicians was legal too.
With political influence being sold to the highest bidders (donors) which is essentially bribery, we have a lot of work to do to root out corruption and unethical behavior, and fix so many things that are so badly broken in our system.
9
This article courageously points out that acceptance of foreign money to family members of politicians is a terrible bipartisan problem. Of course, as many commenters note here, the article omits to mention Trump's children who have profited handsomely from their father's office. The article could have mentioned Hillary Clinton for the same problem; her husband earned a half million dollar speaking fee from a Russian bank while she was approving a huge purchase of U.S. uranium to the Russians. This bipartisan corruption is a terrible threat to our democracy and national security and demands a corrupt practices law to end it.
4
There is no better disinfectant than transparency.
2
There are several other Democrats children implicated besides Hunter Biden. Pelosi’s son, Kerry’s son, etc. I’ve heard 4 more besides Biden. How can you somehow claim it’s legal for Biden being on tape to withhold 1 Billion in aid until someone was fired for investigating his son on the board of a natural gas company? Hunter Biden has zero knowledge, education, or experience in the field. This is exactly what is trying to be pinned on Trump except it’s already been proven others actually did it. The logical question should be what else did the last administration sell off for favors. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
One of my favorite things about liberals growing up is they were fair. Believed in innocent until proven guilty for everyone from terrorists, Republicans, Democrats, everyone. It’s actually very telling how radical your ideology has gotten to claim Trump & his family should all be locked up without actual proof or a way of defending themselves. Even in light of what we’ve seen with Hunter Biden. You are basically trying to sentence & convict a person without a formal trial. The House is not following the rules or precedents set by previous impeachment’s. Trump isn’t endangering our republic, Democrats are. You are about to pay a very heavy price by losing the House & Presidency in 2020. This will hurt the Democrat Party for over a generation.
7
Have Ivanka, Don Jr. or other Trump children gotten paid by foreign companies right after Trump's visit like in Hunter Biden's case? I want to know.
1
Whataboutism and the art of diversion brought to you by the NYT. This is been going on for what, 200 years? K Street, all lobbying that amounts to bribery must be stopped, citizens united needs to be repealed, and total campaign finance reform needs to be permanently put in place. We all know this. Now, it's time to give our full intention to the impeachment, to the betrayal of the Kurds, and to Trump's love affair with Russia, mbs and the $audi$, and China. By the way we'd be here till the cows came home if we started looking at the Iraq invasion and everything tied in with that, including 9/11.
It's clearly time for a new form of government, and end to this elitism and corruption, along with term limits for the supreme Court, Congress, and the Senate. Now, let's get rid of the domestic enemy so America can move forward.
2
This is hilarious. Schweitzer ignores the elephant in the room--the vast, largely hidden self-dealing by our esteemed president, whose personal financial corruption is so sprawling that it's impossible to keep track of--the DC hotel; the vast sums the government spends at his various clubs every time he drops in for a meal and a round of golf and some promotional videos; the overseas deals his sons pursue in his name; his promotion of the Doral for the G7 meeting next year; the untold wealth Jared and Ivanka are pocketing from various deals made attractive to foreign investors by their family ties; Jared's sister's hawking of the family connection as she sought Chinese investors; Ivanka's Chinese trademarks and deals--and I"m sure I'm forgetting dozens of others.
So, Mr. Schweitzer, what do you think about all the in-your-face self-dealing from within the West Wing?
At least he didn't bring up his bogus charges against the Clintons. Progress, I guess.
7
This is the the best single article I have seen, here or elsewhere, on what is actually a rather sraightforward issue at the heart of this matter:
Do establishment political heavyweights from both parties monetize their office at the expense of the American people?
Kudos Mr. Schweizer!
11
@Rick
Absolutely - of course they do. That's why we have so many shuttered "downtown's" in rural America. Our political class, Repbulicans and Democrats, have sold our country via "free trade" policies to China, Mexico, Vietnam and many others. We've done a great job of creating a middle class in thsoe countries while devastating our own. My son and virtually all of his mates in the top 10% of their class have one primary goal - graduate and get out of here becasue of the dearth of opportunity. So sad, but I can't blame them. Meanwhile our political class live in gated communities, can afford to send their childred to the very best colleges and perpetuate the glaring inequality we see in our broken society.
2
Remember When Bill Clinton Was Accused of Trading White House Access for Political Favors?
3
@R. R.
Or the horror of Jimmy Carter's younger brother putting out Billy Beer? How quaint it all seems today.
1
The irony of trump's attacks on Biden and son flies in the face of his repeated assertions that his own son (Don jr.) is totally exonerated by the Mueller report. How does he know this?AG Barr is still sitting on the real (ie unredacted) Mueller report. It was supposed to have been released to the Congressional Judicial Committee several months ago. All critical parts of the report related to Don jr. have been redacted (ie covered up). Go figure.
2
Hunter Biden is NOT in government or working for the American taxpayers. McConnell and Chao are in government and supposed to be working for taxpayers.....although that is highly questionable.
3
"The" problem? I mean, it's A problem for sure. But "the" problem is that we have a plurality of voters that so fear and hate the idea of an equal playing field for them and minorities and women that they'd vote a lazy huckster that has never worked a day in his life into office specifically to smash "the libs."
THAT is "the" problem.
1
I don't understand, surely the most important problem is Warren lying about being fired because she was pregnant.
Whatever Hunter Biden did, or did not do, is in the past. RIGHT NOW, Jar Jar Kushner, Ivanka, Jr., and Igor are, along with their totally corrupt father, enriching themselves at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
Worse, he's filled his cabinet with corrupt incompetents, as well. The wife of the repub Senate leader may be a Chinese agent.
The crook in the WH is emulating the worst power-mad, corrupt dictators we've had the displeasure to watch loot and degrade other countries, thinking, obviously naively, that it couldn't happen here. WRONG.
And with Citizens United (thanks again, Roberts and Alito) allowing dark money to flood ALL election campaigns, it's as if we're sinking in criminal quicksand, as elected "representatives" openly do the bidding of transnational corporations and big lenders, all at OUR expense.
Roads and bridges? Airports? Our rail system? Maybe China will sell them back to us.
1
Whatever Hunter Biden did, or did not do, is in the past. RIGHT NOW, Jar Jar Kushner, Ivanka, Jr., and Igor are, along with their totally corrupt father, enriching themselves at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
Worse, he's filled his cabinet with corrupt incompetents, as well. The wife of the repub Senate leader may be a Chinese agent.
The crook in the WH is emulating the worst power-mad, corrupt dictators we've had the displeasure to watch loot and degrade other countries, thinking, obviously naively, that it couldn't happen here. WRONG.
And with Citizens United (thanks again, Roberts and Alito) allowing dark money to flood ALL election campaigns, it's as if we're sinking in criminal quicksand, as elected "representatives" openly do the bidding of transnational corporations and big lenders, all at OUR expense.
Roads and bridges? Airports? Our rail system? Maybe China will sell them back to us.
This article while cathartic short circuits and gives cover to the problem of the pot (attempting to prostitute a third party - Ukraine) to allege that the kettle (in this case a political opponent) is black. This should not and can not obscure the impeachable offense that has been committed, unapologetically confessed to, and endorsed by some who because it’s their ox frankly don’t give a darn. This article written in the skin of the objective has too much subjective sausage and in my opinion abuses the constitutional responsibility given the press in a free society. If ever there was a time we need the Press to Be the Press it is NOW!
Whatever Hunter Biden did, or did not do, is in the past. RIGHT NOW, Jar Jar Kushner, Ivanka, Jr., and Igor are, along with their totally corrupt father, enriching themselves at the expense of U.S. taxpayers.
Worse, he's filled his cabinet with corrupt incompetents, as well. The wife of the repub Senate leader may be a Chinese agent.
The crook in the WH is emulating the worst power-mad, corrupt dictators we've had the displeasure to watch loot and degrade other countries, thinking, obviously naively, that it couldn't happen here. WRONG.
And with Citizens United (thanks again, Roberts and Alito) allowing dark money to flood ALL election campaigns, it's as if we're sinking in criminal quicksand, as elected "representatives" openly do the bidding of transnational corporations and big lenders, all at OUR expense.
Roads and bridges? Airports? Our rail system? Maybe China will sell them back to us.
2
Great idea. It is logically corrupt for politician's family and friends to profit on their office; time to put it into law. Nancy, are you listening?
2
I share the puzzlement others have expressed here as to why Mr. Schweizer let an 800 lb. gorilla into the room on this, by studiously ignoring the far more brazen, far more profound examples of this corruption in the Trump family! Regardless of the legal and ethical questions one can ask about the Bidens, to focus on them is to hold the water for the pot that's calling the kettle black! Mr. Schweizer plays right into the highly hypocritical Trump smear and effectively provides comfort to the most egregious examples in Jared, Ivanka and Trump himself. Thus does journalism play handmaiden to the mad king.
Is there a disclosure of this author's connection to the Govt. Accountability Inst. that was "birthed" by Steve Bannon and funded by the Mercer family (see the book "Dark Money" to learn more about the Mercer family and their motives)?
@Dennis can you provide a link to some credible source showing this connection between author, Bannon and Mercers. If indeed true, that explains the 800 lb gorilla in the article, i.e., the missing discussion of much more egregious, much more present corruption in the Trump family, happening in real time since 2016.
@jnc You can listen to today's Fresh Air (Terry Gross) on NPR or start here to read the author, Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek (who was interviewed).
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-10-02/trump-s-impeachment-saga-stems-from-a-political-hit-job-gone-bad&ved=2ahUKEwi_ze-ijZDlAhUsnq0KHQOMC4gQFjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw3bLrNQUY1FxNAqI7zHmTxC
Fine, but let's have a Presidential Constitutional Conduct and Anti-Nepotism Act while we are at it.
Simple question for all you morally perfect people .
*How* could VP Biden have prevented his adult son from taking *any* job he wanted?
Hunter Biden had all kinds of issues, including drugs. I'm sure Joe did everything he could to keep him on a better path, but family relationships are what they are.
And parents are not legally responsible for what their kids do beyond a certain age, and in specific circumstances.
Hiring people in the hope of "making connections" like the Ukraine company did happens all the time, at all economic levels, with no quid-pro-quo or guarantees that it will work.
So again, how was VP Biden supposed to *stop* this from happening?? Was he supposed to use his influence as VP to pressure the Ukrainian government to pressure the company, because the situation might be politically embarrassing for Joe?
Any answers?
2
Trump, his family, his son in law family used this privilege as soon as he was elected and likely even broke the law. I find it fishy that the author said nothing for three years and suddenly discovered ethics. It reminds me of Snowden ethical conversation after Obama election when he was an enthusiastic participant during several years of the Bush administration.
Shame on you for suggesting equivalence. There is no doubt that Chao has continued to favor her family and the family company. She is a cabinet member. Here husband is Senate Majority leader. Not so in Biden's case, who is not a government employee. You don't get to smear the Bidens by throwing in a GOP example of true corruption.
Politicians have been pulling the wool over the eyes of most Americans for decades. That we've accepted that is our fault. We the People ... must insist that strong conflict of interest and ethical regulations apply across all of government and enforced fully. Right now, we don't have that. When paired with an Attorney General who is ethically compromised and ignoring the rule of law, we have no protections at all. Voters must demand Congress change that immediately.
1
My theory? Joe Biden would have done almost anything to help out his son who had many personal problems.
This mess seems to have started at least as early as when Joe and Hunter Biden flew to China in 2013 on Air Force Two.
First mistake: Hunter Biden being on that trip. Why? Wasn't for sightseeing. Joe Biden helping his son's possible business endeavors or by making introductions, by taking him to China? Not a good choice.
Second mistake: Pretending that Hunter Biden was somehow not invested in the private equity fund from the start. Not having an equity stake in the "fund" means nothing because Hunter Biden had an equity stake in Rosemont Seneca Partners which held an equity stake in the fund and, unless there was yet another entity (possible), RSP would receive management fees directly from the fund.
Third mistake: With no experience with energy companies, especially one that was effectively state-controlled, it was not a good idea for Hunter Biden to take that Board seat. Two Board meetings a year, and up to $50,000 a month? That's not a job, that's a gift.
Fourth mistake: Joe Biden had to know that all of this could be viewed as a conflict of interest. Saying that he never discussed any of it with Hunter is not believable.
In the end, Joe Biden had choices. Hope that no actual, or perceived, conflicts came back to harm father or son....or tell President Obama that he could not be point man for Ukraine and China.
12
What the New York Times needs to investigate and expose is the huge influence large companies and lobbying groups seek to buy by contributing to politicians's campaigns and intensive lobbying of the government by high priced firms who specialize in gaining access and influencing legislation.
This is blatant influence buying but it is waved off as acceptable behavior when it obviously isn't.
This more than anything else accounts for the disparity between what the public desires and what the politician's actually do.
Time to expose just how corrupt this practice is. Citizen's United should be countered.
1
Up until April of 2012 Congress members were able to legally buy and sell securities based on insider information.
Congress will always find ways to enrich themselves.
2
Rudy Giuliani has already done the "investigation" into the Bidens, which IG Linick has turned over to Congress. Lindsay Graham has invited Giuliani to testify before his committee so let's see what he has. That aside, Democrats must put a stop to Donald Trump's plausible deniability charade of "asking" the Ukrainian president to investigate.
Donald Trump wanted the "investigation" to come from Ukraine and not Rudy Giuliani. It was not an ask ... it was an ultimatum ... with $400M military aid as leverage, for Ukraine's president to sign off on Giuliani's bill of goods.
1
Don't stop here, stop President's from excessive profiting from the "service". Tax them at 100% on all income above the greater of the last 10 years prior to becoming President or 2 times the President's salary. Same for Vice-President. Wait to Trump leaves office to see how many new ways he will monetize his "service".
And stop with excusing their behavior since Trump is worse.
Finally, require a 2/3rds vote to approve nepotistic appointment of family members and relatives of members of the House, Senate , President and Vice President.
1
As many of us outside the Beltway have long since realized, the proper conjunctive is not either/or but and, as in the Republicans AND the Democrats are equally corrupt. That's why nothing can be or will be done.
1
This helped me decide who I will vote for, WARREN.
1
In the same issue of the NYT, we can also read about how the Beijing government is cracking down on support for the demonstrators in Hong Kong, even when that support in is the United States. Somehow, I don't see the Chinese model of "clean government" as anything to emulate.
Let's be clear, until the censors from Xi's office intercede, China is a corrupt and brutal government. It oppresses millions of its own people in the name of National and Party Unity. It lies to the world about its intentions and its actions. It denies citizenship to those born "illegally" under the One Child Policy. It is an odd country to use for public policy comparison. And again, let's be clear that if an official related to Xi Jinping had been hired by JP Morgan Chase, nothing would have happened.
We can't regulate the actions of the relatives of people in office here. If the son of a vice president can be told not to take a particular job, can the grand-daughter be told what to do? A cousin? An ex-wife? A non-binary household companion of twenty-plus years?
And would these bans extend to other industries that might be trying to curry favor with the elected sheriff or county executive, such as accepting a scholarship to play tennis at the local community college, or a spot on the Special Olympics 3x3 Basketball Team?
No law would prevent the abuses we see today, but it could be used to abuse political opponents in the name of "Good Government."
1
Trump’s efforts to extort a commitment from Ukraine to investigate the Biden’s is far more problematic than anything the Biden’s or McConnell-Chaos have done.
First, Trump is President and his efforts have compromised U.S. national security. Second, he is obstructing a wholly legitimate impeachment investigation by a coequal branch of government. If he’s done nothing wrong, what’s he got to hide? Third, the aid is intended to keep the Russians at bay, who remain a serious threat to this fledgling democracy.
I would also remind readers that Mr. Schweizer is not an unbiased source. He is a right wing journalist with a long history of questionable and false reporting.
That said, there is more than a kernel of truth to Mr. Schweizer’s piece. Unfortunately, politicians do take liberties that enable corruption, or at minimum, the appearance of it. Though there may have been no real corruption in the case of the Vice President, His son’s actions were inappropriate and have cast a pall over candidate Biden that will haunt him for the balance of the campaign, and may end up proving fatal to his candidacy.
These sorts of actions fuel public cynicism and make people think the whole system is corrupt. Even worse they give the opposition red meat for exploitation and disinformation.
Trump is the last person to be investigating the corruption of others — real or imagined.
2
Let us not forget the Supreme Court where Clarence Thomas voted to gut the ACA while his wife, a lobbyist took in hundreds of thousands of dollars from groups opposed to the ACA. Had Thomas recused himself, the ACA would have stood as-is.
As a democrat, I don't see any advantage in trying to excuse or explain away Hunter Biden getting this job, albeit legally, it just doesn't pass the smell test. Smells like legal corruption
6
Did I miss something in this piece about Mrs. Jared Kushner's hundreds of Chinese patents? Where does this fit into the scenario?
Not mentioned are the Clintons, who took monitizing political connections to a level no one has surpassed. It's not a coincidence that contributions to the Clinton Foundation dropped precipitously from 2016 (when everyone thought Hillary would be the next president) to 2017 (when she had no current or future political power.)
4
I hate Trump and despise unfair activities, but one of the assets politicians bring to the table are connections. Connections run two ways.
FYI - the reason you don't have the law you suggest (preventing a foreign company (and why not a domestic one while you are at it) from hiring the child of a politician) is that you have the ability to police the politician to prevent misconduct. The FCPA only attempts to sanction those it can control - US citizens and corporations.
People get hired for who they are and who they know in all areas of public life and private enterprise. In the case of the Biden's, one only has to ask a very simple question: did Joe Biden give any consideration or value to his son or the Company that hired him?
The answer is no. Mr. Trump and the Republicans fail to point to even a single example of Joe Biden actually doing anything for his son or the Company.
The fact that the Company hired Biden's son thinking he could get them favorable treatment from Joe is actually irrelevant. The question is, did Joe do anything for the Company or his son? The answer is no. (The whole Joe Biden got the prosecutor fired issue is a distortion of reality. The prosecutor who Biden got fired was in bed with the owner of the Company Biden's son was working for - and he was corrupt and had refused to investigate it. The replacement prosecutor investigated and found nothing. Joe Biden actually caused the investigation of the Company in an indirect way.)
1
The President hires his daughter and son in law for White House positions who have no qualifications for public office.
But let's talk about someone who is not even the Democratic nominee for president.
While we're so busy wondering what Hunter Biden might have done 3 years or more ago, couldn't we take a minute or two to wonder about what Don, Jr., Eric and Ivanka Trump, as well as Jared Kushner, might be doing right now?
If we're going to scrutinize the Vice President's children, shouldn't we also be scrutinizing the President's children?
I mean, Goose, Gander, Sauce!
I say invite every elected and appointed person in Washington to a big gala dinner in a fairly remote area and promise them each a million dollars of taxpayer money just for showing up. Then arrest the hundreds of greed heads sure to show after serving them beans and weinies, mac and cheese or some other decidedly non-elite food. The rot starts at the top.
Well, we don’t know if what Biden did was legal or not. That’s why Biden needs to be investigated. Not only for his $50,000 per month “job” in Ukraine, but also for his connections in and with China.
1
Hunter Biden may not have broken any laws. But what Vice president Joe Biden did warrants further investigation.
4
What Hunter Biden did is "a" problem. "The" problem is a corrupt Trump administration.
3
A law the covers sons, daughters, and billionaire son-in-laws.
No surprise here. In the USA every way rich and powerful get what they desire is made legal, but for poor just fulfilling his needs is made difficult. No wonder rich may cheat and lie but are rarely punished, while poor routinely go to prison for minor incidents. Unrestricted capitalism of the last four decades have not helped either.
4
The problem with publicly embracing "get everything you can however you can" as the prime directive for a society, as we've done over the past half-century, is that it makes it pretty difficult to expect literally anybody to hold themselves to a higher standard.
It's been pointed out more than once that Trump isn't the exception so much as he's the logical outcome of a society built upon a foundation of self-enrichment at all costs.
Absolutely correct. Corruption is more rampant than we can even imagine. Everyone has a breaking point depending on the price. It is just a matter of negotiation. This is nothing new. It's just that today information flows faster and technology has made it easier to access information lurking in the murkiest of places. In the old days all kinds of information got buried in tons of paper which was carted off somewhere for storage. Difficult to do today. Principled men (and women) of character are indeed a rare find today. Few and far between. God help them when they rear their head above the fray. Just the way it is, I guess. And there is no easy answer or solution to any of this.
There are many issues that go along with this discussion. First of all, no parent can "control" an adult child from doing something that might raise eyebrows. Then of course, the Biden situation is quite puny in comparison to the self dealing of the McConnell's and the Trumps. This is true no matter how Fox tries to spin the spin. There are, without a doubt others in Congress or even the Supreme Court who may also skirt the law, and we should know about all of them, all of them, and all of them. We still have not seen the taxes of the President and the Vice President, a huge problem. Lastly, there remains the question of how and why the Republican Party chose a complete novice as their nominee for the highest office in the land. Why? Who benefits?
1
All of this government corruption is implemented by lawyers. The feds do not regulate attorneys, law firms, or foreign insurance companies that sell professional liability insurance to attorneys. DOJ does not process administrative complaints against DOJ staff if the complainant is not a government official. State attorney regulators operate in secrecy and are appointed by judges. Attorney regulation funding is not provided by state legislatures. Here are six ways to increase the effectiveness of attorney regulation: 1) Elect state attorney regulators. 2) Fund attorney regulators through a public budget process. 3) Require federal licensing of bar associations. 4) Require federal licensing of insurance companies that sell professional liability insurance to attorneys. 5) Give state attorney regulators power to review federal government attorneys. 6) Require that DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility review and respond to public complaints.
2
I listened three times over to Biden's words on a podcast; it took those repeats to confirm my ears weren't deceiving me. It was Biden at a fund raiser aimed at rich guys; it was the same speech that Biden got flack for, saying he works well with segregationists. Later in the speech, Biden told the rich guys, "..nothing will change." He was referring to their pocket books. So that's nice, safe uncle Biden; at heart, he's for the rich guys.
You can't fault a father for helping his son get rich, but why couldn't Daddy use some of his might influence to get Hunter a good job in a clean energy industry in the US?
That Biden didn't publicly voice disapproval of his son's choice of industries shows Daddy cares not a whit about climate change.
Here's what an ethical, smart, patriotic American would propose: a 2% wealth tax to fund renewable energy plants here at home. That plan will provide good jobs for multiple daughters and sons of America. That plan is Elizabeth Warren's.
In my mind, Biden is not safe for America. Surely we can do better than that.
3
It's a problem but not 'the' problem. The problem is Trump and his profound corruption and many violations of the Constitution and his oath of office.
3
Well, it's "a" problem, not "the" problem. Put it on the very long list of reforms for the next administration to work on. Maybe we'll have a functioning government again in 2021.
8
Today we learned that for the first time in this country's history the richest people are paying less in taxes than the middle class. This accumulation of wealth at the top is supported by our government's policies, crafted by politicians of both parties. The corruption in the ranks of our political system is feeding the wealth gap and until we tackle the connection between politicians and their unique position to accumulate wealth nothing will change. We do have the opportunity to vote for a presidential candidate who will try to break that connection.
5
@Molly4
Yep. Elizabeth Warren will be our saving grace.
We don't really need more laws to constrain the illicit behavior of politicians and their families. We have the ultimate constraint right now: voting.
Apparently many Americans don't care.
3
As an academic researcher, I need to disclose any COI on every presentation I give, every paper I publish and every vote I make on professional organization boards. The hypocrisy and degeneracy that exists in congress and in the executive branch is appalling. They are taking money from corporations, lobbyists and the 1% that influences every policy and vote on manners that affect our national security, our health and welfare, and most every aspect of our lives. I would like to see every Senator and House Representative provide a written full COI disclosure before every policy initiative and vote, so we can have a truly representative democratic government and not the corruption that Trump calls out while being the biggest perpetrator.
9
@Domenick Zero
Fantastic idea. We need to slowly and methodically dismantle this government, it's in free fall and full collapse anyway, and replace it with a system that is not run by corporate pirates and their lackeys in government. We really can make this a better country.
What Hunter Biden did is not against he law, and Joe Biden has no stake in either company. What Donald Trump did IS against the law.
12
The point is precisely that it should be against the law, in the same way that it would be a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act for an American energy company to put the son of a relevant senior foreign minister on its board. Legal corruption is still corruption. The laws need to be changed.
7
@Hah! Um, what crime did Trump commit?
I'm convinced Jared Kushner has been angling for 'trade secrets' and 'insider information' with his "White House Office of American Innovation" scheme.
And let's not forget the 2017 tax law was a massive gift to landlords like Kushner too.
11
Lobbyist need to be dismantled. Big business owns our taxpayer employees in Congress and the Senate.
Want to stop corruption? Start at the top and work your way down. The problem is, it's the people at the top who are corrupt. To change the laws would mean those same individuals would loose their pay days. That's not happening.
Instead of allowing Congress or the Senate to pass laws, Americans need to place the final vote themselves. Let our government employees bicker back and forth and come up with the bills - but let Americans make the final decision. We can't trust the fox to guard the hen house any longer.
4
It the end it may be this sort of thing that dooms the Democrat's efforts to impeach the President. The activities of the Bidens may not be illegal, but prima facie to many people they do not seem to be morally right.
The President appears to have no personal moral compass except self-interest and self-aggrandizement.
9
Yes but the president himself has been involved with much the same kind of thing, which will also be uncovered as the investigation widens. How did Ivanka get over a dozen fast-tracked trademarks from China? How and why in Gods name was Jared Kushner put in charge of Middle East peace Negotiations? Wasn’t Trump still wrangling up a deal for. Trump Hotel in Moscow during his 2016 campaign? What about all those foreign dignitaries staying @ Trump Hotels? I’m sure these are just the tip of the iceberg. Nepotism and economic favors are evidently a non-partisan issue; Everybody does it. So, i doubt Trump can make that big a case against the Bidens as a defense against his quid pro quo deal with Zelensky without further light being shone on his own questionable deals/appointments for his family. I just hope dems keep their eye on the ball and keep their focus on abuse of power by the president, and deal with the nepotism problem later, after Trump is gone.
1
The unproven allegations being investigated are that Joe Biden used his position as vice president to secure lucrative positions for his son and to coerce Ukraine into dropping its investigation of
Burisma. In short, the Justice Department wants too know if Joe Biden is telling the truth when he says he had nothing to do with his son’s success in securing seats the boards of foreign corporations.
1
Meanwhile, Trump has violated the emoluments clause with impunity. Maybe we should start there.
8
@Hope Can’t wait for your proof. Was it in the Mueller report?
I couldn’t agree more. Hunter Biden, for better or worse, is an albatross around his father’s neck. He would be part of the “red meat” Republicans would wave in front of Trump’s salivating “base” (if predictions that the Senate won’t convict Trump of impeachable offenses hold true; should they, the “old” Republican party, that used to count among its members men and women with whom I could disagree, but for whom [also] living an ethical life wasn’t just for chumps), should Mr. Trump be their presidential nominee next year. For the good of the Democratic Party (I say this as an independent voter), Joe Biden should withdraw from the race, just as Hillary Clinton (who provided Mr. Trump’s base with enough red meat to feed this nation’s steak lovers well into the next decade) should have done.
11
“...the old Republican Party” can be officially “laid to rest.” And that, my friends, is something none of us should want to see, because I fear that whatever replaces it (some say—probably rightly—that it has already BEEN replaced) will be genuinely frightening.
1
Trading on one's family name is different than trading on one's position. Moreover, the appearance of having a conflict of interest is different than actually having one.
Agreed. Hunter Biden should have exercised better judgment, and Joe Biden should have as well. However, both individuals have been investigated, and there is no evidence of illegality. That said, the appearance is there.
I am sure that Joe Biden will provide his tax returns, and the American people will be able to determine if he benefited directly from his dealing's in Ukraine or elsewhere. If he wants this to go away, perhaps the public should see Hunter's too.
Now, what about for the president and his family? The Kushner's made $82m while working in the white house, how does that appear? Worse, without his tax returns, how do we know whether Donald Trump has conflicts of interest. It sure seems he does.
10
I agree with the sentiments of this article entirely, when looking through the telescope from this direction.
When I look at it from the other side, I see that my own career choices and sources of remuneration are independent of my (hypothetical) politician parents. Or siblings (Billy Beer, anyone?)(Billy Bush?)
The problem is that in the real world, there is no way to fairly create walls around one side, without closing off things for the other, perhaps unfairly.
Would W have been able to own an energy company, or the Texas Rangers, absent HW's presence? And this was before he was a politician, wasn't it?
Are Hillary's post-political utterances so uniquely brilliant that they are really worth 7 figures, merely for delivery in-person? How about Reagan's infamous $3MM post-presidential speech in Japan?
So - I agree it's a real problem. But I don't know how to create a legal wall that is both fair to the family members and protective of our societal interests in rooting out corruption.
Perhaps the matter is best served with a brilliant spotlight, after all. Along with the recognition that we have the best government (that money can buy, obviously.)
5
Could not agree more . . . but the idea that Congress would even consider this suggestion is laughable. The Bipartisan Divide will be our undoing.
4
Peter Schweizer is correct in every regard but the issue is not what is legal but what is right or wrong. Hunter Biden did wrong both in China and the Ukraine. His father obviously knew or should have known what he did and put a stop to it. He did not. That says all you need to know about whether he should be our next president.
13
Excellent article. I was surprised to learn years ago during the financial crisis that the only field mandated to disclose conflict of interest by law is medicine. It's time to bring up ethical practices to all other fields including politics and economics.
5
Laws making what Hunter Biden did illegal just because he's kin to a federal government official or to a candidate for federal elective office seems to meet have serious problems of constitutionality. It seems to me to be be a Bill of Attainter, and aren't they unconstitutional? I'd like to see a what constitutional scholars have to say on this. And, doesn't the Old Testament have something to say that the sins of the fathers shall not defend (or whatever) upon the sons?
1
Any politician-corporate exchange short of a quid pro quo is legal corruption. Hunter Biden getting a job based solely on his last name, Saudi’s spending large sums at Trump Hotel, James Mattis going directly from Secretary of Defense to the board of defense contractor General Dynamics—all legal. Bernie Sanders wants to end systemic intermingling of corporate money and political influence, which is why the entire economic, political, and corporate media establishment oppose him.
12
I see many of claims of Trump's kids benefiting from policies or getting jobs "kickbacks" due to their father's position.(not saying this may not exist) We need evidence, can anyone saying this provide proof? One thing is to disagree or dislike his policies another is to put out claims or point fingers at a writer that is just trying to illustrating the corruptness of lifelong politicians the have or are currently working in our government. Great Article, it shows that we have unbiased writers working in america still today.
2
At times like these when it seems like we are retreating to some form of a feudal society where the sons of Kushners and Bidens are elevated to stations beyond their qualifications there is a book I like to at least partially re-read.
"On Becoming American" is a factual account by Ted Morgan who was not always Ted Morgan. That name is an anagram formed by rearranging the letters in his birth name, he was born Count Sanche de Gramont, French royalty. Mr Morgan recounts his reasons for shedding his royal identity, becoming a naturalized American citizen and choosing such a solid-sounding new name for himself. ("It sounds like a guy that if you lent him your lawnmower, he would not only return it clean but full of gas.")
This book written in 1978 offers some very illuminating insights into problems that are much in our forefront today, specifically immigration and our widening class and income disparities. There is a lot wrong with this country but the words of a man that shed the birthright of nobility to come here and become one of us shows us that there is a lot right about it too.
3
the headline here is misleading, it should read "What VP Joe Biden Did Was Illegal,"
5
Expect it wasn’t. That’s kinda the point of the article: it SHOULD be illegal, but it isn’t.
1
@Zion
Victor Shokin, the Ukraine prosecutor whom Biden fired, released a sworn affidavit https://www.scribd.com/document/427618359/Shokin-Statement
Shokin states clearly: "Biden fired me because I was investigating corruption with Burisma Holdings".
Burisma paid Hunter Biden $600,000 year to be on the board even though he had no prior experience in the energy industry, much less the gas sector.
Joe Biden must be investigated, whether or not he is running for vice president.
1
Love the misdirection, you guys should teach sleight of hand. This is about one guy, until Joseph Mifsud is pulled from his spider hole: Joe Biden.
9
Describing most anything pertaining to private business and governments as "legal" in 2019 has very little meaning. The term "legal" has been perverted through the "laws" written by our legislators.
2
OK, but on the sliding scale of looking out for your own interests, you don’t have to look any further than grade school homeroom moms whose kids get a heads-up on the ‘talent show,’ to middle school coaches whose kids get more playing time, to high school kids who get moved up early to varsity because their dad’s construction company offers to fix a drainage problem on the field, to legacy admissions that favor kids who already arguably had academic advantages.
Nearly everyone is at a disadvantage or advantage at some point.
I’m fine with a nepotism bill, but it will be difficult to enforce and then you’ll have the exceptional offspring who might benefit us by public service, like a Robert Kennedy, who will be exempted from serving.
Regarding term limits, then you have the conundrum of the advantages of an institutional memory and the steep learning curve of ‘new hires.’
None of this discussion, however, ameliorates the lawlessness of the current president. Dude is breaking the law and dismantling the government without a democratic replacement structure.
‘I want to contribute to the chaos’ is a fine lyric in a punk song (The Frontbottoms) but kind of doesn’t work as a rubric for government for a populous, diverse, industrialized culture.
6
Not to mention Jenna Bush Hager, who is currently a co-host on the Today show. She may or may not be more talented than many others who also should have had a shot at the spot, but her connections got her to the head of the line.
The nepotism on both sides of the aisle is rampant, and grossly improper. Everyone needs to make a living, but it should be on an even playing field.
2
I’ve seen her and I believe her pleasant demeanor contributes to rehabilitating the reputation of her father.
I have nothing against her personally, but I find that kind of amazing.
1
great article. Thanks for highlighting the issue. Has any congressperson embraced this issue?
I suspect basketball is (was) the favorite sport at the McDonnell-Chao household.
1
Yes, it's true that cronyism is alive and well, whether that be with politicians or businessmen, or real estate moguls. Lots of folks end up on boards due to their "connections," whether deserved or not. The rich scratch each others' backs, and it must drive them crazy to see politicians who aren't part of their caste get in on the game. The real question is whether any of those connections influence law and policy. I would think that the bigger problem is the role of money in politics, the lobbyists (many former legislators) who get access to the levers of government by their connections and the cold hard cash they represent.
6
So what, exactly, is the proposed fix? Requiring the family members of senior officials to report all of their financial dealings, including those of entities in which they have a significant interest? And how would Mr. Schweizer define family member? Presumably to include adult children and their spouses. Father-in-law (James Chao)? Siblings, their spouses and siblings of a spouse (Angela Chao). Cousins?
That would be a massive invasion of privacy for people who have not sought public office but have the misfortune to be related to someone who did. And it ignores the reality that in many families people with those degrees of relationship keep their financial affairs entirely separate (and in some cases private) from each other.
6
I sure could use $50K a month and I'm qualified, I am related to some famous and powerful people.
Just sign me up, I am ready.
4
@The Iconoclast
No. And what business of yours is it that anyone else is paid $50,000 a month?
While Mr. Schweizer is 100% correct about the need to close this egregious and dangerous loophole, he should be aware that his article will appear in Republican campaign ads accusing the Democrats of corruption.
This will, in all likelihood, prevent the House from taking action on the loophole. Choosing to use Hunter Biden as the headline example of this form of corruption thus defeats Mr. Schweizer’s presumed purpose.
3
True, but it can be argued that the Trump brats were engaged in these businesses before daddy became prez. Somewhat different from those who start businesses while the relative is in office.
1
While what Mr. Schweizer advocates is reasonable I don't' think that in our government at the moment would be motivated or receptive to closing this loophole. We handed the keys to the WH over to a man and his family who brazenly enrich themselves through their foreign contacts.
6
There is a ground shift in the works. What this article describes is kind of normal for the Republican Party. Joe Biden should switch parties. No way - is he going to be the Democratic candidate for President in 2020. You can already see it in the numbers for donations that are coming out. Right now it looks like Warren is the rising star who will carry the mantle for progressive government forward.
4
This story implies that it takes special skills to raise private equity funds formerly called venture capital or to work on a board of directors. In my working career I was in involved in both. In private equity, the sponsors sell stories and funders say either yes or no. I could not believe some deals I saw funded. Most private equity deals fail spectacularly.
The money paid to Biden to sit on the board is high but, not exorbitant. The connections that Biden may have from knowing people around world could easily justify the cost.
The issue still remains that Trump wanted the Bidens, American citizens who he is supposed to protect, indicted, extradited, arrested, tried and jailed in order to enhance his political fortunes.
15
@Mark Smith
[The issue still remains that Trump wanted the Bidens, American citizens who he is supposed to protect, indicted, extradited, arrested, tried and jailed in order to enhance his political fortunes.]
Sounds like Putin's ask of Trump at Helsinki for American Diplomats Putin accused of meddling in his election, doesn't it?
5
Look, Mr. Schweizer is getting a lot of flak on Twitter about this op-ed, but his point is actually a good one regardless of how one feels about the impeachment inquiry or the ethics of Hunter Biden obtaining a board seat in a foreign company based largely on the strength of his name.
But the fact that Mr. Schweizer chose to not even mention the Trump children when talking about the "Washington Corrupt Practices Act" does undermine the strength of this op-ed in my opinion.
8
It certainly seems appropriate that, as the article inadvertently points out, the plural for the McConnell household is "McConnell-Chaos."
Chaos indeed.
7
Oh Please. Trump is leading the start of a campaign of massive civilian deaths in Syria, a constitutional crisis, ruining the economy....and all you can come up with is a story on Hunter Biden. He did noting illegal (see title). End. Move on.
6
This reeks of right wing hit job on Biden. His son is an adult and he does what he wants.
5
@wanderer I'd encourage you to read Mr. Schweitzer's book Secret Empires. He does not discriminate between political party affiliations.
Why not Trump himself?
6
Unfortunately quid-pro-quo politics/policy is ubiquitous throughout every level of society and we should work to eliminate it as it always leads to unfair practices. BUT (big) in the president's case it's illegal to have foreign entities interfere with our elections based on the Constitution and more recent Campaign Finance laws. The horrible Supreme Court decision on the Virginia Gov McDonnell allowing for a certain level of corrupting graft /payola came to mind as NYTimes reported on back in 2016 https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-bob-mcdonnell-virginia.html. Between this and the real horrendous Citizen's United and McCutcheon decisions allowing for unlimited monies to flow into elections and Knocking down the Voting Rights Act - this is the worst conservative Supreme Court in our nations history as far as overall detrimental effects to our Democracy. If we do not elect a progressive reformer in 2020 our nation is doomed.
3
Why does this article not mention any of the Trump family self dealing with foreign countries?
12
Jared and Hunter, birds of a feather. As the Wicked Witch of the West said” what a world “.
1
@Susan
There is simply NO comparison between the two. One had a father who served the nation for nearly half a century and the other had a father who served Federal Prison time.
Great photo ... almost surpasses that photo of a happy foursome, the Clintons and Trumps, laughingly hoisting champagne glasses in celebration of the Trump - Melania wedding.
4
I am not voting for Biden Sr in the primary, but I can’t take this piece seriously because it doesn’t mention Trump or his children, paid by taxpayers daily to rack up millions. The dif btw McConnell/Chao & Biden Jr is the former are making policy; he isn’t. The writer gives no evidence Biden Sr changed positions on issues after the 2 deals cited.
This is what the investigative journalist gives us on Hunter:
1. He once rode on Air Force II to China [disgusting]. Soon after, he closed a deal to form a fund & its largest shareholder is the govt of China. He doesn’t say when it became a shareholder. No meetings w/govt officials are cited; no proof that Biden Sr. was ever predisposed towards China.
2. Biden Jr landed a board position w/ Burisma & got a big salary in the year Russia invaded Ukraine. Biden Sr said he never discussed business w/Jr, but he actually did express concern or disapproval. No proof that Sr asked anyone to support his son or the invasion.
House Oversight is looking into Chao because she’s in the cabinet. The GOP controlled that ctte in 2013 & both houses as of 2014. They could have investigated Hunter Biden’s business dealings then.
In sum: Jr got overpaid jobs due to his dad’s post & taxpayers funded 1 trip, which helped him make 1 deal. I feel Sr shouldn’t have had him on Air Force II, but the writer doesn’t say laws were broken.
I think Jr should reimburse taxpayers for the flight & Biden Sr should sue Trump for libel.
5
@Kate Hill I'd encourage you to read the author's book entitled Secret Empires. The Kushners are featured there alongside McConnell/Chao, Biden, Kerry, Obama, Penny Pritzker, The Daleys, a republican congressman from Montana who's name I cannot recall, etc.
I stumbled on it at a boutique bookstore right before all this started to break.. Just finished it and the timing couldn't have been better. We need this law!
@Kate Hill
Schweitzer is NOT an “investigative journalist” as his only reason for doing what he does is to destroy otherwise good persons reputations.
No mention of Trump's kids?
8
excellente!!!...
That’s why we need a Washington Corrupt Practices Act, one that clearly shuts down foreign influence and self-enrichment for some of America’s most powerful families on both sides of the aisle.
T/U Peter Schweizer...PJS
The problem as I see it is the totally disingenuous attempt of this op-ed to deflect negative attention from where it truly belongs.
5
This column is a joke. Firsr, if such a law existed how would it be enforced? Trump, lor example, would just ignore it and he woild be supported by the R's. The " emolumenta clause" is a costitutional mandate and it is being ignored just like the law which says that the IRS " shall" give tax information to a congressional committee.
BTW-- nary a word about Trump and his children? Really?
4
Talk about a thousand words , bye bye biden
1
Biden should remove himself from the race immediately.
2
Let it go
There’s no there there
2
This is so stupid.
Shame on every journalist wasting time on this while the Trump family sells our country down the river for gaudy magic beans.
7
Trump's kids??? Mrs Clarence Thomas?????
10
Intentional or not, the plural of "Chao" in this article is absurd and funny: "All along, the Chaos continued..."; "McConnell-Chaos."
Should such the proposed anti-corruption law be named the "Chaos Bill"?
4
Why isn't the headline, 'Ivanka Trump Owns the Copyrights For CHINESE Made USA Voting Machines: WHY'?'.....?
Anybody?
8
Why doesn’t the Times reveal the qualifications of the other members of the board of the Ukrainian gas company that hired Hunter Biden, so all we can better understand how much preference was given to him?
5
Any reason you don't mention he's the Senior Editor at Breitbart?
14
@Barbara Franklin This is a huge point which ought to be in his resume in addition to "author". This totally colors the piece and is 2020's version of "what about her emails".
2
OK, so power begets power and wealth begets wealth. I think we all realize that, and I don't think many (or at least many who aren't doing so themselves) disagree with the observation that it's sleazy for a close relative of a powerful politician to make money off the family name. But absent any evidence that Joe Biden actually participated in his son's business while in office, the fact that Hunter made money in the Ukraine was 1. not wrong under the rules of the games rich people play, and 2. a red herring.
I would very much love to live in a world where opportunity goes to those who merit it, more than to those who inherit it, but now is not the time to emphasize this particular facet of the inherently corrupt nature of all great wealth and power. Let's focus on the actual illegal and highly destructive actions of Trump and his minions for the time being. Once we get him out of office, we can go back to fighting "regular" corruption. I mean as we type, bombs are raining down on the Kurds and on parts of Ukraine because of perfect telephone conversations. If Hunter Biden made a few hundred K because of his last name a few years ago, I don't really see that that's worth a whole lot of attention today.
3
When middle class families are struggling to make ends meet, this article is reporting outrageous activity by politicians' family members who obviously have no shame. Every American should read this and should realize that politicians feeding at the public trough and their family members are getting away with more than one can imagine. This needs to stop. Those who would vote against legislation preventing self dealing by any immediate family member should be voted out of office.
Furthermore, the "ranges"allowed for members of congress to report income should be much narrower.
1
@Vera Wainthrop
I recall Clarence Thomas failing to report his ill-gotten income for nearly a decade so having a “narrower” range of reporting requirements seems a bit useless.
We don't need any more rules. There has never been a set of rules which did not contain loopholes.You can't legislate decency.
What we can do insist that political leaders are also ethical and moral leaders. Jimmy Carter set a fine example when his brother Billy became a Libyan agent. The President announced that he could not control his brother's behavior, but that he disapproved of it and that Billy would never influence the White House or any part of the American government. That was the right thing to do.
Joe Biden faced the same challenge and failed the test. And he knows it. That, I suspect, is why his response to Trump's outrageous statements has been so weak and ineffective. He'd been caught tolerating a family member peddling his ostensible influence to a foreign government. We can no longer tolerate that kind of soft corruption.
5
@seoul cooker
Then there’s Jared and his scheme to leverage the massive failure of his 666 Building into a billion dollar loan package from the Muddled Wastern governments he was negotiating with for peace in the Muddled Waste.
If we were to create a government with no loopholes, will we have any politician willing to serve the country ? Every revelation from Biden's is a clear evidence that career politicians count on such pay offs for their service. Another dissuading factor is campaign funding laws. Present political campaigns are fraught with lobbyists and advertising machinery. The internet technology and its global reach will amplify the democratic institutions even more. In the midst of these challenges do I see any hope of reforming election process. I do not.
Another problem is nepotism. The Trumps, the Bushes, and the Clintons all cashed in by making their family members government officials, and then using or selling their influence. Hillary was never elected to anything before Bill made her his special assistant on health care. At least W. Bush had been governor. Jared and Ivanka are pure businesspeople.
Since Republicans can't stand Hillary, and Dems can't stand Ivanka and Jared, this should be a unifying, bipartisan issue.
3
@Unconventional Liberal
Name the Clinton family member who was made a government official because I recall Hillary winning her Senate election by more than 10 points in 2000.
@Blank That was after Hillary was appointed in Bill Clinton's administration (1992-2000).
Have been and I still am supporting Bernie Sanders, however I will just as fervently support Elizabeth Warren if she becomes the nominee of may party. As for Biden, no way. If my party were to mistakenly nominate Biden, I will go third party and work diligently to correct the error by defeating Trump and cleaning out a Democratic Party that via a lack of worthwhile convictions got the nation stuck with Trump. The last time I held my nose and voted for Hillary Clinton---I will not make that mistake again with Biden.
1
I'm not getting into party issues it's irrelevant. What I will say is if you have to legislate ethics, morality or integrity you've likely already lost. The US lost along time ago. Loopholes deliberately carved into legislation by both parties while the other side winks to benefit private & personal interests. The attitude is right up there with "I'm shocked to find gambling here!" & "Round up the usual suspects!"
Every single person reading this column knows very very well that this "Legal" corruption was going on. Ranging from jobs has lobbyist after I retire, To I'll get your man in as a regulator in return for suitable support when I run next, to yes get my kid a well paid job for doing nothing. And it's both parties, stop pretending that one party is made up of virtuous angels while the other is EVIIIIL incarnate. Both parties are in people's pockets, in many cases the same people's pockets. We need to stop the delusions that the rich, the Corporations, and the well connected are contributing millions out of the goodness of their hearts, Instead of the reality which is the return on investment is worth it to them. Let's stop pretending either party would no ethics, morality or integrity if it bit them. Otherwise? We are headed for failed state status as people turn on the system & likely turn violence. Why support a system that only serves the interests of the few. And don't pretend yourselves that the dems are any less corrupt! They're NOT!!
1
Another outcome of making such a law? Trump would resign the presidency if he and his children couldn't make money off of it. It would be a close call for him. He loves the attention. In the end, he loves money more. We could have the absurd situation of Trump fighting against this bill while trying to run on draining the swamp.
And of course McConnell won't even bring it up for a vote in the senate. But if this bill gained momentum, it could endanger McConnell's reelection in 2020.
Also, such a bill provides more talking points for democrats for impeachment. The resolution of this type of self-dealing and "soft" corruption is to pass a bill and make it a law, not to extort a favor from a foreign country in exchange for military aid.
As disgusting this type of patronage and influence peddling is, it is part and parcel of how this country (and most others work). Wealthy and powerful people perpetuate their status quo by making sure their offspring go to elite schools, get jobs and positions out in the real world that would not necessarily be given to them and keep the class society going in steady state until a massive revolution a la 1789 or 1917 happens and the power goes to another group who would do pretty much the same.
Our laws and constitution need to be change to at least minimize the blatant abuse by elected politicians. Ivanka and Jared; Chelsea; Hunter (what a name to give to your child!) are travesties that should be curtailed by law. Enough is enough.
2
The Democratic debate should be interesting. Will anyone call Mr. Biden out on this? My guess is no. Why? Because they probably all have similar "experience" on their resumes. Beto sure does as does Kamala.
6
I’m not a serious thinker but when I initially heard about this issue my first thought was probably not illegal but extremely poor judgment and chutzpah. Regardless it certainly in no way excuses Trump’s behavior.
1
It is more than just foreign corruption-from the New Yorker- “Hunter was concerned about his future as a lobbyist, and his financial worries increased in 2006, when he bought a $1.6-million house in an affluent neighborhood. Without the savings for a down payment, he took out a mortgage for a hundred and ten per cent of the purchase price.” This is a person that was quoted as living all his life ‘ paycheck to paycheck’. May I ask how you or I could get that sweetheart loan without having ‘Biden’ as our last name?
3
As soon as Biden jumped into the ring, I knew it would end badly. He is far too entrenched into the culture of corruption that our current politicians display daily. It is absolutely wrong of his son to take that high paying job, just because his father was VP. You know, kinda like Trump's kids.
1
I don't understand why so few in politics do what's good for the people, not just themselves and their families, and why voters are not intelligent enough to know the difference. In any case, Trump is POtuS. Pandora's box is open. We have failed to live up to the founding father's brilliant vision. It's over. No matter what happens to Trump he has shown that the Constitution is not enough to stop a tyrant from gaining power. Imagine what a Trump who isn't a vulgar sociopath could do, especially with the help of an enemy foreign power. We are such a technology powerhouse but we couldn't stop Russia from easily stealing our election. And we are doing nothing to stop them from doing it again! I hate being negative, but despite what many Republicans believe, facts are facts. It's over. It's just a matter of time.
1
Here's what Joe Biden doesn't get; and what Hillary never understood. Hunter's involvement in these foreign companies doesn't pass the smell test. Trumps notwithstanding, Americans are very leery of oligarchy. And potential oligarchs – Clinton, Biden – have no power to motivate the disenfranchised.
The candidacies of Clinton and Biden are what is wrong with American politics, and the Dems don't get it.
6
Maybe Sarbanes-Oxley should also cover public officials and families...
1
Republicans, especially 45, are geniuses at reframing a debate, accusing the adversary of behavior that they themselves are glaringly, monumentally guilty of. To wit: 45 repeatedly claiming that his requested investigations of Biden is because of his dedication to rooting out corruption when it is 45 who is a literal swamp of corruption and always has been. Holding the WH has only increased this family's opportunities for corrupt dealings. Ivanka's many Chinese patents, Jared's getting the government of Qatar, via his buddy MBS, to bail out his disastrous purchase of 666 Fifth Avenue, Don Jr. and Eric flying around the world on the taxpayer's dollar making "deals" that are only possible because of Dad's position.
1
Jefferson cautioned us about monied aristocracy and how it could unfurl our democracy. His predictions are upon us, whether we speak of Trumps or Bidens or Clintons...
The emolument clause should be extended to all family members of political leaders; moreover, they should be required to serve in the military.
Then we will rid the country of certain forms of corruption and certainly of wars...
2
Just one more ironclad example as to why we need term limits at every level of government. Our founding fathers obviously never imagined or foresaw the risks of a permanent, professional political class.
2
Democrats govern and legislate in ways that create a more just and equal society. Republicans govern and legislate in ways that create greater income and wealth inequality. Until Democrats tackle this type of insider corruption, or even the perception of such corruption, independent voters will not be able to distinguish between the two. We will remain vulnerable to what-about-ism attacks and fail to make a more just society.
Hillary was perceived to be corrupt because she failed to comply with the agreements she signed on to at the beginning of her service as Secretary of State that were designed to distance her from the Clinton Foundation - a mostly noble and good organization.
We should concentrate now on vetting our Democratic candidates and their families and friends, to eliminate any of them with serious conflicts in their backgrounds. All politicians seem to have troublesome relatives. It's understandable. When they separate themselves from those relatives, or recuse themselves from arenas where a conflict might occur, they display the ethical standards that we can admire. When they don't, we all lose.
4
Regrettably, access to power, and the self-dealing that attends that power, is what motivates many people to enter politics in the first place: witness the revolving door between K Street and Congress.
It is naive to think that a “Corrupt Practices Act” would have any effect on corrupt actors. Existing laws and regulations are more than adequate to police the problem, if only those charged with enforcing the laws were not, themselves, also corrupt.
1
Brilliant article - but who will be the first to champion such a change? We have champions (Warren in establishing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau).
Perhaps the House can draft a bill (putting it in the public record) - then seeing what happens when it arrives in the Senate.
2
@Leonard Wood
I'm thinking it is a matter of repealing the repeal of the laws we used to have to prevent the corrupting of our government.
Some of the unethical gains made by friends and family of politicians is a lot like insider trading. The connections allows certain people more access to contacts and information, more than is known publicly or that would be available to contenders for positions without the connections.
It is unethical to use this for personal profit. It should be against the law.
Even for Manafort - wasn't he convicted for failing to register as an agent of a foreign government? Otherwise his financial bonanza would have been legal. I confess I can't re,ember the details.
2
The refusal to bother looking up the simplest things is a large part of how these guys get away with it. And no, Manafort wasn’t just nailed on failure to register.
2
@Robert
Yes, they did get him on bank and tax fraud, money laundering, but I thought the initial hook that brought him in, his mistake that opened the door to investigation of everything else, was that failure to register.
He failed to keep up the appearance of legality. He was also a fool for accepting a high profile position with Trump's campaign -- or he might have escaped US prosecution. for years or forever.
1
It seems that the purpose of seeking elected office is self enrichment, either directly or indirectly. Yes, there should be laws to prevent profiteering from one’s position in government, including the president and his/her family. Don’t most senators become millionaires over the course of their service?
6
What we need are politicians who would do the following:
"Fellow citizens, I am issuing this statement today to notify everyone that my son has entered into a financial arrangement with a foreign-based company of which I am not a party and of which I had no power to approve or disapprove. I am making this statement because my role as a public servant demands it. We all need, and should demand, as much transparency in government and whose who work on behalf of it as possible. I pledge that my son's business endeavors will not, in any way, influence me in my official duties."
Mr. Biden, or any similarly situated politician, should issue such a statement as soon as they learn that a close relative has done what Hunter Biden did, perhaps after letting that relative read the statement and make his or her own choice on how to proceed. Mr. Biden, after all, has said that he knew early on what his son was doing.
We do not, or should not, need a law to compel public officials to do the right thing. Unfortunately, all too often, that is the case. Mr. Biden, I think, has no one but himself to blame for this contretemps. If he'd issued the above statement as soon as he learned what his son was doing, before anyone else brought it up, we would not be having this conversation.
5
Amen.
2
Joe Biden would be wise to make introduction of a bipartisan and comprehensive anti-nepotism bill part of his election platform. While the Biden entanglements pale in scale and depth to those of Trump they need to be removed from future Administrations once and for all.
2
My gut feeling about Biden from the beginning was that he was too married to the kind off beltway politics the nation is trying to get away from. And yet that became a comfort once the tragedy of Trump took office, almost in the same way G. W. Bush has been painted some sort of humanitarian hero simply because even he wasn't THAT corrupt. And sadly as long as Biden remains front runner I will vote for him for that very reason.
3
Mr. Bidens angry retort that Trump will not ruin my family was a tell. It says that we should disregard Trumps distraction tactic of comparing his son Hunter legally profiting from his connections, and Trumps implication that its the same as the Trump familys nepotism is not true, and most importantly, voters should not consider this type of family business dealing when considering candidate Bidens morality. To deny that Mr. trump didnt land a punch that left candidate Joe staggering is wishful thinking. Smart move by Mr. Trump.
5
Remember the shock and rage of the Republicans when it was learned that the Clintons let large donors to their campaign sleep in the Lincoln bedroom? Almost seems quaint today. The Bidens, McConnells and on steroids the Trump family make them look like pickers in comparison. And, yes, everything these families did was perfectly legal. And it stinks. Joe Biden is a good man. But at some point we need to at least change these laws. And the gall of President Trump accusing the Bidens of corruption when his kids, two of whom are members of the government, are self dealing on a massive scale is stunning in it's boldness. Trump promised to drain the swamp but he has simply stocked it with bigger gators. Vote them all out of office.
2
Gee, could this be the reason GOP senators are so quiet about Trump’s impeachment? Afraid of being pushed away from the feeding trough?
Thanks for another reason to not vote for Joe Biden. He’s a big part of a past that we need to move away from. Not to mention his misogyny and delusional thinking about how he can work with the GOP. Didn’t do much good during Obama Admin.
1
Wait, if you're saying there should be an investigation of the Bidens, then Trump did nothing wrong. Trump is the head law enforcer in the country. Most definitely this confers upon him both the right and the obligation to conduct investigations of potential misconduct and to use what tools are at his disposal whether they be through diplomacy with allies or otherwise. Case closed.
2
I try imagine our country without lobbyists and without this sort of soft corruption. I suspect we would have entirely different politicians.
4
There are others in and close to the Trump administration who benefit daily from conflicts of interest. The Trump family, including the Donald. And in his case, it's actually illegal. Funny how Schweitzer doesn't mention that.
6
@jay. That’s the irony trump supporters have to deal with. The man who promised to drain the swamp turned out to as bad as the swamp.
Legal corruption happens at all levels of government and thats the anger that elected trump. A true trump supporter hates both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party because they are both corrupt in the sense they use their political power to benefit their families.
I think it’s time for Biden to step aside to make room for Elizabeth Warren.
I think that Hunter Biden should be looked at for his international dealings. The corruption of foreign money affects both sides and they typically have their hands out. It is not going to be a surprise if Joe Biden is derailed by the dealings of his son. What Trump knows is that he and his family are not the only corrupt people in the room and how easy it is to be seduced by money to sell out our country.
2
All true.
All dangerous.
If Trumps are merely the naked lunch, then something more extreme than needed legislation may be in store.
This feeds Trump nihilism which feeds Trump base Republican (still apparently an almost 40% plurality) nihilism which feeds Trump base Republican insurgency.
The union could be at stake.
Would I have greater opportunities in this world if one of my parents were the dean of a major university? A managing director of a major, firm, bank or the CEO of a major corporation? A Mayor? A Governor? A Judge? A member of Congress? A Senator? A Vice President or President? Or just filthy rich without being any of the above? Of course. Should the Bidens have known better? So should McConnell, but they have all to one degree or another subscribed to a long standing system whereby powerful people and interested parties, scratch each others backs through nepotism. It's bad for everyone and there should be stronger regulation in place to prevent it, but it is stunning not to note that that one of the greatest grifters in US history is currently occupying the WH and blatantly and flagrantly taking nepotism to a whole new level - often through proxies like Kellyanne Conway who actively promoted Ivanka's label and gave the alternative finger to the "counseling" she received for "potentially violating ethics rules governing the executive branch." And last but not least, how about the President planting his daughter front and center at the world leaders' photo call at during G20 last June. No mention of that here either.
1
I hope most readers picked up, as I did, that it is literally impossible to set up a fund in less than two weeks. This article is another case of connecting unrelated dots in an effort to establish a sinister plot.
2
It doesn't seem fair that the kids of politicians should have to work pretend jobs to become millionaires when the kids of other members of the .001% are just given the money for doing nothing.
1
No doubt that it is problematic when family members of politicians cash in on the family name.
But right now, NY Times editors, is not the time to explore that subject, which just dilutes the conversation the nation should be having about Trump's offenses.
3
Who in the world are we kidding? When I was in High School doing a summer job one of my duties was to wash the bosses son's car. Was he worthy of having his car washed by a teenager,me, the same age as he was?Family ties get people in to college,great law firms and great jobs.That is the lay of the land in America.If not for a whistle blower the college admission scandal would not be a scandal it would be standard operating for the well heeled.Most of time it is not what you know it is who you know.The fake outrage of the Right should countered with a listing of all the jobs children of the Right Wing criers have.
1
Any articles about the Bidens and the Ukraine (either positive or negative) gives Trump's lies a forum which they do not deserve.
3
Benefitting from a famous last name is as old as society itself. It isn't going to go away and it isn't a Democrat or GOP issue. It isn't particularly an American issue. It is a global one.
When the average Joe can barely make ends meet and Hunter has a 50k a month job because he is a Biden it feels terrible.
But, in these times when facts and whataboutisms are indistinguishable, let us not conflate Hunter Bidens unethical (but commonplace) job and the President's very illegal quid pro quos that (he says isn't a quid pro quo).
2
With a newly emboldened 'Generation Z' electorate, implicitly if not explicitly expected to hold down not one, but two jobs alongside a 'side hustle' [Read: lotto ticket] all to make ends meet, with no hope of affording a home in sight - such a simple, sound proposition is long overdue.
The rest of us, our middle-class 'American Dream' lifestyles long ago hollowed out while the rich increasingly pay less and less tax (how did we forget the top-slice was 70% in Reagan's day?) while our Congressional Representatives find ever-more clever ways to enrich themselves at the trough?
It's time to call foul. This playing field isn't just uneven now but a slippery slope for 99% of us - and the opposite of what the Founding Fathers clearly hoped for this nation.
Meanwhile Trump and his ilk are clearly no better. 'Making America Great Again?'... yeah right.
Yet people still wonder why, and how, voters grew cynical enough to elect Donald 'Learning Annex' Trump as president? Do the math.
2
Thank you for this. I would've liked to have seen such reporting on CNN or MSNBC both of which kept saying about Hunter Biden that there is no evidence of wrongdoing or some such. It's clearly favoritism of some sort and is just -- stinky. Thanks again.
3
1. Trump’s family, and Trump, are easy targets for accusations of corruption because they’ve been prominent crooks since the 1960s.
2. Joe Biden’s kid has been reported on for a decade. Frequently. There’s zero evidence that either did anything illegal—but even though there’s alao zero evidence that Joe’s changed a thing because of it, yes, the China and Burisma deals look bad. Hunter Biden was NOT unqualified.
3. By all means, Trumpists, gloss right over Mitch McConnell and his wife, who’s the current Secretary of Transportation in the most corrupt Cabinet since the Grant Administration.
4. Of course we need legislation on this. Good luck, with Trump as president.
4
Well that's it for Biden! Might as well sign off and save all the drama, his run is over.
Now the vaunted NYT's is finally recognizing the cute little self dealing that has been going on with corrupt individuals in both parties, perhaps they'll devote some ink and effort to revealing these people and the little inside deals they have arranged for themselves and their kin.
Problem is, it's the elites that do this on both sides of the aisle and the NYT's does not have the iron to open this pandoras box.
That's too bad - they should muster the integrity they have lacked for so long and remember the role that they are supposed to play.
For something to get clean, something else must get dirty. Start the process of dirtying the politicians of both stripes who self deal so our republic can get cleaner.
5
It's pretty disgusting to read about all the levels of nepotism going on. Our plutocracy at work.
5
Enough corruption described here to sink a cargo ship.
3
@Frank or a political campaign
You do have a fair point about politician children (and other family members) getting advantages from name recognition. It is a general unfairness that also spread to any other famous and powerful persons relatives (movie stars, CEO's, etc.). What is not fair is to compare spouses vs children. As all parents of adult children know - there is very limited influence from parents over the behavior of children after they leave the nest and become independent.
What you should have done and apparently didn't dare due to your desperate attempt at creating a "bothsiderism" was to compare the corruption of the acts of bidens son with that of Trumps children. It would have looked so badly lopsided that you (bu-hu) would have been accused by Trumpets of "not being fair". You are a journalist don't be afraid of the consequences of simply telling the facts as they are.
1
So it's okay for Hunter Biden to trade on the family name while his dad's VP, travel with him on Air Force II to China to conduct his firms investment business and pose with his dad at a golf outing with the head of a Ukrainian energy concern. It doesn't take any intellect to connect the dots, but if you're a hypocrite well then that's okay. Same goes for the Trump's, if you're trading on the fact that you're dad's the most important person in the free world then you need to that as well. Let's make the policy clear and enforce it unilaterally.
3
No, the problem is advancing Trump's Big Lie.
1
Well done. This reminds me of all the "thoughtful" opinion pieces dissecting Hilary's email server fraud.
How did that one end up...
4
Any, ANY comment from a senior editor from Breibart and the Hoover Institution is not worth the electronic space it takes up. OF COURSE no mention of Trump's corrupt brood--why should we expect anything else? Some gall though!
2
What Hunter did may have been legal, but what Joe Biden did, using his role as VP, to facilitate Hunter's no-show job was corrupt and illegal.
The Progressives can try to cover up Joe's sins but the American voters will see through it. If the Progressives nominate Joe, he will be tarred with (and lose due to) Biden Industries, just as Hillary lost due, in part, to the corruptions inherent in the Clinton Foundation.
5
That happens in every country.
I'm not sure why Peter Schweizer is being given a platform by the New York Times. Haven't we been done this road before?
To quote an objection to previous dealings the Times has had with Mr. Schweizer, "The Times’s agreement “lends Schweizer’s overall body of work a legitimacy it does not deserve.”
https://publiceditor.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/an-exclusive-arrangement-on-a-clinton-book-and-many-questions/
8
One law for me another for thee.
2
"Trump’s attempts to prove that his opponent (who does not own hotels frequented by foreign leaders looking to do business with the United States) to be corrupt follows a script familiar to those who remember the Uranium One non-scandal with which pro-Trump players sought to tar Trump’s 2016 presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton. In fact, the allegations against Biden and his son, Hunter, are being advanced by the same crew that crafted and pushed the Uranium One narrative: Steve Bannon and Peter Schweizer.
This part of the formula has been tried and tested: Schweizer, employed by the Bannon-founded Government Accountability Institute, writes a book full of cherry-picked facts that, without context, paint a damning portrait of Trump’s opponent.
With such explosive claims made, mainstream outlets feel compelled to report, if not on the claims themselves, then on the fact that the allegations were stated by some person of note."
1
So how did Joe Biden benefit? Was he involved in any direct way in the hiring of his son in either Ukraine or China? Thats a more direct concern.
VP Biden can't control what his adult son does, what job he takes or the people who think they are getting something by hiring his adult son. He didn't hire his son. There is no evidence that he asked anyone to hire his son.
Come back when you have some evidence that his son lobbied the US government in some way or he and his father discussed & tilted policy issues in a way which would benefit his father or the son or there was some inside information passed.
Biden: what are you doing now?
Son: I took a job in Ukraine with Burisma.
Biden: I hope you know what your are doing. (Dadspeak -given a lifetime of Hunter troubles- for "SMH Are you out of your mind?"
Son: I do.
this Is NOT discussing "overseas dealings".
Introducing his Dad to a colleague when they are together in a room is NOT "discussing overseas business dealings" - should they ignore each other? did they then go into a meeting room for a couple of hours? evidence?
Temptations walk by our noses multiple times every day - that is not what corruption and dishonesty is....it is what we do in the face of those temptations that defines corruption/dishonesty.
Look at Joe Bidens financial records during his time in government - and compare it to his fellow Senators. He is one of the few that did NOT show vast increase in wealth during the time of his service.
The NY Times, choosing to allow this opinion piece, is once again demonstrating it learned nothing from its own culpability in electing a POTUS who is himself the enemy within his own oath of office declares he should be protecting him from. The fact that Hunter Biden did something that was absolutely legal is now conflated with the President’s own actions creating false equivalency with the constitutional crisis we find ourselves in. I will be cancelling my subscription yet again.
3
As awful as Trump is, the democrats are also corrupt.
2
This article shines light on one of the thousands of threads that weave a fabric invisible to ordinary Americans, and which renders the daydream they embrace--that the greatest thing about this country is equal opportunity for all--a lie.
The McConnels and Trumps of this world are married to one thing, and one thing only: amassing wealth for themselves, their families, and their cronies. They care nothing whatsoever for the ideals, laws and Constitution to which they swore allegiance, and in defense of which they have happily sent off to war the sons of men and women who wear their fingers to the bone, just to pay the rent.
5
"What Hunter Biden Did Was Legal — And That’s the Problem
We need a Washington Corrupt Practices Act to stop political families from self-dealing."
Yes, of course. But let's keep the focus where it belongs. On a president who has committed any number of impeachable wrongdoings. Who has broken the law and violated the Constitution. Who has perpetrated numerous instances of obstruction of justice. Who is an unindicted co-conspirator in campaign finance law felonies. Who has solicited and received illegal election assistance from foreign nations.
5
Schweizer’s “research” is funded by the Mercer’s and other major GOP donors. He tries to throw in McConnell to show balance. Yet, he doesn’t and never mention Trump and his (and family’s) major conflicts of interest. It’s hard to take him seriously when he has failed to highlight the very worst of political corruption in Trump and his administration (Ross, Zinke, Price, etc.)
9
It may have been legal, but as Al Gore once said, "The appearance of impropriety is as bad as the impropriety itself."
3
Basically our government, its' lawmakers and family members are up for sale to the highest bidder. On a daily basis, I wonder how much time is spent between governing and self dealing. I am quite sure the american people are not seeing any benefits from these dealings and most certainly no tax revenue. To paraphrase Eric Trump, of all people; On what planet is an unqualified person worth $50,000 a month? I'm sure he doesn't see the irony, but apparently he is not alone.
I read Secret Empire and it is a great book, very balanced and unpartisan, with examples of corruption from both sides of the isle.
I wish in a new column Schweizer would detail how Hunter Biden's involvement in Burisma influenced Joe Biden's policy to shrink the gas production in the USA and expand the one in Ukraine with American tax payer money earmarked for the industry where Burisma was a market leader.
2
The glaring problem here is that we would have the very people who profit from their political position, make the laws that regulate the positions they hold. Really, even the salary politicians make is created and supported by the people who benefit the most. A democratic nation needs transparency and oversight that just does not exist in our government. No politician is immune from basking in the wealth of his/her office.
Polls have shown that the ONE thing American voters agree on is defeating corruption. Barack Obama had "Change You Can Believe In" Trump was going to "Drain the Swamp." People buy into the need for change and swamp draining but it doesn't happen. In Trump's case he never believed a word of it but, if we had a really decent candidate with no skeletons (Pete Buttegieg perhaps) we might win with enough votes fo a real mandate. Of course the issue needs to be mentioned...
2
This will never happen, as it hits both parties.
My understanding is the biggest kick backs is book deals - where wealthy donors buy a bunch of the books and hand them out to their employees. The donor gets a write off (employee benefit?), and the politician gets money for an unreadable book.
1
Thank you for this. At the very least there needs to be mechanism for reviewing and publicizing this kind of legal corruption. When I vote for a candidate I want to know what kind of enrichment is flowing to the candidate and the candidate's family. If Mitch McConnell has been bought and paid for by the Chinese government, that information needs to be available to all his voters in his district.
There should also be a blackout period between a legislator/president leaving office and becoming a lobbyist or shaking down foreign governments for donations to an eponymous foundation.
2
Always remember: the net worth of Congress increased during the Great Recession.
3
I think it was David Jolly who mentioned last week that if politicians were excluded from seeking office because their children or relatives took advantage of their position of power, then there would be very few people left in Congress!
Yes, Congress absolutely needs to pass a domestic equivalent of the Washington Corrupt Practice Act as well as extend the Foreign Corrupt Practices law to include Americans who attempt to bribe foreign officials.
4
It is just business as usual. We never asked a lot of questions about how George W. Bush's little energy-exploration company got a deal with Bahrain when Daddy was V.P., or who the mysterious buyer was who later bailed him out when the company was failing miserably. GWB vociferously maintained he had been thoroughly vetted and no wrongdoing was found. That wasn't true. His "vetting" was perfunctory because he was the son of a powerful politician.
It's all about who you know not what you know. Once you are a member of a political dynasty or class in America -- you and our family are set for life. Too many hands in the cookie jar to ever get a Corrupt Practices law passed that requires a career politician to be honest and forthright --- especially where money is concerned.
Maybe if the Democrats' HR 1 "For the People Act of 2019" got the coverage and commentary it deserves, anti-corruption reform would be front and center in this election campaign and public discourse. At least one party is concerned about the integrity of our government. But I guess we have Donald Trump and his minions to thank for making corruption an almost daily story. In so many ways, he has exposed the bipartisan rot in and around our government that honest, workaday Americans of modest means and aspirations have had to put up with. Thanks also to Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren we are beginning to understand how the game is played at those high levels, a game that leaves the needs of ordinary middle Americans on the sidelines. All of which is why I, for one, have no shame about demanding higher taxes on the 1% to help finance universal health insurance, college and vocational education, early childhood education and childcare, and affordable housing. No, I am not ashamed at all.
2
@abigail49
The average American isn't equipped to compete on the tilted playing field created and maintained by the rich and powerful. The referees have been bought off, and the rule book has been thrown out. Of course, Bernie has decried this rigged game for decades.
Maybe, finally, Americans are starting to listen, but I'm not going to hold my breath expecting things to change until all of us who are affected by the swindle recognize how thoroughly the game is rigged.
For years we have seen how the rules are repeatedly changed, bent and broken to facilitate the corruption of both government and business, and it will never change until Americans stand up and DEMAND the change we know is needed.
Like I said, I'm not going to hold my breath. Contrary to Reagan's quip that government is the problem and not the solution, bad government is the problem, and more corruption isn't the solution.
1
When I was a Schedule C employee (a mid-grade political appointee) and again as a staffer on Capitol Hill, I had to fill out ethics and financial forms. Those forms specifically asked if my spouse or children had any financial dealings that could potentially profit from my position or otherwise raise eyebrows. In addition, I had to go through annual ethics training, which addressed family financial gain from my work.
Doesn't this stuff occur for elected officials? Surely, Joe Biden, who had a hand in writing those laws, understands this stuff.
6
The average American does not have the financial advantages that our politicians do. They can make money because of the connections they can provide to those who offer money and positions. It may not be illegal but it is not ethical. Neither party is exempt from this practice and should be outlawed while a politician is serving the people.
5
In my 45 years in marketing communications, I have worked with countless boards of directors and I can state the following:
• Not all board members have experience in the industry of the company.
• Most board members are chosed for some business acumen that could come in handy in guiding the company toward its goals.
• Some board members are recruited for their "Rolodex" of industry and/or political connections.
This is just the usual makeup of the typical board of directors. Hunter Biden seems to fall into that third category. Yes, he is the son of a famous politician with important connections. But this is neither illegal nor unethical, even though it raises eyebrows.
The McConnell-Chao connection is different and worth scrutiny because they are both involved in administration and legislative decision. Both have seen dramatic increases in their individual and joint wealth.
Transportation Secretary Chao has family in the shipping business, while her husband, Mitch McConnell controls legislation going through Senate on its way to the Oval Office for the president's signature. Mitch can select a bill that most benefits his wife's family which, in turn, benefits Mitch.
Trump's adult children, Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka and her husband Jared, have absolutely no experience to be "advisors" to DJT. But their advice/request for favors can contribute to their personal wealth. Now, THAT requires investigations.
15
Am I missing something? You want news laws to prevent foreign companies from paying a politician’s family, but payments to the actual politician himself, e.g. Trump and his companies, are perfectly okay?
6
Determining what business and professional relations with foreign entities are illegal must be done on a case by case basis or it will just not work. How to separate coincidence from corruption is not so easy. Hunter may not have had the expertise to prepare him for the job but what if he had? Our partition in the global economy will increase not decrease. There will be many close relatives who just do their work internationally and trying to stop them from doing so will be unreasonable.
The same thing happens for extremist and terrorist organizations in the country. The laws to prosecute domestic extremists and terrorists, including white supremacists are getting much lenient punishment while some organizations like NRA are totally immune due to lack of such laws as Federal level. It must change as it's affecting social mobility, encouraging corrupt practices and crime, distorting American society and hurting the very foundation of our democracy.
1
We see the same trend to ban insider trading for US Congressmen and Senators. Such laws was totally absent just few years back. Obama tried to make and enforce such a law but many politicians, mostly GOP, diluted it and prevent it from being much effective.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/opinion/sec-insider-trading-united-states.html
1
Corruption, American style! One of the reasons we have Trump, even though he's exacerbated it.
4
Nepotism is everywhere. I, and probably most of you know children who'd be flipping burgers if it weren't for their parents knowing the right people.
Wealthy retired executives serve on many corporate boards. They get free tickets and other perks we serfs can only dream of.
Call me pessimistic. If the entitled aren't sucking up money in the political sector, they'll find other sources.
3
@KS
Nikky Halley left our employ at the UN and went on the Board of Boeing - which she greatly assisted with acquiring the Charleston Naval Base where they now build planes. A payoff? Depends on where you stand to examine the question.
Condeleza Rice is a long time member of the board of Exxon Mobile, anything wrong with that? George W. Bush is on the board of Blackstone, what could possibly be wrong with that? And on and on!
3
Let's not forget Ivanka being granted trademarks in China...
Let's not forget the revolving door between office holders and lobbying firms.....
Let's not overlook the half-million speaking fees for an hour work in front of bankers once out of office...
Let's not forget the Foundations or Libraries that are funded to the tunes of millions all for influence peddling...
1
And this country is arrogant enough to pontificate about corruption and lack of good governance in Russia and other countries around the world. What passes for lobbying here is legalized bribery. Perhaps we ought to hold off judgement on others until we have fixed ourselves.
13
Neoliberals: We are corrupt, but technically it's legal!
Trump: I'm corrupt, but up front about it!
6
This sort of double dealing will play right into Trump's ability to get reelected. The swamp in Washington does need to be drained. The crocodiles are the politicians both Democrats and Republicans.
7
This is one thing that has bugged me about this affair. As reprehensible as Trump's actions have been, I can't help but wonder what Hunter Biden could do for a foreign business that would be worth $50,000.00 per month. This stinks. Luckily for the democrats, that stench has been overcome by the odor emanating from the White House.
3
The Washington soft corruption problem is much broader than when dealing with foreign companies. In the DC world of who you know and one hand washes the other, the problem starts with a corrupt culture that accepts that people should profit from their relationships and not their talents or accomplishments.
Fixing this will require tough legislation. A start would be to have the rules apply to all transactions, foreign and domestic. Then “quid pro quo” needs to be clarified and broadened so you don’t have to be caught passing the bag of money for the jewels to be a violator, as President Trump and his cronies suggest. When the young interns start to write the new legislation they should first watch the whole Godfather series.
Another constructive change would be to incorporate the “direct or indirect interest” standard used in many other contexts. For example, if a Senator’s child takes a job with an oil company then the Senator must totally recuse himself from all matters affecting it in the broadest sense.
In the end however, there could be an easy, quick fix, politicians with high ethics who are there to serve, not cash in. But that’s probably too much to hope for.
5
How could you write this article with not one single mention of the biggest grifter family of all time, our current President and his progeny? And the fact that Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner (who could not legimately get a security clearance BECAUSE of his foreign business connections), have zero qualifications to work for the administration? In short, because you wanted to get Hunter Biden's name in the headline.
7
In America the wealthy and politically connected have special privileges and advantages. Stop the presses....this is real news!
1
Peter Schweizer has been a right wing hit man who worked with Steve Bannon. Nothing he writes should be published without a counter article. I don't trust anything he says.
Notice he didn't mention the trumps and those kids are running around the world cashing in on their father's presidency.
14
Publishing Peter Schweitzer in your newspaper is legal, and that's the problem.
7
And you think that’ll happen under Trump? Is this is a joke?
1
Thank you for finally stating the obvious here in the NYT.
1
Hinter Biden is NOT an elected official. He is not running for office. He is not committing constitutional crimes. The NYT shapes the news, and profits frrombubble gum theories like this.
1
If those familiar with the episode have said time and again Biden did nothing wrong. But the New York Times in there burning addiction to false equivalence, had to imply he did something wrong but it was legal.
Whitelaw Reid New York Tribune owner, editor and Civil War correspondent. “...the most childish has been the idea that the editor could vindicate his independence only by sitting on the fence and throwing stones with impartial vigor alike at friend and foe.”
2
I think NYT should have been aware more than anyone that Hunter Biden's fortune was legal corruption. A few years ago NYT did an investigation alleging relatives of former premier Wen of China benefiting from an IPO of insurance company, which resulted the ban of NYT in China.
3
Peter Schweizer can’t mention the Trump children or Jared Kushner for their far more blatant and constant corruption, because Peter Schweizer would lose his meal ticket at Fox “News.”
13
The swamp will never be drained as there is too much money at stake. We have the best politicians that money can buy from the local level to Washington, DC. America the Great! Rome is burning!!!!!!
1
Did you really not mention Jared and Ivanka and Don Jr. and Eric? Just checking.
4
If this was the son of a Republican VP, conservatives would be saying that his success is an example of the earned privilege and hard work and the business acumen of good American, and that liberal snowflakes are just jealous of his success.
2
We need to impeach and remove the first president ever to brazenly engage in treason. Articles like this deflect from our number one problem which is tearing this country apart.
2
Joseph Kennedy's son employed at Deutchebank, Clarence Thomas' wife with GOP lobbyists, Colin Powell's son chair of the FCC (with no experience)...not only threat of corruption and appearance of conflict of interest...huge national security vulnerabilioties. Then there was George Bush Sr.'s son getting millions from Saudi and Emirati investors....
3
Let’s hope the next article about nepotism is about the the trump children.
4
This is amazing ...it is a big blazing declaration that you are going to go after every picadillo if it is by a Democrat but that Trump has worn you down. He has shown the notion that if you kill one person you are a murderer ...kill a million and you are world historic. You did this in 2016 and your doing it in 2020...its just this time your helping to push the country into civil war. How can any of you sleep?
1
So Hunter Biden used his father's name to get a seat on a company known for corruption. Soon thereafter, his father intervened in Ukrainian politics to fire a prosecutor, in part specifically because the prosecutor was failing to investigate Hunter's company for corruption
And, McConnell marries Chao, and soon starts acting more favorably to the money interests of his wife's family and of China.
Different, right? Critically different. No, says, Peter Schweizer. "That's exactly backward." The possibility of corruption is exactly the same sort of problem as corruption itself.
Both sides-ism gone mad, and at the worst possible time.
2
I have been working abroad all my life and have been subject to the FCPA since it was enacted in 1977. It has been enforced pretty rigidly. All you have to do is look up any number of large oil companies and contractors to see that this conduct has been prosecuted and big fines paid, but still corruption persists.
It would be no more difficult to enforce a similar provision working the other way to preclude families of politicians from using their connections to enrich themselves merely by hanging their name out on a sign board.
Still, just like the FCPA, there will be individuals and companies who will ignore it, but at least if they are caught there are some penalties.
Right now the article is spot on. Politicians and their families can peddle influence legally. Sure it looks terrible, but millions of dollars probably assuages their hurt feelings when the polity complains.
1
I love the concept Mr. Schweizer promotes, but I fear we will never see the Friends and Family Enrichment Prohibition Act of 2020. For one thing, look at how far any restrictions on indirect feeding at the public trough by former lawmakers working as lobbyists or in other positions that are clearly conflicts of interest has gotten. While I would love to see reforms like this enacted, politicians are going to protect both their current and future individual and family revenue streams like a mama bear protecting their cubs, with members of both parties going into the equivalent of a basketball four corners stall. My own take is I think we need the ability to have very limited national referendums on issues like this were politicians collectively won't act in the the interest of the public
2
An average American voter can't be expected to tell the difference between Donald Trump's misuse of power, and Hunter Biden landing a highly-compensated position on the board of a foreign energy company. Trump understands this, but Joe Biden apparently did not. Can Biden salvage his presidential bid by making a law banning payments by foreign companies to family members of American politicians a campaign issue? He doesn't have much to lose at this point.
4
It might be "a" problem but it is NOT "the" problem. Our President asked a foreign government to investigate his political opponent. The repercussions of that request are exponential and because the result is a foreign government exerting influence on our electoral process, it actually IS against the law and as such, is "the" problem.
2
@Casey: No one said it was "the" problem.
The rather desperate attempts of partisan Democrats to deny or dodge the obvious corruption of some in their party isn't much different, in kind, from the similar disingenuous nonsense being spouted by the Trump Gang trying to defend their boss.
1
I am sure that the fact that his father was Vice-President was material in his getting the Ukrainian board'seat and starting the China hedge fund. My guess is that a similar thing, including admission to the "best" colleges, could be said of the children of CEOs of Fortune 500 and big tech companies (if the latter children are old enough) and of partners in BigLaw firms. The playing field isn't level; but in trying to level it, we should address the broad problem, not just the political families operating abroad. That's what's going to make it really, really hard.
1
This piece should serve as a reminder that most political figures are not exactly who they appear to be. I like Joe Biden - he seems like a genuinely good person and he comes across as being reasonable. However, to think that he did not immediately tell his son that in no way should he have any dealings in Ukraine, is beyond me. The fact that Hunter Biden was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company was clearly influenced by his family name. To think otherwise is absolutely naive. I expect this behavior from Trump, but I did not expect it from Uncle Joe. My mistake.
7
I once worked in research for a major pharmaceutical company. George H.W. Bush was made a member of the board of directors. He resigned in 1980 to run for President. Later Former Governor and future Senator Evan Bayh was put on the board. He resigned when he ran for Senate. In addition, Mitch Daniels, a former aide to Senator Lugar, was made an executive officer. Daniels later became OMB for Bush II and then a two term Governor. The point is that it is common practice for large corporations to hire prominent people with Washington connections even though they have no experience relevant to the corporate business. This is done presumably to curry favor with or provide access to proceedings in D.C. While it is not illegal, neither is it highly moral.
4
Legal and wise are not the same thing. It would be naive to think that some kind of extra benefit would not come your way by dealing with the vice president's son.
5
As long as we're talking about the basic corruption of nepotism, how about that huge tax cut on estates the Republicans pushed through along with the corporate tax cut.
3
While reading the Mueller Report, I was struck by how many of the characters involved were seeking their fortunes not through study or hard work or innovation but through the connections they’d made.
And I also suspect that the reason parents are so desperate for their kids to go to Harvard isn’t entirely about the education. It’s about the people they might meet, the doors that might get opened.
This worries me. Our country no longer looks like a meritocracy. It looks more like an aristocracy.
6
The correct and proper thing for Hunter Biden to do is to divest from these businesses immediately. If he doesn't he is in the same emoluments/nepotism territory as Ivanka, Trump Jr., and Chao. The fact that this has been suggested nowhere, notably not by him or his father, is glaring.
1
How about being honest and not implying that Hunter Biden "did" something at all?
He took a job that paid a lot which he should not have only because of the appearances it created for him to have taken it.
That is all.
2
This is the dignified position to take although it also ultimately means rejecting Joe Biden's candidacy for president. I hope the Democrats can understand, only 3 years after the HRC disaster that we should not defend ethically compromised individuals and expect it to end well. Not that Joe is a bad man, or that he is even really responsible for what his son Hunter did, but he is very much a part of the institutional culture that has for too long accepted corruption as a part of politics.
12
Emoluments clause IMO should have been point no.1 for impeachment.
I never liked Joe Biden either. Of course the kid traded off the name, but I am not sure a law can entirely control the issue.
2
This is a change in the American press.
Also an article about the different lobbies operating in the Congress and the Senate would be very interesting. With the amounts of money distributed and which politician profits with what .
2
There are many practical obstacles to making this happen.
Joe Biden: "My son's an adult, I can't control what he does. In fact, he doesn't even have to tell me."
Hunter Biden: "I'm not an office holder, so I'm free to take any job without disclosing anything to anyone."
Of course, Hunter could take any job he wants but with understanding that this move will hurt his dad's political ambitions. And Biden should understand it as well.
4
Thank you for this.
Too often Democrats want to point to Trump's family, who are easy targets for charges of corruption and nepotism. But as you note, too many political families of all stripes take advantage of their political connections to enrich their families and friends.
There needs to be strict guidelines and laws on what is acceptable behavior and what is not in politics. As I've said here before, people in power need to work _at minimum_ to avoid even the appearance of this kind of corruption. And that goes for Joe Biden's family as well as for Trump and McConnell's. Otherwise the entire system appears corrupt. And too often it is.
733
Agree. Nepotism, and it's close cousin: placing high value upon degrees from elite colleges is a major contributing factor to today's societal issues.
I worked many years with Ivy league graduates and they are not exceptional in any way except many (most) simply exude hubris and entitlement. In many cases they were naive about the world and clearly a product of sheltered, over-praised environments.
140
@gARG
Yes, and these same often legacy graduates believe they are being rewarded by foreign governments with posh jobs because they are brilliant, and it has nothing to do with the fact that their parents are in positions of power.
Foreign governments and corporations with money to spread around freely to gain access know an easy mark when they see one.
68
@avrds
Republicans too point to the corruption of Trump and his family.
13
Politics is all about power and making money. Does not matter whether we are speaking about Democrats or Republicans, they are both in it for power and the money. Legislation is used to bolster voting blocks and to service the wants of public and private interests that provide cash (the ‘mother’s milk’ of politics) used by politicians to get elected and re-elected.
2
Close the FCPA loophole surely, but this notion you have to have special skill to do a private equity deal is simply hocus pocus. These deals require no special legal skill. Once you've done one no advanced knowledge is required for an able lawyer, the legal drafting and tax work is the work of technicians in any event and the rest of the process is all about access and connections. This is just another example of Wall Street and big money types creating an illusion of sophisticatication where none really exists. No doubt Hunter Biden benefitted from daddy's connections, and that surely is the real story, but this is is he was unqualified to lead such a deal is just baloney.
2
Until the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is expanded to capture the brazen and shameful conduct should be made illegal under the law, with stiff penalties for violators. I'm in total agreement with the author on this subject.
Just because something is not illegal doesn't mean that the party of slavery is let off the hook for its participation.
Thank you for saying this, furthermore, all the people who want Trump to go down.
Know that if you bring him down hypocritically, you will be hurting yourself in the future and the corruption will worsen as politicians will understand essentially that they can be "woke corrupt", by saying what you want to hear and then doing whatever behind closed doors.
Quite frankly all of these presidents committed offenses that I would consider impeachable:
Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Trump.
We need not make a bunch of additional laws that might hoist us on our own petard. If a politician is so shameless as to allow a relative to benefit from their position of power over a foreign country, that should come out in the political process. That is, provided it is allowed to and partisans do not rally to their defense over legality and cant about influencing our elections.
1
Government breeds corruption. Big government breeds big corruption. This extends from the principal of you child's elementary school to the office of the President. Efforts to limit corruption will always fail as new loopholes are created to allow those in power to self deal. Go to your local school and ask off the record about corruption and you will be shocked. This is why growing government is bad and shrinking government is good. It is easier to police a small government. There is no magic bullet except limiting the opportunities to engage in corruption.
3
Until the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act is expanded to capture the brazen and shameful conduct should be made illegal under the law, with stiff penalties for violators. I'm in total agreement with the author on this subject.
Just because something is not illegal doesn't mean that the party of slavery is let off the hook for its participation.
More evidence that greed for power and money are synergistic and lead to pervasive corruption. The Bidens, the McConnell/ Choa's and the Trump's are all tainted by their dealings.
1
I am not sure that this is much different than former presidents becoming hundred-millionaires after they leave office. Who knows what they are doing while in office with the goal of riches afterwards? They are all guilty of it. The worst being the Clintons. Let's look at the character flaws of our "leaders." Hillary left the State Department with the expectation that she would be president 4 years later, and with $100mil in the bank. She really needed the money giving speeches for 250k a pop? All the while talking about income inequality? Or Obama telling us, correctly, that there is only 'so big' a house that we need, and only 'so many' vacations to take while people were suffering. I do not begrudge him a comfortable life, but a place in Chicago, a mansion in DC and now a waterfront spread on Marthas Vineyard?
Hypocrisy is terrible. Particularly when it is about the love of money.
10
Or we could discuss what surgeons make, and the ridiculous cost of health care.
1
@Robert
I would be happy to discuss that. In fact, on today's holiday, I was operating for the 8th time on an illegal immigrant without any coverage for free trying to save his legs. So I have time now....
I am not exploiting the public trust to make inordinate amounts of money, and nothing I do in my highly regulated world of medicare reimbursements can be equated to politicians making potentially hundreds of millions off of public service. No denying it- I want a great income. And I deserve it. But I am not telling the public to tighten the purse strings while I live lavishly.
Robert, your response strikes me as jealous. Mine was a commentary on corruption and hypocrisy. I am not sure why I defended myself to you, but I am curious as to what line of work you are in and how much time you spend working for free, or how much you give to charity every year? Because most surgeons I know are underpaid working at medicare or medicaid (translation: free) rates.
4
I agree this is an item of concern. Family members taking advantage of an office holder's position and connections? Definitely worth scrutinizing.
So why no mention of the Trump crime family and their blatant corrupt practices happening in plain sight in real time?
1
Exactly why I will not vote for Biden. All of his children have been using their father's position for decades to make big money. What the Trump children are doing is even worse.
Americans won't have to worry about this type of corruption with Warren!
9
Let's drain the swamp instead of enlarging it. In the case of the Bidens, the optics are terrible and I'm certain the former VP knows this. Elizabeth Warren should address this problem. And Biden should retire from politics.
Voters: Speak! And vote.
5
Unfortunately, the lawmaking process cannot easily codify the “If it walks like a duck, and flies like a duck” principle.
Finally! Democrats and the media stonewalling on the Biden issue has been driving me crazy. CNN anchors and Chuck Todd have put up a fence, “No, the Biden thing has already been cleared from wrongdoing! You can’t go there!” The Dems go out of their way to portray republicans collectively as white, privileged and corrupt with unfair access to wealth and power. Well, thanks to this article and Bill Maher, the conversation may change. This isn’t a party issue, we should all remain skeptical of all politicians as they capitalize on their “public service.”
13
To understand corruption in either Party, follow the money.
7
Terrific piece...the only thing is it should of been written decades ago...now it's sadly a common acceptance of the system of how corrupt government works.
Nevertheless, in spite of all understandably cynical comments the effort to finally implement Washington Corrupt Practices Act could eventually bring us to where we need to be.
The blatant self-dealing of corrupt politicians can't be the guiding compass for the nation who once proclaimed itself American exceptionalism.
And yes, that's how we got trump!!!
Lessons to learn is to never succumb to the mentality: oh well, they all doing it.
A great piece to remind all of us to never stop fighting against sleazy unscrupulous politicians.
This should not be a norm!
McConnell along with Barr are the biggest threats to our country national security.
He was blocking election security vote, imagine that...probably transferring his millions of rubles to Swiss banks.
Greed and gluttony in full display.
Bravo to Peter Schweizer!
2
Have been saying it for years: The Game is played by a few dozen people in each of what is now approximately 200 countries. That is The Reality. It is just like The Matrix. The rest of us - all circa 7.5 billion of us - decide each day in our lands of manufactured myths of equality and democracy (or worse): do I take the Red Pill? Or the Blue?
1
No one wants their ‘public servants’, like Biden, like Clinton’s, to use their ‘service’ as an instrument of wealth accumulation for friends and family. We all know that’s what has lead this country into oligarchy. We all know Bernie is the only way out of the morass of corruption.
#Bernie2020
2
This type of "legal corruption" by both Democrats and Republicans is what led to Trump being elected in the first place. As Elizabeth Warren has been vowing to root out corruption her entire campaign, I hope she will step up to the plate and critique the Biden arrangements.
4
So what you're saying here is that Biden and is son are corrupt, so what Trump asked Ukraine for (to look into it) was legitimate? But because he's Trump, the Dems are going after him. The NY Times, with this column, just legitimized Trump's efforts to root out foreign corruption. The fact that he was a former vice president and current candidate for president doesn't give Biden a pass. How ridiculous this all appears now.
2
The majority of Americans realize what the Bidens did in Ukraine was at least as bad as the odious Trump did. Defending the Bidens, instead of rightly criticizing both the Trumps and the Bidens, makes the impeachment seem like partisan theater.
2
Yes, politicians and their families have discovered that "serving the public good" can in fact mean lining their own pockets, through access, influence and blatant favour-peddling. Whether it be the Bidens flying off on Air Force One for "the public good", the McConnell-Chao tandem cashing in on China's desire for political access, the Kushner charade selling properties in China, visas and access to the WH, Collins from the WH lawn telling his son to sell just announced ill-fated stocks, and of course the most egregious example set by Trump and his mafioso family and cohort of miscreants "working for the public good", but actually enriching themselves on a daily basis: they are examples of how easy and blatant amassing riches can be for those in public office and their families. Moral decay continues to deepen and widen in the USA political system.
7
This is basic to the concept of clean government. Mitch Mcconnell may be the most powerful Senator in the history of our government. President Trump is also arguably the most powerful President in this countries history.
Both of them are using their office to sack our country for their own and their families personal interests.
President Trump instinctively knows that Biden's son couldn't possibly get these deals without his father. He knows it because his own kids and son in law are making millions off of the Presidency of their father.
9
"McConnell-Chaos" is also a good name for his political philosophy.
4
I am surprised that you chose to focus on Chao rather than Trumps kids. That would be the more sensible and fair comparison.
4
After a Corrupt Practices Act is instituted, politicians will question their career choice and ask “What’s the point?”
1
I’m wondering why this article does not reflect the current administrations family & the clear violations of the emollients laws they take part in everyday.
5
And Mitch McConnell’s wife sure has a cushy government job too. Why don’t we out-law that?
2
Kid living off his daddy name, joe and hunter should have more sense, but it greedy these people are never happy until the rule and own everything. Doesn't matter the name clinton, trump, McConnell you name them it all the same greed at our expense.
Biden continues to dodge this issue. We don’t care if it’s legal. It was unethical. If you want our vote come clean. We can forgive you.
1
From what I have read, the Trump children would be much better examples for Mr. Schweizer to use than Hunter Biden. I suspect that Mr. Schweizer, author of a conspiracy-theorist book about the Clintons before the 2016 Election, is not unbiased in his choosing of examples for this Op-Ed.
7
How about all Trump children profitting off Trump's position currently?
1
This’s why it would be crazy to nominate Biden. He has so many things you have to overcome and overlook. He dulls the criticism against trump spawn. The real reason “moderate” Dems want Joe is that he will go easy on bankers.
2
Where are the Trump-Kushner’s? $82million richer at least.
1
Wait what?! The only reason Hunter Biden sat on that board, someone who months before had gotten into big trouble with drugs, was because his father was vice president. It's corrupt as the summer day is long. This bias is too rich Peter.
2
I think the biggest outrage should be reserved for ex-presidents who use their time in office to engorge themselves with money.
The Clintons and Obamas come right to mind. Two years after leaving office, Obama bought an $8 million house in DC and a $15 million house on Martha's Vineyard. Nobody is expecting a vow of poverty but like Hunter Biden monetizing his father's position, both former presidents have done the same. Companies throw money at these people because of the prestige they bring not because of their unique talents.
3
This is sickening to read. It really shows the deep corruption of politics. This is why some people voted for donald trump and his promise to drain the swamp.
But just as with everything else this narcissistic buffoon promised, it was a lie. All he did was fill the swamp with an even worse breed of swamp creatures. This time they may destroy the world.
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Mr. Clinton cash is a hypocrite of the highest order. I will change my mind only when I see a real expose on the Trump kids and all their self dealing. How about McConnell and Chao??
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Biden is now toast. He should retire gracefully.
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“What Hunter Biden Did Was Legal — And That’s the Problem”
It’s _a_ problem, not _the_ problem. How do the writers not understand their implication by writing “the” problem?
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Peter Schweizer might have some credibility if he wanted to investigate how the thoroughly unqualified Ivaka Trump and Jared Kushner got their White House jobs, why their security clearances were denied, all the clear conflict of interest and self-dealing by Ivanka, Don Jr., Eric Trump and by Jared Kushner. But Peter Schweizer will never target those individuals for using their last names, their only “qualification,” to make money via nepotism and corruption on a scale that makes Hunter Biden and Elaine Chao family members corruption look like minor events.
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Get out of the race, Joe Biden! You are just what the Democrats don't need - another denizen of the Washington elite, that turns everybody off with their family trades on their government connections, that only they can never seem to discern as immoral. The Bidens are just like the Clintons in this regard. Do you really want to be the 2nd candidate for President that loses to Donald Trump?
1
For mid-level staff making decisions at work in government offices, the joke is “I don’t want to go to jail” and the practical principal is if something passes the Washington Post test (sorry NY Times): how would it look of your actions were reported on the front page?
For the elite, apparently the press is like a toy poodle, and there is never fear of going to jail.
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On next Tuesday's Democratic debate with Biden on thw stage someone should should ask Liz Warren if she has a plan for that. I bet she does.
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Somehow you didn’t mention the most glaring offenders: Jared and Ivanka. They aren’t qualified to do anything in the White House but further their own interests. Why is Ivanka popping up at the G7, meeting heads of state?? These aren’t state dinners where it would be appropriate for family members to mingle, these are meetings likely affecting foreign policy, security, trade and other issues, possibly top secret and at the highest level. The GOP have no business even mentioning Hunter Biden while these two hanger-on buffoons are in the White House.
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this is far too common, you haven't even mentioned state and local inastances which are just as bad. it is all part of the swamp.
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Wow! A blind eye to the Trump’s and their corruption suggests this article was written with an agenda to normalize corruption and create a false equivalency between the parties. Nothing is more corrupt than abusing governmental power to go after an American citizen simply because he is the son of your chief rival to maintain your own, while meanwhile you and your own children profit wildly of your own office.
Should there be better laws? Sure, but how about enforcing the Constitution first and impeaching the one who took an oath to defend the Constitution only to trash it?
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The NYT agreed that the Bidens were self dealing. And Trump was the first to catch it.
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McConnell chaos has a certain ring to it.
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This article reinforces the need for an investigation into Joe Biden’s ties to Ukraine - Thus the President’s request.
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McConnell-Chaos...is it now common practice to add a one word epithet to the end of the names of infamous political families?
A law that forbids you to take advantage of having influential relatives, even with no suggestion of corruption, is almost like a law forbidding you to take advantage of being good-looking or smart or havng been born with any other accidental advantage over your fellows. Read “Animal Farm” or the histories of Jacobin or Bolshevik etc rule to learn what happens when “equality” is imposed by law.
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@PL - Well, in Massachusetts, the employees and relatives of employees of the state Lottery are forbidden from playing Lottery games like scratch tickets, to preserve the integrity of the Lottery. That seems reasonable.
Using your familial connections for advancement is not comparable to being attractive or smart. The politically influential relatives actively pursued their ambitions.
1
I am very happy to see the NY times finally publish something that is right about the Joe Biden - Ukraine scandal. I was really getting tired of seeing the same headlines and phrases such as "no evidence of wrongdoing by Biden" or that it was long ago "debunked". This country needs real journalism now to help us find our way back. Next, the time has come for the NYTIMES editorial board to call for Joe Biden to formally drop his candidacy.
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The Bidens usher in a new era of 'personal responsibility' for republicans. That is really funny. Oh, the high standards trumpies have.....for democrats only!
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I don't see anything wrong with the $50,000 per month payment to Hunter Biden by Burisma in Ukraine. Chelsea Clinton was paid the exact same amount as a "special correspondent" by NBC in 2011.
For once, the woman got paid the same amount as the man.
We all know what makes the world go round.
3
It would be better if Joe Biden, now, would just come out and confess in full detail to all Hunter Biden's business involvements in Ukraine, China, and elsewhere, when Joe was VP.
And stop hoping the matter will blow over. It won't.
If he doesn't, in fact, know all the details, and Hunter won't tell him, he can just confess to this too. --And pay the political consequences.
At least (we can hope!) he never put pressure on these other countries to dish dirt on Republicans.
Nothing will ever change except that this will more than likely cost Biden's nomination and the Democrats the election . As for me I will try to befriend a doomsday prepper
How is it we need a law for something so obvious to someone with a conscience. Oh wait....politicians.
Too bad, Joe. You had my vote till this popped up.
Your associating Hunter Biden with the word "work" makes me feel by turns antsy, ticklish, whimsical, wistful, envious, skeptical, dizzy, scornful, mirthful, sad, angry, spiteful, disgusted, alienated, depressed, catatonic. I really must begin to take car of myself, I'm obviously a mess.
Schweizer - as phony as the day is long.
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And just what are the Trump family members doing now?
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How is thus different from the Trump family milking the family name worldwide, or the owners of the Times using their positions to get their kids into elite schools or puffy jobs?
Hark, the bells are ringing....
Why are they ringing?
They are playing the death knell for Mr. Biden’s campaign.
It’s all swampy.
Gosh!
After witnessing the Trump children avoiding prison time every week,
it seems kinda funny that Senator Biden's kids take the rap for any influence over the careers of his sons who survived their sister and mother tragic car crash. How dare Senator Biden look after his sons!
Corruption pure and simple.
Joe should have told Hunter: You know Hunter, I may run for office soon, and your dealings in Ukraine might look bad. Not....I hope you know what you're doing.
If you are the son of a former VP, aren't there domestic companies that would pay a handsome salary? I think so, even if it wasn't 50K per month.
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It's the swamp. Not good for Joe Biden's 2020 bid.
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This is all well and good in concept. Family members of politicians should not be able to profit off their family connections. However, I see a couple of issues:
1. It is very difficult to prove. If you look at the makeup of boards, frequently the members of the boards have no special knowledge of the business of that company. There are already political choices being made (in the business sense) in how these board members are chosen.
2. We are stuck in a situation where Democrats are only willing to investigate Republicans, and Republicans are only willing to investigate Democrats. The hypocrisy and two-faced nature of our politicians (and the American people) are at an all time low. Creating another way for politicians to bash each other is only going to exacerbate the situation.
I say we should focus more on fixing the toxic nature of current politics. I go to my dad's long held opinion that we should vote against incumbents and remind our politicians that politician is not a job - they all need to get real jobs instead of living the atmosphere os Washington, that surely sucks all common sense out of our politicians over time.
In our town it makes a huge difference who you "know" when looking for work. Having a relative who works at the plant down the road puts you at a huge advantage. That is simply the way it works in a small town. And probably everywhere else too.
Personally, I find the greed and privilege of Hunter Biden, the Chaos and the Kushners appalling. The question is whether elected officials and their kin should be held to a higher standard, and how can we enact laws to make that happen.
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Corruption has always existed, but now in the last 20 years with a huge increase in globalization, we are seeing the globalization and international invasion into our governments. This is not just a federal problem, but is also happening at the State level as well. Foreign influence peddling in a State the size of say, California with a $3 trillion economy seems plausible. I suspect that Beijing is well represented in Sacramento.
And we all thought the oceans would protect us. How quaint.
Before we go any farther, I would appreciate NYT compiling, publishing, and analyzing a list of every Congressional relative currently taking up space on a Board.
Professional histories and technical qualifications for the job would be a nice touch.
Start at the top.
Thanks.
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Are people surprised in what they see in our politicians?
BOTH sides have opportunity to profit off the vast connections/opportunities a career in politics provides upon exiting government service. For some it’s an old game that likely got them the job (can you think of any examples? It’s not hard, really). It’s the perks, as they say. No crime in working connections—- once your out of government.
Yeah. More often these days it seems there are those who exploit this enormous advantage while still in office. It can be subtle, like warming up to good connections etc.. or blatant like what we see in the paper recently. That’s a form of kleptocracy — which now is emerging (or dare I say just more transparent) within a democracy that has courted a plutocratic model since 1776.
Thank you for this very informative article. I hope you’ll follow up with and article on Trump’s kids.
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@Tom In Oakland Spoiler alert: They won't.
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@Tom In Oakland Why as Democrats do we defend in our ranks what we find to be abhorable in the Republicans ranks?
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@Tom In Oakland
The author is a right winger. I doubt that he will connect the obvious dots to Trump’s children running a multi-national business.
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This is naive nonsense if anyone thinks the rich and powerful are not going to help their families in myriad ways. This is endemic to our culture. The greatest predictor of success in life is to whom you're born.
Getting at the fundamentals of income equality and enacting deep cultural change are the only way. But affluent Americans are blind to economic justice and the rich want to stay that way.
3
We Dems have to own up to the fact that although Hunter Biden appears to have done nothing illegal, he also appears to have benefited enormously from his father's position of power. The fact that Trump's children also do so cannot be our shield - that is the sort of tit-for-tat reasoning that we would abhor if used by Republicans.
Of course, Trump's investigation of the Bidens has NOTHING to do with corruption. Mr. Trump is perhaps the most corrupt person to ever hold the office of President! And Mr. Trump's own children take advantage of their position over and over and over.
But we appear hypocritical if we maintain that Hunter Biden did not profit from his relationship to his father. We should not be hiding behind that fig leaf of legality.
3
The Clinton's had a long history of these kinds of arrangements, and though not illegal they were distasteful enough to cost Hillary the election. Joe Biden needs to get out of the election now or he will suffer the same fate. Donald Trump is patently corrupt and many Independents and people who did not vote in 2016 are now realizing it. This should give the Democrats a big advantage in 2020 but it won't matter if his opponent is also suspected of having a shady past. Please learn from the mistakes of 2016, don't repeat them.
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I’m disgusted & appalled. I don’t know why I thought Biden was different, or that the Democrats were different, but clearly I was wrong. This is corruption - there is no parsing that will make it something else. How does Biden credibly call the Trump family out on their corruption - he has no ground to stand on. I will never vote for Trump, but the Democrats nominate Biden at their peril.
3
Seems baffling to me that you made no mention of Trump's current violation of the Emoluments Clause in the Constitution, not to mention the rampant corruption that is benefitting Trump's family members and business cronies on a daily basis. No President has done more to enrich himself, his family and his political backers than Trump. He is a phony populist demagogue whose policies are turning our democratic republic into a kleptocracy.
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@Katrina Chicago
It probably isn't mentioned because this article is about the Bidens.
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This sounds good in principle, but what if the child in question IS qualified for that position. Does this proposed law, then make it impossible for them to follow their own path?
The devil is in the details.
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"This glaring loophole provides political families with an opportunity to effectively “offshore” corruption and cronyism. It gives the politically connected class enormously tempting opportunities for self-dealing, the sort of thing that is blatantly illegal in almost any other context. "
Elizabeth Warren likely has a plan to close that loophole. Does Trump?
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@The Poet McTeagle
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. First she needs a plan to get elected.
This has been going on since the founding of the Country. It is wrong. That said, when the President goes after one individual for alleged "corruption" and that person happens to be from another party and moreover is the leading contender to contest the President in the next election, it can no longer be about the alleged "corruption" of the individual he went after, but about the corruption of the President himself. It would appear this is a slam dunk case.
1
Thanks for this opinion piece. Corruption in Washington has begun to destabilize this country and the Washington Corrupt Practices Act is long overdue.
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This is a problem that has it's roots as far back as civilization started. Nepotism and political favors aren't going to stop any time soon, and hoping that Congress will pass laws against such practices is naive. Yes it stinks, and yes all sides do it. The only way to stem the tide is to not vote for anyone that acts in a self dealing manner, which now constitutes the majority of Congress and without a doubt the White House.
1
Although legal these actions of the Biden family strike me as tone deaf and unethical. Biden has been in public office a long time and wanted the presidential nod he should have known that these deals for his son stink . While nothing compared to the Trump family shenanigans I think they disqualify Biden as a candidate -- he abused his privilege and power as Vice President albeit legally. How can he launch an effective attack on Trump when to many it seems he did the same thing . Yes parents want to help their children but as public officials there is a higher standard. If we do not hold everyone accountable we only have ourselves to blame for the corruption , revolving door lobbyist, and accumulation of personal wealth by politicians.
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Trump is putting a mirror up to the US and showing it what is behind the mask & what was always under the surface. If America wants to get rid of Trump, it needs to own up to the fact that he is the result of 40 years of divisive politics, imbalanced trade deals that favor corporations and the evolution of our current Oligarchy. Now that the mask is off, the Democratic Party should set the example & fix its own corruption once & for all. A Biden presidency is not the solution.
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Besides foreign corruption, McConnell is committing domestic corruption by ignoring all bills passed by the house, We elect our representatives so they can vote on issues - and vote they must. No one person should have the power to bury all legislation except tax breaks for millionaires and real estate developers.
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The problem is corruption. Biden in the eyes of young people and burdened by educational debt and working hard and seeing no end of the debt payments see Biden no different than Trump. Trump is just better at getting money out of the corruption than Biden or the Clinton's. The rest of America sees this the same way. Biden should drop out. I tried to convince my children that Hillary was better than Trump. They agreed half heartily but tell me all politicians are money grubbing, corrupt, greedy people who sell snake oil, do nothing and make large sums of money from their political post. Trump claimed to be different. Everyone knew he was lying but in the end he the same as the rest of them, does it in your face and says at least I am not a hypocrite.
Unethical, self dealing, smacks of no show payments to relatives to influence the decision maker.
May not be illegal, but wrong. Along with the Burmese pythons, creatures of the Swamp we should try to avoid.
What’s so disappointing about the behavior of these politicians is not that they acted legally - it is that they acted without a modicum of integrity. Without the slightest sense that just maybe this was wrong. Are they not “public servants”?
Hunter Biden profiting from his father's position stinks to high heaven. The Republican disinformation campaign aside, it is going to cost Joe Biden and it should. If the House is investigating Chao, then on principle alone, they ought to investigate this as well. I won't hold my breath.
It is interesting to watch how little play the Hunter Biden stench is getting in the press. The corruption is buried underneath all the (valid) reporting about the disinformation campaign. There seems to be a very real media bias in this instance.
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Thank you for stating the obvious fact that the rest of the media has ignored: Biden is corrupt. And, he is so corrupt that he couldn't see foresee that his corruption might become an issue in a presidential campaign.
The Democrats have a number of presidential candidates who are seemingly not corrupt. Hopefully, they will select one of them as their nominee instead of Crooked Joe.
1
+1 on the need for something like a Washington Corrupt Practices act. Except, let's call it the Federal Corrupt Practices act, as it
should also apply to any elected and appointed Federal employee, including the President, Vice President, all cabinet officials and agency heads, other ES-level office holders, and Federal judges, including the Supreme Court.
This officially sanctioned "soft" corruption is exactly what turns off many Americans toward politics and allows creatures Donald Trump to flourish.
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