If any teachers out there are looking for a pristine example of false equivalence in political reporting, but just can't find that perfect specimen, look no further. Perhaps next time a quote from Sean Hannity for the perfect finishing touch?
23
Assuming there was oonsensus in the Obama administration that this Ukraine prosecutor's removal was imperative for the success of his government's anti-corruption efforts, why didn"t Joe Biden suggest that this important "arm-twisting" task needed to be handled by the State Dept. or someone, anyone, else in the administration? Assuming Joe had not discussed with Hunter what he was doing in the Ukraine,
Joe certainly knew what he was doing was commercial and substantially remunerative. It distresses me greatly that Joe missed something so obviously inappropriate.
23
I think Trump is the most corrupt and dangerous president we’ve ever had, however the Bidens stink of malfeasance here as well. Why does Hunter Biden have anything to do with Ukraine? 50k a month to sit on a board of a company in a foreign country?! Go away Joe and take your son with you.
47
Funny New York Times is even writing about this when the current situation is actually taking place right here in our homeland, where the current white house occupant have sought to with corrupt intent lure foreign lobbyist in his hotel right in the nations capital. For an administration that corruption is an integral part of both how he is elected and how appointments were made, and administration that the chief enforcement officer in the Justice department with corrupt intent threw a party at a location well associated with the president. An administration with corrupt intent, the Air force was used as a money making venture to enrich the presidents pockets in Scotland. An administration so corrupt the current vice president with corrupt intent was hosting Another foreign leader at the current occupants resort . This has really got to STOP. Stay on the real issue and don't get hoodwinked. Find the call transcript and we can have a discussion.
11
Well at least you went through the song and dance and pretended interest in the Biden/ Biden dealings with foreign companies and governments.
I'm sure it's all on the up and up if it were Joe Blow not Hunter Biden the situation would have concluded the same. Just because others also wanted the prosecutor removed it was OK for the VP to be involved even though his family had a huge financial interest? ;-)
Isn't Russian an evil empire BTW?
And what about the Biden's dealings in China?
14
Does anyone believe that this particular Biden hit on the part of trump will be the last one? If Biden were to withdraw, the new front runner will then be the recipient of the next trumped up accusation. This will go on until the election and probably afterwards. The main problem is in the way the NY Times is reporting this in that they are giving the charges against Biden equivalent coverage with the outrageous things trump and giuliani are saying. I've read other outlets today. New York Magazine said in the first paragraph, this entire story has been debunked. We saw the way Hillary was pilloried in 2016 by trump and then reported by the New York Times adding fuel to the fire. I have long considered the New York Times to be the #1 news source, but I am wondering now if that is still true. Clean up your act, NY Times.
24
Hunter Biden received as much as $50,000 per MONTH for being a board member of Burisma? For doing what, exactly? is he an expert in oil and gas? Is he an expert in anything? I'm sorry, this sounds identical to what the Trump offspring are up to and yet somehow the Democratic Party is okay with it because it's the son of Joe Biden? It's enough to make one stop voting altogether. This disqualifies Joe Biden for the Democratic nominee, period.
54
"His dismissal had been sought not just by Mr. Biden, but also by others in the Obama administration, as well other Western governments and international lenders. Mr. Shokin had been repeatedly accused of turning a blind eye to corruption in his office and among the Ukrainian political elite, and criticized for failing to bring corruption cases."
No links in this paragraph? No references? Others in the Obama administration? Named others? Or nameless others? If nameless why?
Other western governments and international leaders? What does that even mean? Which (non-Western?) "International Leaders" were "seeking" the dismissal of a Ukrainian prosecutor?
He "had been" "repeatedly accused" in the passive tense by whom?
This is the absolute fulcrum of the whole article, addressing the central and only point of whether Biden acted on his own authority (as he states in his own words in the video) or on the authority of the President, the United States Government and the international community (oddly divided in this article into Western and non-Western leaders).
Considering the centrality of the other actors who all supported dismissal, why does none of them have a name? Other than Hunter Biden's dad?
20
Why is this getting so much coverage. When the Watergate burgerly was discovered did we endlessly ask what did the DNC have to hide?
12
Pretty easy answer here. Vote for Elizabeth Warren and through all these bums out.
20
My goodness, it’s staring you in the face. Biden abused his power, what from the clip produced by the white house.
15
I am astounded that no Democratic candidate other than Biden has called out Trump. This absence of courage is not what I am looking for in a President. This matter has been investigated over and over, especially by the Post's fact checker and no one has found anything. We are talking about a two-term Democratic Vice President, who was awarded the National Medal of Freedom for his work in the Obama Administration.
6
The Shokin dismissal demanded by Joe Biden did not benefit either Biden. If anything, it put Hunter Biden under additional scrutiny. This implemented an anti-corruption drive to strengthen Ukraine.
Trump was not using US gov't financial leverage to help the Ukrainian people or to further US policy. Instead, Trump was using US government resources to benefit himself personally. He was insisting on Ukrainian corruption rather than trying to prevent it.
10
Biden is right: If Trump wants to show that his "beautiful conversation" was innocuous, all he has to do is release the transcript and allow the complaint to move forward. He won't do it. He now claims that it would set a bad precedent to release conversations with foreign leaders. Ah, precedents are now important to Trump!
If Trump thought it was important to investigate Biden for corruption, why didn't the CIA and/or the FBI open up an investigation? Or maybe they did, and maybe nothing was found.
As many readers have pointed out, Trump's beautiful conversation appears to have imitated his imagined complaint against Obama, that the 44th President used the powers of his office for political purposes to harm candidate Trump. Maybe Trump in his naivety believes this is how presidents behave. Unfortunately, he seems to have shattered another precedent.
9
The cesspool that is Washington has paved the way for Trump - he is far more blatant, shameless and crass in his corruption - but plenty of others are cashing in to a different extent.
Nothing is going to change while we finance campaigns the way we do. But even if we had cleaner campaign financing, the nepotism is not going to go away - the politicians will work their networks in favor of their friends and family. The rest of us, no matter how skilled and brilliant, are not going to get $50/K a month board positions in some sketchy company in a former Soviet republic.
We can basically chose between corrupt politicians with other values that seem to agree with us more, and corrupt politicians who have additional values we don't care about.
13
The nexus between American politics and the Ukraine of all places is truly weird. First we learn Trump's guy Manafort was waist deep over there. Then Biden's son Hunter too. And Russia's 2016 interference, we hear, was payback for Hillary's wading into the Ukraine conflict.
Time for a clean slate. No Trump, no Biden, no Clinton. Let's see a fresh face for president this time, someone with 0% ties to the Ukraine.
31
Do I think Joe Biden is guilty of corruption? No, I don’t. But it still looks bad that his son could get paid to be a board member of a utility in Ukraine when his business credentials are sparse to say the least. I would have to say he was trading on his dad’s name. Lights should have gone off in Joe’s head that Hunter’s dabbling in Ukraine would come back to bite him, especially considering the corruption in that country. I really don’t what these people are thinking.
Having said that, there is no equivalency with Trump’s consistently immoral and illegal behavior. It’s too bad he is being aided and abetted by his party and the Justice Department which has become the deeply corrupt state. Washington is rotten to the core and I long for a candidate that offers some solutions to remove the rot. Having a con man screaming “drain the swamp” certainly wasn’t the solution we were looking for. The swamp is deeper than ever and we are seeing a newer kind of critter holding court there.
23
Alas, Joe Biden sees--indeed, is incapable of seeing--anything wrong with his son cashing in to the tune of $50,000 a month on his name and his position in the US government. This is the type of hackery--conducted and condoned on both sides of the political aisle in Washington, DC--that gives meaning to the term "swamp." We see it, the American people see it, but not Joe Biden.
Do you think that you or I could snag a deal to be paid $50,000 a month based on our nuanced, detailed knowledge of Ukraine if we didn't happen fortuitously to be named "Biden"? The fact that the children of Biden and the children of Trump have the same expectations of enrichment based on the fact of nothing more than their being related to rich and/or powerful men tells you all you need to know about what's wrong with America and American politics today.
Puts me in mind of Chelsea Clinton--you know, the Edward R. Murrow of our time--being paid $600,000 a year by NBC News. I'm sure her name had nothing to do with it.
Aren't you glad that such chicanery exists only on the Republican side of the aisle?
90
@Greg Gerner It's more blatant there, what with the kids embezzling from charities and the old man pumping his properties publicly and using his office to get those he dislikes. No comparison, really, but thanks for the insipid "But what about" comment. We know your kind does the best it can, despite its handicaps.
39
@Greg Gerner: Great comment, brilliantly written!Makes u wonder whether Hollywood stars who paid big time to get their kids into top schools are ethically no better no worse than children of politicians who seek to cash in because their name is Biden or Trump or Gore?"Entre parentheses:" Pat McGrady's book was titled "The Youth Doctors,"not the "Love Doctors!"
6
@Greg Gerner as a matter of fact it does exist on both sides...some more than others. line drawn when it abuses my tax dollars. So say goodbye to tillis and trump.....
1
Maybe it is too early in the morning, but, I read this whole story and cannot quite follow the thread of the firing of the individual involved.
Seems like Joe Biden said "fire him".
And he got fired.
Also, although the NY Times asked the question did this help Hunter Biden, they don't answer it but they do say he was getting paid $50K per month.
Quite the salary.
If one of Trump's kids was making $50K per month on the back of an Oligarch, I am pretty sure it would be one month of headlines in NY Times.
55
@Michael Apparently, you only read articles that don't mention the current abuses of power in that family, like nepotism, abuse of the secret service, etc.?
14
@Michael Let's hope someone somewhere gets to the bottom of the 666 5th Ave story. Somehow that building was on the verge of going bankrupt and then it wasn't. The Qatari government was involved. Jared works IN the White House and owns that building. Get to the bottom of that story and it'll put Hunter Biden's 50K in perspective.
15
Really. This gave me s good chuckle. The Trump ‘boys’ are making much more by peddling their father’s position all over the world.
5
Imagine if Trump threatened to withhold U.S. aid until a prosecutor investigating Don, Jr. was fired. Would they report things like there is “no evidence” Trump acted with the “intent” to help his son? This whole episode lays bare the media’s double standard.
31
Except there is NO evidence that Biden did anything wrong. Trump LIES.
7
POTUS if he believes a crime was committed by a US elected official must follow up on this behaviour. Failing to do so would be a disservice to the American people.
5
@Charles Segal as ken says, your statement is kind of funny. REALLY funny, actually.
4
Everyday Trump is in office is a disservice to this country.
7
"Hunter Biden has not been accused of legal wrongdoing related to his work for Burisma, which paid him as much as $50,000 per month in some months for his service on the board of the directors."
Gee why would they possibly pay Hunter BIDEN $50,000 a month. It must be his brilliance. What else could it be ????
17
So Hunter Biden, despite chronic personal troubles not reported in this article but elsewhere, held a chain of government jobs while his daddy was in the Senate and then held a lucrative contract with a private company in the Ukraine for essentially doing nothing while his daddy was Vice President. Nothing to see here.
16
Terrible judgement on the Biden's part. There is a smell to it.
If nothing more than the business as usual dealing is DC. Granted the current temps have taken things to a new level, but the previous administration no drama.
I was leaning your way Joe. Not any more. Fortunately the Democrats have a fine field to choose from.
15
@Rick
Guess you didn't learn anything from Trump's moves in 2016.
Joe isn't the problem -- this president is.
6
Hilarious that the President of the United States has just admitted he sought the help of a foreign nation to dig up dirt on his potential opponent in the next election (a criminal offense) and everyone is parsing whether having a son working in Ukraine and seeking the firing of a prosecutor there, which was the policy of the US and other Western nations as a condition to receive additional loans, is a big deal.
Honestly, Trump really can't call this fake news. He must be absolutely delighted that his crimes are being ignored by certain reporters while a big nothingburger about Biden gains headlines.
You couldn't make it up.
32
Remember that interview in which the, at the time, businessman or should I say entertainer Donald Trump said that his investigators had found incredible things in Hawaii proving that President Obama was not born in the USA. We know the conclusion of that story, Donald Trump admitting that Obama was born in the USA. Well, if you believe his story about Joe Biden, I got a bridge and a few swamps in Florida to sell.
16
I'm somehow expected to believe that the GOP has known about Biden behaving corruptly during the period they controlled both the house and the Senate and they did nothing about it?(in terms of investigation...)
Please...that's ridiculous.
17
Trump is turning this convoluted, slightly unsavory business of Hunter Biden into Joe Biden's equivalent of Hillary's email calumny. A dumb thing warped and twisted and turned back on him. Why didn't Hillary have the sense not to use a private server for public business? Why, oh why, did Hunter Biden not have the common sense and class to stay away from oligarchs? No comparison ethically, politically, in terms of intention to what Trump is doing. Yet this is hard to follow for someone who reads the real news carefully every day. To your average follower of Fox, it's no biggie. More fake news. He'll buy Trump's version. And, much as I respect the NYTimes for this explainer, the prominent placement and length give it the feel of the old earnest false equivalency that fed the Trumped-up outrage over the emails. The danger of falling into Trump's trap is real. The rules don't apply to him, and he has no respect for honorable behavior.
14
It sounds to me like the primary defense of the trump administration is simply "both-sidesism".
I hope the news media doesn't fall for it again. It'squite clear which party has been gaslighting Americans for years (decades?) about...well, EVERYTHING, and which party has simply rolled over and allowed themselves to be steamrolled by their opposition.
9
And yet no one is mentioning Don Jr boasting about Russian money flooding into the Trump organization. I have to tip my hat to the professional illusionist we have in the White House. It looks like the 2020 is the only way to scrape this garbage off our shoes.
18
Typical that the press start talking Biden rather than the criminal in the White House who has confessed he solicited help from a foreign nation to do work against a potential election opponent.
1. Biden told Ukraine to fire the prosecutor but that was the policy consensus view of the US and western nations involved in providing loans to Ukraine.He was carrying out US policy.
2. Biden's son had no conflict in working in Ukraine.
"Hunter told Burisma’s management and other board members that he would not be involved in any matters that were connected to the U.S. government or to his father. Kwaśniewski told me, “We never discussed how the Vice-President can help us. Frankly speaking, we didn’t need such help.”"
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign
THE END
7
Why is it permissible for U.S. politicians to be messing around in the internal politics of other countries? Both Biden and McCain seemed to be involved in such activities in the Ukraine. The U.S. doesn't like external interference, and rightly so, but seems willing to overlook it when they are involved in it. It is also apparent. to me at least, that such involvement, whether by the U.S. or others, accomplishes nothing but breeds chaos and dissension in the targeted country. This seems a much bigger and more relevant issue than this event involving Trump.
12
@ME
Just for the record.
Canada does its own fair share of "messing around in the internal politics of other countries".
How else do you explain its $15 BILLION arms deal with Saudi Arabia?
4
@N. Smith
Well I wouldn't condone it but then again making a picayune trade deal, when compared to the U.S. arms deals with Saudi Arabia, is not messing around in the internal politics of the country. If we refused to do trade deals with Saudi Arabia until the government was something we liked, that would be. In general it would probably be best for everybody not to sell their military weapons to other countries and it is too bad that the previous Harper government made that deal.
We the People and the press need to stop letting Trump gaslight us.
Trump is now trying to get on the record and behind him that he used his position as President to pressure a foreign leader for his personal gain, which undermined US interests by aiding Russia. Having admitted the call with Zelensky, Trump immediately and repeatedly pivoted the presses attention to a false claim of corruption by Biden.
Trump will continue to make this false claim as long as Biden is his political opponent. Every time he makes that false claim, journalists should call him out, state that there is no evidence to support his claim and report that in the media.
Trump has become emboldened to lie, cheat, engage in corruption and now try to throw a second election because journalists and Congress have been timid about questioning his lies.
Nancy, whatever strategy you've been pursuing to contain Trump hasn't worked. Trump has committed impeachable offenses in Ukraine - attempted extortion, conspiracy and violation of his oath of office. You should support impeachment now! If you don't, he will be emboldened to do more.
16
Yikes. Is it possible this is a big game on Trump’s part (more likely Giuliani...maybe Koch...) to try and catch him when in fact there is no smoking gun? GOP is effective at long range strategy to get what they want. And even if Trump’s out, would voters turn from Biden to Pence. I hope I am so wrong.
1
When Trump admitted so quickly that he was talking to Ukraine about Biden, he made the calculus that this was worse for Joe than for him. It usually takes more time to go from I didn’t do it, to, it’s ok if I did. The Bidens look really bad here. Joe’s too old, half crazy, and now this. Warren should be the candidate, I’d prefer Klobuchar but she has a lot of ground to make up. Hopefully Warren’s views on fracking won’t cost her Pennsylvania and eliminating private health insurance won’t cost her Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina. But Joe’s gotta go.
8
@John, interesting you can make all these connections and what to do about it...but you utterly fail to make the same or similar connections for trump and the resolution to him accountable. Hopefully trump's views on everything (it seems like) based on his record and who government actually works for will cost MI, WI,PA, AZ, and NC...don't hold your breathe on FL...too much time in all that sunshine to see through the lies, gaslighting, and hypocrisy.
2
@John, stop carrying Trump's water by pretending there is anything to his accusations against Biden. I prefer Warren as well, but I find liberals aiding Trump in diverting attention from his illegal acts to be reprehensible.
8
@GeorgeP, diverting attention? We can hold multiple thoughts in our heads simultaneously. I’m not going to put blinders on until Trump is impeached and convicted. I’ll happily celebrate with you, if we should be so lucky. This is what got us into trouble in 2016. Trump’s disgusting behavior with women was mitigated by the thought of Bill Clinton in the White House. Now, is corruption going to be off the table because Hunter Biden was making 50,000 a month in Ukraine. We need a candidate that’s unassailable. Am I permitted to ask why Hunter Biden was hired by this Ukrainian company? I’m sorry but it doesn’t feel right to me, and I know it pales in comparison to the fact that every fiber of Trump’s being is corrupt.
8
Here we go again. At this point, it's hard not to expect anything else from Donald Trump with his "the-Devil-made-me-do-it" excuse for this recent indiscretion.
After all, it's always easier to blame someone else and then play the victim.
Except that we have seen this script before and way too often, and it always seems to come into play when he feels like he's not "winning".
The security of the country, and the sanctity of the U.S. Constitution has nothing to do with it.
And no doubt Mr. Trump feels emboldened after surrounding himself with yes-men and maintaining a strangle-hold on the Republican Senate, Justice Department and the Supreme Court -- everything a politician needs to turn an free and democratic society into an authoritarian dictatorship.
Wake-up, AMERICA.
We're on our way to becoming one.
13
Trump better watch out since his base and other single-issue voters may find a hint of wrongdoing by Biden (if true or not) very attractive!
1
@TalkToThePaw and still find no hint of wrongdoing - true or not for their boy.
2
It’s unfortunate that Hunter Biden chose to use his family name and connections to bring down $50K a month with corrupt oligarchs rather than using it in support of one of the many good causes to advance justice.
14
@Ann Mellow, which means what about Trump's outrageous illegal conduct?
3
@Ann Mellow just as it's unfortunate the entire trump family continues to use their position to benefit family first and the American taxpayer second.
6
Apparently, being the son of an important person helps with one's career. From this we are to find Biden worse than Trump's openly criminal sons who trade on his name to profit themselves and his businesses and who use charities to fund decorating their homes, etc.? Wow, what a scandal.
On the other hand, do we really need more of the same, lite? How about someone who is public spirited for president. Not in it to make a buck? What a change that would be. McConnell won't like that though. No money in honesty and integrity and succeeding on merit instead of Pop's (Mom's) connections, or using power to enrich themselves, like is what politicians do to us these days. Bah! Humbugs!
8
and has joe done something hundreds of politicians and their families have not done since this country was founded?
i find this much less concerning than the current occupant, who made grift a family business run out of the WH. You can't have it both ways MI...you are either with trump and ignore his shad, gaslighting, grifting ways or you condemn the sitting president and the former vice president. smells like hypocrisy to me.
2
Numerous times you stated that Mr. Biden did not “intentionally,” help his son. When your son is working for a criminal, and being paid $50,000 per month (at times) and you (Mr. Biden), make it clear the United States government will withhold $1 Billion dollars in aid unless the Ukrainian government gets rid of the prosecutor who is investigating the company owned by a criminal that your son works for, you still helped your son, whether intentionally or not. Not to even mention, just why was your son working for a criminal? What Biden and Obama did was no different than what trump may have done. And believe me, I HATE trump with a passion.
Hunter Biden is an unethical and immoral individual, and he more than likely learned that behavior from his father.
I am a liberal, progressive, democratic voter and this is another reason of many of why I do not support Joe Biden. All of his supporters are no different than trump supporters, excusing the horrible person for what they can get out of it.
Joe Biden helped his criminal son (at the very least; criminal by association), whether intentionally or not. Joe Biden represents the corrupt establishment of the old guard of the Democratic Party, the ones who need to be ousted by real life people who are for real life, everyday day, Americans.
17
Couldn't quite put it into words until now, but I think you read my mind, because you've just articulated the bad taste left in my mouth by Joe Biden @David Parchert
6
"When Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma, he had no experience in Ukraine. Burisma, which paid him as much as $50,000 per month in some months for his service on the board of the directors." What for? For influence. And who could he influence? Putin? Isn't it obvious but the Times doesn't think so. "None is righteous, no, not one"
13
The NYT says Biden did not intentionally use his position in government to influence Ukraine.
The you quote this: “I said: ‘We’re leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor’s not fired, you’re not getting the money,’”
That sounds pretty intentional to me.
If it tell the kids, ‘if you do not do your homework, you’re not getting ice cream’, I am not hinting at anything, I mean what I said.
Biden said those words. You cannot say he did not intentionally mean what he said. And if he did, then what kind of a president is he going to be?
Also this trend of getting jobs for Junior is quite disturbing. What’s the deal?
Seems that what he meant was, ‘If you do not fire the guy and help my son, the country will withhold aid’.
I can tell you, day one he hits the WH this scandal will blow up until his last day in office.
Sorry Joe, this issue is far from gone, this will dog you to the end.
14
@AutumnLeaf and how is that worse or different than what we have experienced, seen, and heard over the last 32 months? And that is just the stuff he isn't hiding behind his "privilege".
6
@AutumnLeaf
But NOTHING will dog this country like Donald Trump's ineptitudes, and for a long time after he's gone...which can't come soon enough.
4
Sounds malicious and reckless to me. If I were representing Biden, I'd advise him to immediately sue Guliani.
12
@Daniel F. Solomon Sue him for what? Establishing a statement as truthful is an absolute defense to a claim of defamation. Or do you believe Biden is such an angel that there is no possibility of misconduct on his part?
6
@ATF
If you believe Rudy Giuliani's word about anything, you're missing the bigger picture --and just about everyone in NYC knows it.
3
@ATF
Guliani cannot tolerate discovery.
He publicly stated he was: “not meddling in an election, we’re meddling in an investigation.”
Biden is a putative opponent of Guliani's client.
At a minimum this violates the FEC regulations. Also the Logan Act (1 Stat. 613, 18 U.S.C. § 953, enacted January 30, 1799) criminalizes negotiation by unauthorized persons with foreign governments.
He admitted that he was seeking incriminating materials but that he came up with zilch on CNN. He alleged that his sources are on the internet, but he has borscht.
Who paid for the trips to the Ukraine? The FBI should find every person he contacted and provide Biden with an affidavit from each regarding what he was seeking.
Did he offer to pay for testimony?
He is no longer an attorney. He is now a party.
1
Though Joe Biden has been cleared of any wrongdoing, Trump has successfully cast aspersions on him now to the general public. When the call transcript is ultimately made public and Trump faces impeachment, he'll likely use 'the Joe defense' and say he didn't do anything Biden didn't do as well with regard to holding up funding for Ukraine.
Politics is a dirty game, but we will have sunk to new lows if we don't call Trump on this one. And Hunter Biden is the gift that keeps on giving; what a burden for his father.
19
@meg all the more reason to move away from Joe. I read the New Yorker article last July and it recounts several things about Hunter that, while not technically illegal, are unsavory. The last thing the Dems need to do is nominate someone who the public can plausibly say “oh they’re all corrupt.” I’ve felt all along that Biden would start to whither as the primaries got closer. Warren is now leading in Iowa and she and Bernie are nipping at Joe’s heels in New Hampshire. Only a matter of time before he withdraws.
1
The policeman plays every role - policing and criminal. Trumpian style obscuring maneuvers. I won't be voting for Trump or Biden.
6
Wasn't all this at the time of George's interview with trump and trump proudly said he would gladly use any foreign assistance to win the election and wouldn't tell the FBI?
15
My response to what is here reported about the career of Hunter Biden makes me think that the former vice president was incautious in allowing his son to play the field of international finance so freely.
That sort of serial indiscretion was certain to lead to suspicions of impropriety.
It appears that Hunter Biden repeated this behavior compulsively. If so, his career smacks of money-grubbing.
I'm aware that Joe Biden is a deeply supportive husband and father with terribly tragic events in his past, but I can't be certain that he knows where to draw the line on his surviving offspring.
The former vice-president has long been undisciplined in his 'hands-on' approach to women. Did other indiscretions creep into his public career?
With 'old-school' written all over him, Biden is not the man for this extremely critical moment in human history. Let's try someone clean with lots of plans, okay? It would also be nice if she owned a big handsome dog that she obviously loves more than money.
77
@Larry Hedrick so Joe Biden is responsible for the conduct of his adult son? Being involved in your children’s lives doesn’t mean you can control them. Joe Biden and international leaders’ actions lead to a more in-depth investigation into the board.
15
@Bridget Yeah, Hunter got those jobs on his own and without any thoughts of his Dad. Please. It's too late for such delusions to infect both sides of the aisle.
Democrats either want "better" than what e have now, or they just make noise. Which is it?
18
@Bridget throughout Hunter’s adult life he has traded on the family name to move, not ahead, but laterally. According the New Yorker article, Joe would blithely excuse any hint of impropriety on his son’s part. As someone noted above, people are turned off by the old school way of doing things. Joe’s time is up.
11
Trump had always put “winning” ahead of any other goal, or principal.
Whether it is through bankruptcy, lying, cheating, betraying anyone, immorality, or criminality, “winning” comes first
Of course “winning” to Trump means getting what he personally wants.
This election will be the most public referendum on Trump being a “winner” or a “loser” as one term presidents are most remembered for just that - not being able to win a second term.
So the evangelical right will have to see how much they can take from Trump and still try to claim the righteous high ground.
9
Even if there's no "wrong doing" here, the perception of "wrong doing" should be avoided at all times. Mr. Biden Jr. appears to have had nothing to add to the company who was paying him a hefty monthly fee to be on its board of directors. The young lobbyist had neither the education nor the experience to add something of value to a natural gas business in the Ukraine. The only logical explanation for Biden Jr. having been bestowed his remunerative position is that his father was vice-president of the United States. Given the reports which have been published which assert that the Obama administration had concerns about the junior Biden's membership on the board of the Ukrainian company, we might rightfully wonder if somewhere in the mix of reasons why the former president didn't encourage his vice president to seek the nomination to replace him this clearly bothersome issue entered into his calculus.
55
@Daniel K. Statnekov
"Perception of wrongdoing" is SUCH an outdated concept.
2
If there is evidence that Trump tried to use his Office as President to gain advantage in the 2020 Presidential election then he should be impeached, pure and simple. Lawlessness cannot be condoned.
If there is evidence that Biden, when Vice President, used his office to gain preferential advantage for his son in Ukraine then he should be considered ineligible to run for President, pure and simple. Lawlessness cannot be condoned.
If we are now talking about the need for evidence before judgement, then the USA has made a Great Leap Forward. This is very welcome – after the Russiagate farce.
26
We wonder why we have interference in our elections...maybe it's because we have so many politically tied Americans being paid by foreign governments. Democrats need to cowboy up and impeach Trump; while they're at it, Biden needs to step down. It's time to cleanup our political world...the tainting of America is not acceptable.
35
If Biden is guilty of something, does that make Trump innocent of everything?
74
No. But it makes Elizabeth Warren president.
7
No. But it makes Elizabeth Warren president.
2
And no evidence has surfaced that the Bidens flew to the moon and back. One could write a very long article about things there is no evidence for.
38
@kgeographer
Your comment is perfection.
5
If Biden withdraws from the campaign or sinks in the polls, the Democrats can pursue the whistle blower complaint with vigor. As long as Biden is a contender for the Democrats' presidential nomination the Democrats will not push this. If Biden does get the nomination Trump will easily be reelected. If Biden truly wants to protect his family and truly wants to rid the country of Trump he should withdraw.
32
"Mr. Shokin was using the threat of prosecution to try to solicit bribes"
"This year, though, Mr. Lutsenko’s office moved to restart scrutiny" . . . instead of demanding bribes like the last guy.
So both new and old politicians in Ukraine agree this guys was committing crimes. The only difference is that the first guy used that to go for a bribe, while the new guy is actually prosecuting him.
So Biden's threat, “I said: ‘We’re leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor’s not fired, you’re not getting the money,’” Mr. Biden recounted at a 2018 event" saved the guy his son worked for, for a couple of years, until the same problems came up again.
If that's not flames, it is a lot of smoke.
Such smoke out of Ukraine rightly got Paul Manafort a very hard look. So why do the Democrats refuse to look now?
When it is one of their own, he must be like the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz, running in circles actually in flames, before they notice a fire.
This report does not make Biden and Son look like Mr. Clean and Son. They look a lot like Paul Manafort as the evidence began to be found, the smoke streaming out all around.
Is this what Democrats want to run against Trump? "He's more in flames than we are, so far?"
56
Mark unlike Republicans that are stuck with criminal Trump Democrats have not even decided who will be the nominee, this is all about the polls showing Biden beats a Trump like a drum.
But then again every potential nominee does the same. Mark If the eventual democratic nominee stood on stage and said "hey world leaders out there you all have incredible dirt on Trump share with me and you will be rewarded when I'm elected " you'd be fine with that right, in fact encourage right?
13
@Mark Thomason
From this same NY Times:
"The United States and other Western nations had for months called for the ousting of Mr. Shokin, who was widely criticized for turning a blind eye to corrupt practices and for defending the interests of a venal and entrenched elite."
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/30/world/europe/political-stability-in-the-balance-as-ukraine-ousts-top-prosecutor.html
7
We don't need another apparently conflicted candidate running againstTrump. Withdraw Joe. Time to retire.
102
We seem to have a dual standard of when an investigation is warranted. In some cases, all we need is someone to make an allegation. In other cases, we demand hard "evidence".
The allegation involves someone who was holding the office of Vice President. There is no dispute that his son was working on behalf of Ukrainian interests. Did he have this position because it was inferred that his father's position in the US Government gave the son unique influence on behalf of his client's interests?
Again, it appears that what is necessary to get a full blown investigation going depends on who is to be investigated.
27
Hunter Biden has a habit of parachuting into far-flung places, just ahead of his father's arrival. Sometimes they traveled on the same U.S. government plane.
Joe Biden was the VP of the United States, Hunter merely his offspring. While Dad plays politician, Hunter meets high ranking individuals and finds himself being handed gobs of money.
Quite a rebound after being booted out of the Navy for cocaine use.
Joe Biden claims he never spoke to his son about such things. Personally, I find that hard to believe. It becomes almost comical that they seem to find themselves doing business with the same countries over and over again, by mere coincidence, while claiming neither one is aware of the others itinerary.
The Trump children have taken grifting to a new level. I couldn't help but wonder if Trump's trip to Houston today to meet Modi was merely to further talks for lucrative real estate deals his children are pursuing in India.
But Democrats, if honest with themselves, will not ignore or dismiss this type of corruption just because it's their own family.
The Bidens may not have broken any laws, but they most certainly violated the public trust. For me, that is disqualifying.
124
@galavanter
Nonsense. There is no there there. Biden being Vice president in no way helped Burisma other than adding prestige to the company's board because his son worked for them. Hunter was involved with corporate structuring and internal issues not directly related to the fact that the company was in Ukraine or in the gas business.
4
Why are you talking about Biden? Trump tried to force a foreign power to attack him political opponents in exchange for US aid.....
7
@galavanter
Democrats cannot afford to ignore this. It is blatantly wrong and unacceptable behavior by father & son. How else could Hunter have gotten the lucrative deal without clinging to the shirt tails of his father. If we are to vote trump out of office we need a squeaky clean opponent. Joe is not that opponent. Please, let's finally drain and clean the swamp.
25
Hunter Biden has a habit of parachuting into far-flung places, just ahead of his father's arrival. Sometimes they traveled on the same U.S. government plane.
Joe Biden was the VP of the United States, Hunter merely his offspring. While Dad plays politician, Hunter meets high ranking individuals and finds himself being handed gobs of money.
Quite a rebound after being booted out of the Navy for cocaine use.
Joe Biden claims he never spoke to his son about such things. Personally, I find that hard to believe. It becomes almost comical that they seem to find themselves doing business with the same countries over and over again, by mere coincidence, while claiming neither one is aware of the others itinerary.
The Trump children have taken grifting to a new level. I couldn't help but wonder if Trump's trip to Houston today to meet Modi was merely to further talks for lucrative real estate deals his children are pursuing in India.
But Democrats, if honest with themselves, will not ignore or dismiss this type of corruption just because it's their own family.
The Bidens may not have broken any laws, but they most certainly violated the public trust. For me, that is disqualifying.
5
I have never been discharged from the military nor failed a drug test. I have no qualifications whatsoever to sit on a corrupt energy board but I will be happy to accept tens of thousands each month.
42
@Charlie
Maybe get the facts first:
Hunter told Burisma’s management and other board members that he would not be involved in any matters that were connected to the U.S. government or to his father. Kwaśniewski told me, “We never discussed how the Vice-President can help us. Frankly speaking, we didn’t need such help.”
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/08/will-hunter-biden-jeopardize-his-fathers-campaign
1
Foreign aid given by the US to various countries gets little follow-up accounting after the money is awarded. The US aid is in part is responsible for the billions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts of many prominent politicians in the recipient countries.
One does not need to look any farther than Pakistan and India to see how US money has fattened corrupt politicians of the ilk of Sonya Gandhi, Pervez Musharraf and Imran Khan.
Ukraine is no exception.
The congress people and the media should follow the money to see how corrupt politicians enrich on the back of US taxpayers.
40
I would like to know if Hunter was qualified to hold what
kind of position and what his return on investment to the
energy company was.
I do not want Mr. Trump to be elected to another term,
however, until more facts come out, this just does not
smell right.
38
Nothing “President” Trump says has ever smelled right. Why do Americans look at the conversational mouse food he throws on the floor and allow themselves the distraction of doubt to hint that he’s anything but an 8-year old? He’s incrementally killing America for his personal profit.
1
I'm mystified here.
"Trump is trying to deflect attention from a firestorm of controversy around revelations that he pressed Ukraine’s leader to investigate a domestic political rival."
First of all, there's not really any "firestorm." The NYT wishes there were, and thinks there should be, but there's not.
On the substance, I see nothing wrong with a US President pressing a foreign leader to investigate a political opponent. What, exactly, is wrong with that? It's not appropriate for a President to adopt a foreign policy decision base on what's best for that President, but I've seen no evidence at all that that is what happened here -- plenty of allegations, but no evidence.
If Trump had really done what he's accused of doing -- telling Ukrainian President Zelensky that he'd order the resumption of US military aid if Zelensky would agree to investigate Biden -- he'd at least make sure that Zelensky was aware that US military aid had been suspended. By all accounts, though, Zelensky was not even aware of this.
Maybe Trump actually believes that the US should not help the Ukrainian government in its war against Russia in eastern Ukraine. If so, I happen to agree with that position, and I'll wager that most Americans agree. If Trump nevertheless is willing to provide military aid to Ukraine if Ukraine starts doing what Trump would like it to do -- investigate Biden -- that's clearly wrong. But there's no evidence at all that that's what happened.
9
@Commenter
So are you saying that Putin or Ukraine or Macron or whoever else should be able to determine the outcome of America’s elections and in consequence our governmental institutions? That seems to me like a gross violation of American sovereignty. Maybe this all stems from the inherent shadiness of lobbying which I see as a bipartisan domestic version of the hated Clinton Foundation.
2
Why was Vice President Biden involved in recommending the removal of the prosecutor in the first place - particularly since it seemed to further his son’s business interests.
Did VP Biden make similar direct requests for personnel changes in Ukraine or any other country for that matter. What did this prosecutor allegedly do to warrant a request for removal. Seems very odd and is not addressed at all in this piece.
13
@Nyalman. Apparently a lot of people around the world were interested in Ukraine removing that prosecutor. I agree, Hunter B taking the job in Ukraine in the first place looks fishy and improper, but whether his father had much if any role in the getting the man removed looks unlikely. Nevertheless, if my choice in 2020 comes down to a man who might have strong-armed the Ukrainians into getting rid of a prosecutor or a man who admits talking to the Ukrainians about his political rival to help himself get elected, I'll take the former rather than the latter.
17
@Brookhawk Most Times readers, me included, would vote for almost anyone to get Trump out of office. But this doesn’t smell good, and the money trail is bad. Biden won’t be able to remove himself from the campaign. He wants too badly to be the one who saves the country. We who have supported him need to withdraw that support now, so someone else can take the mantle and build up steam for the real fight next summer.
11