Jul.21

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Grassley Releases Hunter Biden "Dirt"

We are reluctant to even write this item, since it's been clear for a while that there is no "there," there. Nonetheless, it's pretty big news, and there may be at least one more chapter in the story, so we will note that Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) yesterday released a lightly redacted version of the FD-1023 form that supposedly reveals that Hunter Biden, and by extension Joe Biden, are guilty of all manner of corruption. You can read it here, if you wish.

The Senator, and his House sidekick Rep. James Comer (R-KY), said it is important for the American people to be able to read the document for themselves and to reach their own conclusions. Consistent with the purpose of the FD-1023, which is to ingest information in whatever order it's offered up, and to get it all down on paper, the document is not especially easy to read. We doubt that all that many people will be able to get through it, and to parse it all.

That said, we read it and parsed it, and we will note the following:

• It's just one person's account of events
• The source, name redacted, was recalling things that were then 4-5 years old, and are now 7-8 years old
• The source claims that there are recordings, held by Burisma CEO Mykola Zlochevsky, that back up his claims
• The source did not personally witness corrupt behavior, and merely assumed that such behavior had taken place based on things he heard from the grapevine

In short, there is no way that a federal criminal case would proceed based on this particular evidence. If the FBI could lay hand on the alleged recordings, or if it could otherwise corroborate the claims, then maybe. But the FBI looked into the matter, didn't come up with anything, and so closed the case.

We note that there might be one more chapter in this little drama. U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who has been handling the Hunter Biden investigation, has been unwilling to talk to Congress, because Department of Justice policy prohibits staff from commenting when an investigation is ongoing. Assuming Hunter Biden's plea deal is completed next week, as scheduled, then Weiss will no longer be constrained, and has said he's happy to head to Capitol Hill for a chat. Maybe Comer and/or Grassley will take Weiss up on the offer. On the other hand, given that Weiss is unlikely to say anything other than "there just wasn't that much stuff there, which is why Biden got a relatively minor sentence," maybe Weiss won't get an invitation after all. (Z)