The New York Times reports that Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt privately recorded his intentions to give Donald Trump money in order to advance his business interests in the United States. Pratt wrote, “If Potus is having his election party at mar Lago I’ll book as many rooms as available,” because doing so would not only help Trump win the election but also “be good for business.”

The Times reports that, according to witness testimony to federal prosecutors, Pratt “spent $1 million to attend the party, well in excess of the normal charge.” That is to say, Pratt was not merely indulging himself in amenities offered by Trump’s private club but consciously using those payments as a vehicle to pay Trump directly.

While there is no evidence this alleged scheme violates any criminal statute, the colloquial term for this behavior is bribery.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are continuing to circulate allegations that President Biden was connected to his son Hunter’s influence-peddling business. Representative James Comer has made a series of uncorroborated allegations that the conservative media have uncritically promoted, insinuating that Joe Biden personally benefited from his son’s business. Republicans have produced communications between Hunter Biden and his father, which might be expected between a father and a son, but no clear evidence that Joe Biden received any payments stemming from Hunter’s work.

They are attempting, so far without success, to show Biden did what Donald Trump is proven to have done.

  • cricket97@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    two things can be true at once. left sweeps bidens shady dealings under the rug, right sweeps trumps shady dealings under the rug. you really can’t deny that hunter biden working at Burisma and the emails showing him promising calls with his father to business associates isn’t sketchy.

    • spaceghoti@lemmy.oneOP
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      1 year ago

      “Enlightened centrism” once again appears to promote right wing agendas.

      You are seen and recognized.

      • cricket97@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m just a bit sick of everyone pretending like Biden is squeaky clean. You have your own agenda which results in you defending the establishment

        • spaceghoti@lemmy.oneOP
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          1 year ago

          Zero people have defended Biden. I have myself declared that if it turns out that this is actionable then he should be prosecuted. I will bet you any amount of money that House Republicans and the DOJ will find nothing actionable, just like the last thirty times they launched investigations into Democrats.

          So do us a favor and stop pretending you’re morally outraged. You didn’t give a shit about many public examples of corruption in the Trump administration, you’re not going to bring up his felony indictments, and you won’t admit it when Biden is cleared of any malfeasance. You’re just here to sling mud and pretend “both sides are the same” like a good sower of disinformation. We see you. We know who you are. You will not hear from me again.

          • cricket97@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            You seem a bit too paranoid, I’m just a dude giving my opinion. This whole article is defending Biden. But “no one is defending Biden” give me a break, read the fucking comments of your own post.

    • frezik@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      The left that I know would be perfectly happy if Biden went away. By all means, if there’s evidence, convict him. If not, then we can all move on. Those of us who do vote for him only do it because we know what happens when Republicans are in charge, and it’s much worse than Biden.

      • cricket97@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        How is anyone supposed to convict him? Are you seriously arguing that every single crime that has evidence is convicted upon?

        Those of us who do vote for him only do it because we know what happens when Republicans are in charge, and it’s much worse than Biden.

        I accept this view as valid. But what I don’t accept is people flip flopping from this view and defending Biden from substantive criticism.

        https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-66368126

        • frezik@midwest.social
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          1 year ago

          Well, you could start by gathering evidence and presenting it in a court of law. I don’t know why you think that’s an unseemly burden.

    • prole@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Hunter Biden is not an elected official! Who cares what he does in his free time? Jesus fucking Christ.

        • prole@sh.itjust.works
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          1 year ago

          Years later and y’all are still desperately grasping at straws. Keep trying, one of these days something will stick for sure!

          Gotta love the open and blatant hypocrisy of Republicans here. The Venn diagram of people who care about Hunter Biden, and people who criticized Trump/Ivanka/Kushner for open influence peddling (including copyrights from China for Ivanka, and literally billions of dollars in unexplained income from the Saudis for Jared) is two separate circles with no overlap.

          Just completely incapable of applying the same standard when the shoe is on the other foot. Actually, a much higher standard.

          Jared Kushner was a government official (even though he shouldn’t have been, for literally this exact reason: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/437292-kushners-security-clearance-was-denied-due-to-concerns-of-foreign/) and we know he mysteriously received billions of dollars from the Saudi government.

          Nobody gave a shit.

      • cricket97@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Quid pro quo is illegal, just hard to prosecute since powerful people are careful to not leave traces

        • frezik@midwest.social
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          1 year ago

          Did you give McDonald’s money in exchange for a burger? You’re guilty of quid pro quo.

          Words have meaning, and quid pro quo is not inherently illegal.

          • cricket97@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Uhh i’m obviously talking about in the context of politics. I know you think you said something smart but you didn’t.

            • frezik@midwest.social
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              1 year ago

              And it still doesn’t matter. No matter if you or I think it should be otherwise, bribery laws are quite narrow in this country.

          • cricket97@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            What kind of nonsense pedantry is this? Do you not think it’s wrong to do political favors for those who help out your sons business dealings?

            • prole@sh.itjust.works
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              1 year ago

              Do you not think it’s wrong to do political favors for those who help out your sons business dealings?

              Where is the proof? Been years now, and I’ve seen nothing but Hunter hanging dong.

              The fact that you’re still here arguing the talking points kind of detracts from the whole, “I’m just a normal guy asking questions” bit. If that were at all true, any number of the correct answers provided to you would be more than enough. Yet here you still are, just coincidentally using right wing talking points word for word.