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Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 6:38 pm
by malchior
There wasn't a great place for this so why not a new thread for a new aspect of this nation going full banana republic. Apparently federal law enforcement agents leaked their personal feelings about the Hunter Biden investigation. The sourcing isn't far from 'US officials' but so much for keeping the politics out with an election in a month. Amazing how prosecution leaks drop from "non-political" law enforcement figures seems to come out at inconvenient times when it'll hurt the Democrats.

WaPo
Federal agents investigating President Biden’s son Hunter have gathered what they believe is sufficient evidence to charge him with tax crimes and a false statement related to a gun purchase, according to people familiar with the case. The next step is for the U.S. Attorney in Delaware, a Trump administration holdover, to decide on whether to file such charges, these people said.

The investigation into Hunter Biden began in 2018, and became a central focus for then-president Donald Trump during his unsuccessful 2020 reelection effort. Initially, the investigation centered around Hunter Biden’s finances related to overseas business ties and consulting work. Over time, investigators with multiple agencies focused closely on whether he did not report all of his income, and whether he lied on gun purchase paperwork in 2018, according to the people familiar with the situation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing case.

Agents determined months ago they had assembled a viable criminal case against the younger Biden. But it is ultimately up to prosecutors at the Justice Department, not agents, to decide whether to file charges in cases where prosecutors believe the evidence is strong enough to lead to a likely conviction at trial.

Given the intense political interest in a criminal probe involving the son of a sitting president, Attorney General Merrick Garland has made clear that the U.S. Attorney in Delaware, David C. Weiss, who was nominated by Trump in late 2017, is supervising the case.

Garland has vowed there will be no political or otherwise improper interference in the Hunter Biden case, and has not moved to push Weiss to make a decision, the people familiar with the matter said. It is not uncommon for Justice Department investigations to take years to finish. Justice Department policy would require any criminal tax charges to be approved by the department’s tax division.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:14 pm
by LawBeefaroni
A park ranger on the National Mall is a "federal agent." Just saying. Plus of course most investigative agentson the case are going to say go for it. That decision is what prosecutors are for.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:54 pm
by UsulofDoom
LawBeefaroni wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:14 pm A park ranger on the National Mall is a "federal agent." Just saying. Plus of course most investigative agentson the case are going to say go for it. That decision is what prosecutors are for.
So park rangers are investigating President Biden’s son? That would be above their pay grade and they should be prosecuted for it.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 11:04 pm
by gbasden
UsulofDoom wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:54 pm
LawBeefaroni wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:14 pm A park ranger on the National Mall is a "federal agent." Just saying. Plus of course most investigative agentson the case are going to say go for it. That decision is what prosecutors are for.
So park rangers are investigating President Biden’s son? That would be above their pay grade and they should be prosicuted for it.
The point is that the current leak is badly sourced. That being said, if they have information that he committed a crime, charge him. The whole point should be that wealthy or connected people are accountable to the law just like everyone else.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2022 11:32 pm
by Jaymann
This just in: they got nuthin'.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2022 6:44 am
by stessier

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2022 7:29 am
by malchior
I didn't see that Fed thread (and he usually pops into my feed!) but his third tweet is what pisses me off about this. We're told FBI agents are non-political and take pride in it. Working pretty hard against that seeming fiction are the episodes like this where some aggrieved agent leaks. In this case, apparently not happy that the Trump appointed prosecutor hasn't moved yet. Still this is a strategically political leak in the middle of an election. And as we have seen the DOJ is very reluctant to do anything about FBI agent misconduct (e.g., the Nassar misconduct). This will almost certainly continue to be a law enforcement abuse of power trend we'll just have to tolerate.


Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2022 4:35 pm
by Alefroth
I guess the right will no longer think the FBI is compromised and should be de-funded.

Re: Politicized federal law enforcement follies

Posted: Fri Oct 07, 2022 4:57 pm
by Holman
One of the reporters on the WaPo story is Devlin Barrett, who was prominent on the Comey/Hillary/FBI beat back in 2016.

Shortly before that election, he reported that Hillary was, according to unnamed sources (which he later identified as disgruntled FBI agents), very likely to be indicted soon.

She was never, in fact, indicted.

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Needless to say, if Hunter Biden did some crimes (and maybe he did), he should be charged and punished.