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.
Yes, no, maybe. It’s enough to investigate further.
Part of the problem is that bribery statues are extremely narrow. Merely getting “access” to a politician happens all the time to representatives from both parties. Biden probably didn’t do anything legally wrong, or even all that out of place in Washington politics.
It is, however, troubling in a much broader sense than the law as written. Just not in a way any Republican would want to open up, because as soon as they do, literally all of them are guilty.
accurate as to how things work, for sure. we allow a lot of legal bribery. why? because concresss wants it, so they passed laws to allow it. their wealthy doners, aka the american oligarchy, want it even more.