On that score, it seems painfully clear to me that – in addition to every other aspect of their tribalism and disingenuousness – those on the right who buy this shit are blissfully unaware of what a Board of Directors is and does.
What do they do? I’m likewise ignorant.
Here’s a pretty good ‘official’ answer as to roles and responsibilities:
But unofficially, they’re quite often chosen for who they know at least as much as what they know.*
If you can get somebody who is very important to your business on the phone (ie, that high-level industry or government person will take your calls), you may be of immense value to any number of concerns, and the amount you are paid will reflect that.
*Granted, the majority of the time, they probably made those connections through real-world experience, knowledge, training, acumen, and the like. But a Hunter Biden making $50k/month to be on the Board of a Ukrainian energy company should come as no surprise to anybody who understands the Board of Directors game.
ETA: you’re also highly valued as a BoD member if your Rolodex includes well-heeled and appropriate investors. Attracting funding is often a big part of Board membership.
I wonder if Biden will ever do anything extravagant with those ill gotten gains. He really (imo) doesn’t seem to be the type to flaunt his wealth.
I think it would be fair to say that Hunter Biden isn’t really pinching pennies right now:
Hunter Biden, who is under federal investigation for his foreign business dealings, has been staying in Malibu throughout his father’s presidency, spending $20,000 of his own wealth each month to rent out a mansion, according to the report. The Secret Service, the agency responsible for protecting the president and his family, spends even more money per month on a mansion nearby to protect him.
Yes, and generally, whatever the GOP* hate machine accuses a Dem of doing, it is because they have done it themselves. Voter Fraud? “Well, we’re doing it, so the Dems must be doing it BIGGER!” 
I am waiting for someone to find a pedo ring under a restaurant run by some right wing nutsos.
- Not all Republicans are that way. But enough of the leadership is.
The Washington Post has an article out today regarding possible charges being levied against Hunter Biden.
Tweet thread followed by (likely) paywalled article:
- Has nothing to do with his laptop.
- Is by the same reporter who claimed that Matt Gaetz would not be charged, though none of his sources were from law enforcement.
Regardless, here’s the thing: IMHO, the DOJ should indict Hunter on the same day they indict Trump. Would definitely confuse a lot of easily angered people, I think.
Okay then. If there’s actual substantive evidence of crime, then investigate away. It would certainly make a nice change from “Arrest Hunter because of, you know, reasons. Also: the laptop!”.
If it can be destroyed by the truth, let it be destroyed by the truth.
Well, at least they’ll still have “B-b-b-b-but…his laptop!”
Perhaps the laptop was illegally modified into a firearm? They can still dream…
This was brought up in the Matt Gaetz thread (by you)…
This is a Devlin Barrett, “Sources close to the investigation say,” article. Those have turned out to be pretty flawed in the past. He seems to be the go to guy when folks on the right want something to make the news.
It could in fact be the same guy who told him both that Gaetz wouldn’t be charged as Hunter Biden would be charged.
That said, if there is evidence Hunter broke the law, indict and prosecute. No one is above the law.
(Delaware AG) Weiss (appointed by TFG to look into Hunter Biden, and then kept on by Biden) has basically intimated that he’s looking at tax and firearms issues on the part of Hunter.
For a number of months now.
And … yeah … count me in the Who Fucking Cares/So Fucking What camps.
Giuliani had the laptop’s hard drive (contents) for a very long time. And since Giuliani has no compunction about flat-out lying when it serves his client’s political needs, my gut tells me that – if there had been anything of substance on the Hunter Biden laptop – we’d know all there is to know about it by now.
Chain of Custody and technical issues notwithstanding.
Yeah, it is very short of source for WaPo.
Well, depends if said law is something normal people are normally indicted for . Tax Fraud is often a Civil charge, not Criminal. Lying on a form is rarely prosecuted.
If he committed Tax fraud, generally you just have to pay the tax plus huge penalties. The exceptions are those that refuse to admit they owe that tax, and really outrageous violations.
I believe the difference between this and the other story is that this one cites a source on the law enforcement side, not a generic “source close to the investigation”.
Harry Litman, a former US Attorney, explains it better than I:
Correction: US Attorney for the District of Delaware.
The only entity that can say whether there exists sufficient evidence to charge is the grand jury. Whichever individual leaked this violated the law by doing so, since grand jury proceedings are secret.
If the grand jury indicts, then we’ll have something to discuss. Until then, it’s just a pretty suspicious illegal leak.
Here’s a Marcy Wheeler’s Twitter thread (unrolled) about Devlin Barrett and the FBI: Thread Reader App
It starts with:
BREAKING: Devlin Barrett gets a leak intended to alter the election weeks before an election again.
And ends with:
Anyway, congratulations to Devlin for getting the same fucking semiannual scoop. Keeps you in the business, right?!?!
But people READING his scoop should know the very particular role he plays in the FBI leak ecosystem.
The whole thing is worth a read.
This particular story may be 100% accurate, but Devlin Barrett has a history of being used by the ‘FBI’ to influence elections.
Both of things can be true. We know for sure the second one is.
Why is this guy still in office? It’s traditional for a new President to ask for the resignation of all U.S. Attorneys at the start of his Administration so he can appoint people more in line with the Administration’s priorities. Own goal by Biden here.
That’s a good question. My best guess would be that Biden – having talked about trying to avoid even the appearance of impropriety – decided that the optics of firing the guy tasked with looking into his own son might be poor:
Sounds like Durham was a comparable decision.
Yeah, I assumed this was typical Democratic “I have to let this guy keep kicking me in the nuts because it might look bad if I make him stop” anxiety, but on closer examination it looks like Weiss has a good reputation and was supported by Delaware’s Democratic Senators when he was appointed.