# Hunter Biden Laptop Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 22, 2020, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587 "2020-10-22T11:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/182 "2020-10-24T19:10:21Z")
You are right. It would have been more like one of these other jobs that he has had: As mentioned already in post 133 > [@Monocracy](#): > > Executive vice president of MBNA, a major bank holding company > Served in the U.S. Department of Commerce, specializing in ecommerce policy > Co-founded the lobbying firm, Oldaker, Biden, and Belair > Served a five year term on the board of directors at Amtrak, appointed by President George W. Bush, and was the board’s vice chairman for 2 1/2 years > Co-founded the investment and advisory firm, Rosemont Seneca > Founded Eudora Global, a venture capital firm > Held the position of counsel in the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP > Served on the board of directors for World Food Program USA ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/183 "2020-10-24T19:14:22Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > > [@DavidNRockies](#): > > > > They generally don’t have day-to-day responsibilities to speak of. It’s generally considered a side-gig, where lending your name to the company is your most valuable contribution. It lends the veneer of credibility and gravitas. > > > > > Daily, it’s like the “Shark Tank” sharks vis-a-vis each company in which they invest: it takes very little of their time to service _each_ individual investment. > > > > > > You attend the requisite Board meetings and take care of the agenda for that meeting. > > > > > > It’s not a 9-to-5 gig. You’re paid for what you _are_ , _who_ you are, and who you know (or who knows you) as much as what you know. > > > > > > Generally. > > That’s much more cogent that what I was typing to answer that same question, thanks. > > @quicksilver, in light of this information, do you still consider my comment, “BS”? And if so, why? That was my understanding of a board member’s “job” as well. I suppose my response about 40-50 hours per week should have included a /s. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/184 "2020-10-24T19:17:21Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Admit what? That Hunter might have made some poor decisions? Who cares? Why does this matter? I have stated why this matters. I’m not making the “they do it too” argument no matter how often people want to twist my words. This conversations is really becoming a battle of diminishing returns now. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/185 "2020-10-24T19:18:18Z")
So what was the point of the comment? He was offered a job, and took it. As @k9bfriender showed, it was in line with his previous work and experience. It’s not weird. And it’s not dishonest. It might look bad, but those are looks, not necessarily reality. And it certainly doesn’t show influence-peddling. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/186 "2020-10-24T19:21:05Z")
When Trump’s most ardent supporters are actually advocating that the entire Biden family be _imprisoned_ … for **the belief** that some of them may have attempted to do what Jared, Ivanka, Don, Jr., Eric, and Donald Sr. do _for a living,_ we’re really in bizarro world. [insert Trump tax returns here] Bush 43 was, IMHO, an idiot – one with a great resume. How do you think he became a two-term President ? Family name and connections. Full stop. Is it possible that Hunter Biden’s single biggest qualification was his father’s position ? Sure. But the fucking hypocrisy … yikes. Just … yikes. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/187 "2020-10-24T19:22:53Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > So what was the point of the comment? He was offered a job, and took it. As @k9bfriender showed, it was in line with his previous work and experience. It’s not weird. And it’s not dishonest. It might look bad, but those are looks, not necessarily reality. > > And it certainly doesn’t show influence-peddling. “Looks bad” is the only argument I ever made here. Other than the fairly common practice of foreign players who are constantly on the lookout to buy favor or find kompromat on high value individuals. Which, I argued, the Bidens should have been aware of and FFS, Hunter admitted to having used poor judgement. I’m done you guys. Let’s just call it game, set and match YOU. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/188 "2020-10-24T19:36:29Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > “Looks bad” is the only argument I ever made here. It really only looks bad if the spin on it is believed. If you actually spend a scant minute or so actually looking into it, you can easily see that there is no there there. Essentially, what it seems you are saying is that no one that is related to anyone in politics should ever take any job, on the off chance that it could “look bad” to someone who doesn’t bother to actually look into the details, and instead be swayed by the spin of the opposition. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/189 "2020-10-24T19:40:19Z")
In some ways, a board member is like having an attorney on retainer. Even though the attorney might not know all aspects of the law, they know enough to give useful advice in most matters and know who to refer you to if more specialized help is needed. You pay $X/month for the privilege of having them answer the phone when you call and talk as much as you want. Some board members will be hired just for their industry experience, some just for their business experience, and some for both. A lot of the RW media is harping on his lack of experience in oil and gas, and even Trump did in the debate, but it’s not at all unusual for board members to have little or no experience in the industry the company is operating in. Someone with banking background may not get any questions about which oilfields to drill in, but such a person would get questions about how to obtain the funding needed to pay for the exploratory drilling. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/190 "2020-10-24T19:48:19Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > “Looks bad” is the only argument I ever made here. Other than the fairly common practice of foreign players who are constantly on the lookout to buy favor or find kompromat on high value individuals. Which, I argued, the Bidens should have been aware of and FFS, Hunter admitted to having used poor judgement. Poor judgement, fine. But I took what you said as being further than poor judgement: > [@QuickSilver](#): > > This seems factually correct and I agree it’s sketchy as fuck. At the very least this was an attempt by Burisma and associated players to buy access to the sitting VP. > [@QuickSilver](#): > > But this is some dirty business that Biden let his son drag him into and I don’t believe for a second that Joe didn’t play along with dangling the bait of “access”, even if he never intended to give it, just so his fuck-up of a son could experience some financial success while he could. In response to me saying it wasn’t necessarily influence peddling: > [@QuickSilver](#): > > Look, I don’t want this to be true either, but nobody believes that and neither should you. In response to my saying Biden was unlikely to have gone his whole life without cashing in and deciding to do so for this: > [@QuickSilver](#): > > yes. I think that is exactly what happened. It strains credulity to assume otherwise. Even if we are meant to believe this was all above board, being a 47year veteran of public service, Biden knew this looked sketchy as fucking hell. So while no laws were explicitly broken, and I’m sure Biden made sure none were, I do think he agreed to take the chance to help out his son. And he did it without the prospect of being a Presidential nominee on the horizon. So there would be nothing to have to explain or answer for. > [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’m done you guys. Let’s just call it game, set and match YOU. I won the interwebz, guys!!11 ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/191 "2020-10-24T20:16:32Z")
Pretty much anything I or anyone ever shamed the Trump children for is directly related to their activities while working for their father. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/192 "2020-10-24T20:21:06Z")
I believe all those things to be not merely plausible but very likely. I, of course, can’t prove any of them. But I maintain my suspicions. But indeed, you’ve won the interwebz today. We’ll meet again. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/193 "2020-10-24T20:24:14Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Pretty much anything I or anyone ever shamed the Trump children for is directly related to their activities while working for their father. You know that isn’t true for “anyone” and I bet if you gave it a minute you can think of several examples in which they’ve been shamed, and rightly so, for things they’ve done that had nothing to do with the work they were doing for their father. Why even make such an absurd and demonstrably false statement? ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/194 "2020-10-24T20:25:00Z")
Ah, and now we see the value in making unsubstantiated accusations. There will be be people who consider them likely, without any proof, and maintain their suspicions. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/195 "2020-10-24T20:26:54Z")
FFS. Hunter Biden admitted to using bad judgement. Honestly. What is the point anymore?.. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/196 "2020-10-24T20:30:07Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Why even make such an absurd and demonstrably false statement? If it is demonstrably false, then you should be able to demonstrate that it is false, right? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/197 "2020-10-24T20:34:51Z")
Give me some examples of shameful things the Trump kids did that were unrelated to their father or his businesses, because I can’t think of any - except maybe Don Jr. leaving his wife for a Fox News goldigger, but I’m not convinced that Trump didn’t have a hand in that one. They’ve never made any attempt to live outside their father’s sphere. PS, I’m not talking about Tiffany here. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/198 "2020-10-24T20:51:53Z")
What he said was > [@](#): > > “However, was it poor judgment to be in the middle of something that is – it’s a swamp, in many ways? Yeah.” > > “Did I do anything improper? No, not in any way. Not in any way whatsoever,” he said. His bad judgement was that he should have been aware that people would make accusations about the optics, and should have turned down the job, not because there was anything unethical about it, but solely because there would be people that would make assumptions that it was “sketchy as hell” and that they would have and maintain their suspicions, absent any proof of any wrong doing. In other words, he is disappointed that his actions could be used in a counterfactual smear campaign against his father, and that there would be those who looked solely at the optics, not the substance, and he should have turned it down for those reasons. He allowed himself to be in a position to be a target of false accusations, which people would believe with no proof, and that was damaging to his father’s campaign, even though he did nothing unethical. That was what he felt he had bad judgement about. The point is, the Trump smear campaign has worked on you. That’s disappointing as hell. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/199 "2020-10-24T23:56:54Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > We shame Trump’s kids mercilessly; as well we should for the shit things they say and do. Only Jr and Ivanka, and they actively in politics. They are fair targets. Better decisions? Ok, but what does that have to do with the election? ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/200 "2020-10-24T23:58:58Z")
I don’t think they are getting paid though. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2020, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587/201 "2020-10-25T00:08:57Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > I don’t think they are getting paid though. - You’re more than welcome to write a check. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hunter-biden-laptop-question/923587.md?page=11)