On Wednesday, Democratic Representative Daniel Goldman of New York expressed on MSNBC that Hunter Biden has been unjustly subjected to a “double-standard” justice system.
The conversation also touched upon the potential third indictment of former President Donald Trump, as co-host Jonathan Lemire noted that Republicans are framing it as a misuse of the justice system against the president.
The former president announced on Tuesday that he received a communication from special prosecutor Jack Smith, which indicated he is a “TARGET” of the January 6th Grand Jury Investigation. Trump voiced his concerns over the short notice of 4 days to appear before the Grand Jury, interpreting it as an impending arrest and indictment.
Lemire discussed the allegations made by Republicans, including those in Congress and potential presidential candidates, who are accusing the Department of Justice of being misused by the current White House. He asked Goldman, who has considerable experience in these matters, to share his views on the dangerous implications of such accusations and how they might affect the American people’s trust in their institutions.
Goldman pointed out the heart of the issue, “Indeed, John, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Under Trump’s guidance, the House Republicans strive to weaken the institutions to keep the powerful in check. This is their approach because they cannot counter the president’s criminal actions. He is the leader of their party. This is precisely why they are attacking the Hunter Biden investigation, which was thoroughly conducted by a U.S. attorney appointed during Trump’s term. We now have a special counsel on the verge of possibly issuing another indictment against Donald Trump. Nevertheless, as per the regulations, the special counsel operates independently of the Biden Justice Department, which is exactly how it should be,” said Goldman.
Goldman asserted, “There’s no validity to claims suggesting this is a politically motivated interference or a so-called ‘weaponization’ of the Department of Justice. From my personal experience, I’m taken aback that Hunter Biden was even prosecuted for these offenses. If you consider the history of civil and criminal enforcement related to tax matters, take Roger Stone’s case as an example. Stone essentially committed the same offenses as Hunter Biden and merely had to pay a fine. Therefore, the fact that Hunter is accepting a plea bargain, in my perspective, highlights a double-standard justice system working against him, not favoring Donald Trump or the Republicans.”
Hunter Biden was indicted by David Weiss, an attorney appointed during Trump’s tenure, on charges of illegally possessing a firearm while under the influence of drugs in 2018 and evasion of federal taxes in 2017 and 2018. The president’s son has agreed to plead guilty to the tax misdemeanors and entered a probation deal for the firearm offense, making it unlikely that he will serve any prison time. The investigation, initiated in 2018, was centered on Hunter’s foreign business transactions, although it eventually became more focused.
The plea deal has been labeled as overly lenient by Republican contenders for the 2024 presidential election, with the Trump campaign also vehemently opposing it.
“Today’s events reveal an undeniable double standard in the justice system – one that favors Democrats and works against President Trump,” said campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung in a Daily Caller News Foundation statement.
