A View from the Beach: Flotsam and Jetsam - Garland Calls Questioning DOJ an "Attack on Democracy"

The scandal involving Hunter Biden, the weak charges against him, and he and his father's apparent collusion in a RICO level influence/coercion scheme has gotten so open that even the WaPoo has been forced to take notice, making the front page today, and page 15 yesterday, Whistleblower accounts show Hunter Biden’s laptop had little role in IRS probe. "Republicans called it a smoking gun. Democrats called it disinformation. Prosecutors called it largely irrelevant." If you read it you will find that it played little role in the IRS probe because the DOJ largely kept the data in the laptop away from the IRS, sharing only selected (presumably slanted) excerpts.

At the Free Bacon, WATCH: Merrick Garland Calls Criticism of DOJ 'Attack' on Democracy

Insty, "Once you realize that to these people “democracy” means “rule by Democrats,” it all makes sense." Beege Wellborn at Hat Hair, Merrick Garland had his brown shirt on today. So now, I suppose we can expect more questionable arrests from the DOJ for political excuses, and more attempted censorship of conservative media. Rick Moran at PJM, IRS Whistleblower Says Justice Department Slowed and Stymied the Hunter Biden Tax Investigation. From the Free Bacon, This IRS Email Corroborates Whistleblower's Claims About Biden DOJ Interference in Hunter Probe. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.23.23, Power Line's John Hinderacker, On Merrick Garland, a Smoking Gun. Sundance at CTH, AG Merrick Garland and DAG Lisa Monaco Deny any Main Justice Interference in Hunter Biden Investigation and House Ways and Means Committee Press Conference Upon Release of Documents Showing DOJ Intervention to Protect Joe Biden Son. At Fox, DOJ, FBI, IRS interfered with Hunter Biden probe, according to whistleblower testimony released by GOP. At Da Caller, Whistleblowers Allege Merrick Garland And IRS Commissioner Lied To Congress About Hunter Biden, GOP Reps Say. Spencer Brown at Town Hall hears Garland Giving Interesting Answer When Asked Whether He Said 'No' to Charging Hunter Biden, "When asked whether Weiss was ever told "no," Garland wouldn't answer specifically. Instead of a firm denial of ever telling the U.S. attorney investigating Hunter Biden "no" when an attempt to charge the first kid was made, the AG responded: "I'm saying he was given complete authority to make all decisions on his own."" Andy McCarthy at NRO, cited at Hat Hair asks if you Remember when Garland promised no political interference in Hunter probe? Capt. Ed, "Yeah, no coincidence there. Although if it can be established that the Bidens themselves corrupted the investigatory process, one wonders if a federal judge would waive the statutes of limitation and allow a later DoJ to bring those charges. That’s a tall order, of course." NYPo, Hunter Biden beams at WH state dinner also attended by Merrick Garland amid alleged DOJ coverup in tax fraud case. Collin Rugg@CollinRugg, "Hunter Biden and Merrick Garland attended the same state dinner last night just hours after the Department of Justice was accused of a massive cover up involving Hunter's tax fraud case. They are laughing at you. They think you are stupid. They are in one big elite club with the state media and there is nothing you can do about it." My invitation must have been lost in the mail.

Jordan Boyd at Da Fed, IRS Whistleblower Docs Show DOJ Obstructed Hunter Biden Probe To Protect President. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.23.23, at Da Fed Margot Cleveland demonstrates how Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office Buried Biden-Bribery Allegations AG Barr Sent For Investigation. At Da Caller, IRS Whistleblower Confirms FBI Knew Hunter’s Laptop Was Real In 2019. From the Free Bacon, Biden Bombshell: Whistleblowers Say IRS Recommended Felony Tax Charges Against Hunter Biden. The DOJ Balked. At TNP, Hunter Sent Payment Demand, Invoking Dad Joe, to Chinese Communist Official. PJM's Matt Margolis says a Photo From Hunter Biden’s Laptop Corroborates Bribery Claims From Whistleblower. At the Free Bacon, Photos Place Hunter Biden At Father's House The Day He Invoked Dad’s Name to Threaten Chinese Business Partner "'I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father,' Hunter stated before issuing threat." 'Bonchie' at Red State, White House Counsel Throws the Goalposts Off a Cliff With Carefully-Worded Response to Biden Shakedown Message “The President was not in business with his son” is a huge walk down from former claims by Joe Biden that he had never even discussed with his son any business dealings. It’s also a very coyly-worded statement that seeks to provide an out when the current scandal inevitably grows larger." Ace, Whistleblower: Hunter Biden -- and Joe Biden, Too -- Sure Look Like "Agents of Chinese Influence." "That's racist."

At the Free Bacon, Hunter Biden's Lawyer Responds to Bombshell Texts: My Client Was Too Doped Up on Crack To Be Trusted 'Bonchie' at Red State thinks Hunter Biden's Lawyer Attacks the IRS Whistleblower, Paints Joe Biden Into a Corner. Matt Viser@mviser "Hunter Biden attorney responds to IRS agent testimony - and refers to 2017 message suggesting Joe Biden proximity to China deal: "Any verifiable words or actions of my client, in the midst of a horrible addiction, are solely his own and have no connection to anyone in his family" Back to Bonchie, "The claim being put forth is that Hunter Biden, being in the midst of a crack addiction, lied about his father being in the room during the aforementioned shakedown. If that’s true (and I have very serious doubts it is given the president’s son was at his father’s Delaware residence that day) then that leaves Joe Biden with a choice. He either has to admit he was in the room, or he has to call his son a liar. There’s no third option there." David Burge @iowahawkblog, "Your honor, did I mention that the alleged event took place during a full moon and my client is a werewolf"

Sundance, White House Press Corps Starts Asking Pointed Questions about Joe and Hunter Biden Following Whistleblower Transcript Release. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 06.23.23, Twitchy wants you to Watch increasingly desperate Karine Jean-Pierre glitch out trying to dodge questions about Hunter Biden. Hat Hair's John Sexton reports John Kirby walks out when asked about Hunter Biden's message to Chinese businessman. Sundance elaborates. John Kirby Walks Out of Press Briefing After Question About Hunter Biden Message to China That Undermines All Prior White House Denials

Tristan Justice at Da Fed points out how the IRS Investigation Into Hunter Biden Started As Probe Into Foreign Pornography Ring. Vicky Taft at PJM, We'll Bet You Didn't Have Hunter Biden's Secret Club on Your Bingo Card. Let me check . . . nope. Capt. Ed at Hat Hair, Too bad to check (by DoJ): Guess who paid for Hunter's hookers? Ace, Whistleblower: Hunter Biden Deducted Costs of Hookers and His Sex Club From His Taxes, "I thought my favorite hooker's mouf counted as a "home office." No?" Hunter Biden was a member of an "elite" LA sex club, but was kicked out for being too much of a "scumbag." You've got to be a real scumbag for other Hollywood perverts to think you're a scumbag." PJM's Stephen Kruiser says Admit It Libs—Even You Wouldn't Want Hunter Biden Dating Your Daughter.

Jonathan Turley, The Hunter Biden ‘Controlled Demolition’ is Complete

Attorney General Merrick Garland took the most important step in pulling off the controlled demolition by steadfastly refusing to appoint a special counsel. Such an appointment would allow the release of a report that would detail the alleged corrupt practices of the Biden family and the knowledge and involvement of the president. It is the essential framing used in demolition to avoid broad blast effects.

The second key is the charge. In buildings, you have to use just enough explosives to take out supports to collapse the structure in on itself. In scandals, it comes down to the criminal charges. You need an assortment of minor charges to suggest equal justice without anything large enough to cause collateral damage to others. It also has to be minor enough to get Hunter to take one for the team.

The Hunter plea is the perfect charge load for the scandal. He will plead to a couple of misdemeanors on tax violations without addressing how he actually made this money. The gun charge looks like a serious threat for incarceration, but it is little more than a phantom felony count under which Hunter will be allowed to go into a diversion program and ultimately negate the violation.

At Breitbart, Dershowitz: FBI, DOJ Are Favoring Biden Family, We Need a 9/11 Commission-Style Group to Look at FBI, also, Experts, Lawmakers: Hunter Biden Plea Deal Could Allow Congress to Dig Deeper into Biden Family Business. Michael Barone, A Tale of Two Indictments: Politics in a Doom Loop. PJM's Greg Byrne thinks The IRS, FBI, and DOJ Owe Al Capone an Apology.

The American people owe these boys an apology. They should have been handed a misdemeanor along with their guns as they paid their fines and walked out the door. Money laundering, selling influence, failing to pay taxes, gun violations, come on, man, the government has more serious things to prosecute. There are Little Sisters of the Poor and Catholics praying the rosary in front of abortion clinics who need the government’s full attention. And as for all those drug dealers the IRS brags about bringing to heal over money-related crimes, as the wise guys in Brooklyn might have said in the day, fuggedaboutit.

Althouse, "Distraction" is trending on Twitter.