MSNBC: ‘Lot of Smoke’ With Hunter Biden Scandal; CNN: ‘Very Bad’

On Wednesday, both MSNBC and CNN finally acknowledged how serious the Hunter Biden scandals have become and even admitted the possibility that the President’s son could be brought up on federal charges for a list of alleged crimes revolving around his suspicious foreign business dealings.     

“The Washington PostHunter Biden’s reporting and other reports have been quite disturbing. There’s been a lot of – there’s a lot of smoke there,”Andrea Mitchell, MSNBC’s anchor, admitted to it near the end her 12:01 p.m. show. ET hour. That followed Republican communications adviser Brendan Buck calling the younger Biden “a shady dude” who is “not above scrutiny.”

Mitchell’s response: Washington PostPhil Rucker was the deputy national editor and cited new reports from his paper.

What we’ve done is rigorously try to report out, as best we can, Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and around the world and my colleagues Matt Viser, Tom Hamburger, and Craig Timberg have a great new investigative piece out today on that front. But we’re trying to go use facts and what’s available publicly, and what we as Washington PostJournalists can learn about his business history and make it available to the public because he’s the son of President.

After hack White House correspondent John Harwood desperately tried to dismiss the scandal swirling around Hunter Biden as something of “not much public import” early on CNN’s New Day, later in the show, co-host Brianna Keilar declared things to be “very, very bad for the President’s son.”

At 7:00 AM, she told viewers. ET hour

CNN is introducing some fresh reporting. A Justice Department investigation on Hunter Biden, the President’s son, has intensified over the last several months.Since 2018, the investigation continues. And this stems from Biden’s business dealings –  from Hunter Biden’s business dealings in foreign countries like Ukraine while his father was serving as vice president.

Senior justice correspondent Evan Perez followed: “And right now prosecutors in Delaware are focusing on a number of things, including whether Hunter Biden and some of his business associates violated laws, including tax and money laundering laws and foreign lobbying laws.” He added: “A lot of activity has picked up. We know witnesses have gone in to talk to the grand jury in Delaware.”

Perez concluded: “But obviously, as you pointed out, this is a political mess for the sitting president to have his son being investigated by the Justice Department, his own Justice Department.”

Keilar consulted Elie Honig, a senior legal analyst who saw severe legal danger for Hunter Biden.

Well, Brianna, This is an extremely real and substantial investigation into potentially grave federal crimes …., which could lead to federal charges. Of course then we’d be in unprecedented political territory, not legal territory, but A situation in which the Justice Department could try to arrest and prosecute the son of President Trump

It’s now up to media outlets to continue reporting on the story and give viewers the latest updates as the Justice Department investigation ramps up – not just report on it one day and then drop the coverage.

Here is a transcript of the March 30 exchange on MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports:

12:54 ET

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BRENDA BUCK [FMR. CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER TO SPEAKER RYAN]: Joe Biden’s handling of the situation in Ukraine isn’t very popular, and look, Hunter Biden is not above scrutiny. Phil’s paper today has a story about his dealings with a Chinese energy company, he’s a shady dude in a lot of ways and people – I think a lot of people understand that. But there’s a difference between fact-based questions being asked and inserting yourself in a way that could cost people’s lives in Ukraine.     

ANDREA MISCHELL: Yes, Phil. The Washington PostHunter Biden’s reporting and other reports have been quite disturbing. There’s been a lot of – there’s a lot of smoke there, but not what President – the former president – Trump is claiming.

PHIL RUCKER [WASHINGTON POST DEPUTY NATIONAL EDITOR]: That’s right, Andrea. What we’ve done is rigorously try to report out, as best we can, Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and around the world and my colleagues Matt Viser, Tom Hamburger, and Craig Timberg have a great new investigative piece out today on that front. But we’re trying to go use facts and what’s available publicly, and what we as Washington PostBecause he is the son and daughter of presidents, journalists are able to understand his business records, and present that information to the public. But it’s not dealing in these falsehoods and conspiracies that former President Trump seems to be occupying his time with.

(…)

Here is a transcript of the discussion on CNN’s Neue Day:

7:30 AM ET

BRIANNA KEILAR : CNN has some fresh reporting. A Justice Department investigation on Hunter Biden, the President’s son, has intensified over the last several months. Since 2018, the investigation is ongoing. And this stems from Biden’s business dealings –  from Hunter Biden’s business dealings in foreign countries like Ukraine while his father was serving as vice president. Sources tell CNN that President Biden is not being investigated in relation to his son’s dealings. CNN Senior justice correspondent Evan Perez (CNN) and Elie Hohn (CNN), will be joining me. Evan, just lay out your reporting here because this is very, very bad for the President’s son.

EVAN PEREZ [CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT]It is. And it’s an investigation, as you pointed out, going back to 2018. Prosecutors in Delaware currently focus on several things. They are looking into whether Hunter Biden or his business associates have violated tax, money laundering, foreign lobbying, and other laws.

A lot of this has to do with Hunter Biden’s time working with this company called Burisma, an energy company in Ukraine. He was getting paid as much as $50,000 a month for that company during a time that the – Joe Biden, his father, was Vice President, was in charge of handling Ukraine issues for the Obama administration. There were also questions about the possibility of conflict.

We know that this investigation is ongoing, and have known for quite some time. And it seemed to – not a lot was going on until recently. There has been a lot more activity. Witnesses have been known to come forward to speak to the Delaware grand jury. There are witnesses that will soon be speaking to investigators. So we know that there’s a lot of activity now picking up.

He’s not been charged. He says that they’re – Hunter Biden says that he committed no wrongdoing and he says at the end of this he believes he’ll be cleared. This is obviously a political disaster for the president sitting to have his son under investigation by his Justice Department.

KEILAR : He was earning a lot doing something that he should have not been doing when his father was Vice President…

PEREZ: Right.

KEILAR Elie, what do you think?

ELIE HONIG [CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST]Brianna, it is an extremely real and substantial investigation of potential serious federal crimes. You would not expect federal prosecutors to do this in Delaware. They’re talking to witnesses, bringing people into the grand jury, issuing subpoenas. And I would expect, as Evan reported, they’re now gaining steam. It is necessary that they make a decision within the next few years. The case is ongoing for over four years, and it’s possible that federal charges could be brought against the defendant. Of course then we’d be in unprecedented political territory, not legal territory, but a situation of having potentially the Justice Department prosecuting and trying to imprison the son of the President.

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