Articles say the gun issue wasn’t likely to result in prison time, but when it comes to the tax issue all they say is “maximum of 17 years”. The max is not the typical sentence, which is what I want to know. Realistically what was Hunter BIden facing?

  • kava@lemmy.world
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    17 days ago

    Let’s see. Biden was charged with and pleaded guilty to 3 felony counts. One count of tax evasion and two counts of filing false returns. And then 3 misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay taxes

    Everyone’s favorite actor Wesley Snipes got charged and convicted of 3 misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay taxes. significantly less than Biden was charged with.

    he got sentenced to 36 months and served 28 months

    this guy: https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/pr/former-baltimore-police-commissioner-darryl-de-sousa-sentenced-federal-prison-failing

    baltimore police commissioner served 10 months along with community service and probation. he got 3 counts of willful failure to pay taxes

    so what is the typical? it really depends. there’s a lot of nuance to it. but Biden is/was facing some serious serious charges. 3+ years of prison would probably be the minimum expected

    the police commissioner tried to hide about $60k of taxes from the government

    Biden tried to hide $1.4M

    so yeah, I’d be really grateful to dad if I were him

      • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        17 days ago

        I don’t disagree with you, the tax charges are serious, but it did start as a political witch hunt. He was investigated because of his last name, not by impartial checks in the system. In all fairness, it is similar to the investigations into Trump’s falsified business records in NY, and that may have likely gone unnoticed had it been anyone but Trump.

        It’s an important distinction that the Weiss special counsel was clearly started by Trump to go after a political rival who he was running against in an election, and when they couldn’t get anything on Joe Biden, they pivoted to Hunter. It is a witch hunt on a higher level in my opinion. Maybe the ends don’t justify the means?

        • the_wise_wolf@feddit.org
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          17 days ago

          Sounds like the investigation was politically motivated. But not a witch hunt. Same as with Trump.

          • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            17 days ago

            Sincere question, is it a witch hunt when the punishment is unsubstantiated and unjust (like innocents being burned alive)? My understanding was that politically motivated prosecution was a type of witch hunt and that witch hunt described the act of searching of for the witch, not the burning of the witch.

            • the_wise_wolf@feddit.org
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              17 days ago

              Hm. Interestingly Wikipedia defines the term differently than I expected:

              In current language, “witch-hunt” metaphorically means an investigation that is usually conducted with much publicity, supposedly to uncover subversive activity, disloyalty, and so on, but with the real purpose of harming opponents. It can also involve elements of moral panic, as well as mass hysteria.

              By that definition you can indeed call it a witch hunt. But somehow it still feels wrong to call an investigation a witch hunt, if the person being investigated really did commit a crime.

              • SolOrion@sh.itjust.works
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                17 days ago

                I feel like the distinction is that when they started the investigation they had no idea about the crimes. They were just looking for literally anything. It was a fishing expedition, basically.

      • kava@lemmy.world
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        17 days ago

        well, two things can be true. he could have committed serious crimes and it could be a case of the DOJ being used a political weapon.

        realistically most people who do the things Hunter Biden did get away with it just fine. It’s perfectly fine to be a criminal when you are part of that group. so if he weren’t Biden’s son, he would be fine (although he also probably wouldn’t be receiving millions of dollars from Russian convicted criminals).

        honestly, I think it’s one of the final nails in the coffin of our democracy.

        i think a lot of people need to start paying attention to what happens in Brazil. I’ve been seeing so many parallels. We had Jan 6th, they had their own Jan 6th a year later… except a more intense version

        A few years back, the president conspired with the justice department to try and put the opposition candidate in jail. the thing is - the opposition candidate was corrupt. but the whole trial was orchestrated not to seek justice, but to put the guy in jail so they would win the election.

        the trump-like candidate in Brazil got attacked in a crowd. helped him win an election. Trump got shot in the ear, helped him win an election. etc

        so many parallels

        we’re seeing similar weaponization of the justice system here

      • kava@lemmy.world
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        17 days ago

        couple of things

        1. I’m assuming you mean Trump and as of now he is not the president
        2. Once Trump becomes president after Jan 20th, he will be just as much my POTUS as he will be your POTUS, assuming you live in the US
        3. I think you are trying to make the insinuation that somehow because I answered the question asked by OP, I am a Trumper

        I spent the majority of my life as an illegal immigrant in the US. I didn’t become a citizen until well into my adulthood. I was brought here illegally at a young age

        do you really think I am a Trumper? that I’m a red hat wearing Maga bible thumper? i would be a traitor to my own kind- being damned to spend eternity in the lowest level of hell freezing right next to Marco Rubio and Judas

        come on man stop drinking the koolaid it’s OK to admit Biden’s son is a criminal.

        • stinky@redlemmy.com
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          17 days ago

          what? I never suggested you were a Trump supporter and I don’t think you are.

          my message was “stop focusing on Biden when Trump has done more wrong, and his actions directly affect you.”

          I know it feels good to hate on the liberals but it doesn’t solve the problem. The problem is conservative thinking and any time spent focused on liberals is time NOT spent on republicans. You’re letting them get away with destroying your country because it feels good. Stop it.