Guy Farmer: Hunter Biden did nothing wrong

OK, repeat after me: Hunter Biden did nothing wrong. Hunter Biden did nothing wrong. Now, continue to repeat that dubious mantra over and over again until you start to believe it.

That seems to be what Hunter's father, President-elect Joe Biden, and his mainstream media apologists and enablers want us to do as the Bidens prepare to move into the White House on Jan. 20. We're supposed to pretend that we don't know that Hunter and Joe's younger brother, Jim, raked in millions of dollars from corrupt companies and business people in China, Russia and Ukraine while former Vice President Biden was ex-President Obama's point person on Ukraine policy.

And we're supposed to pretend that we don't know that Hunter flew to China with the former vice president on Air Force Two to meet with Chinese businessmen seeking to buy influence in the U.S. Can you say Biden, Inc.? Nothing to see here, let's move on, the media tell us.

Nevertheless, we know for sure that U.S. Attorney General William Barr opened an investigation into Hunter Biden's financial affairs early this year but didn't reveal that fact during the presidential campaign because he didn't want to be accused of election interference. Barr should be praised for that decision, not castigated.

Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn went right to the heart of President-elect Biden's ethical dilemma: "It's hard to imagine a more unambiguous conflict of interest than the one Hunter Biden presents – a Joe Biden Justice Department investigating his son over conduct that might implicate the sitting president." McGurn suggested that a special counsel may be necessary because "it's imperative that the American people learn exactly what Hunter was trading." Yes, we have a right to know.

Writing for "The Hill" website last week, respected Georgetown University law professor Jonathan Turley asserted that "the (mainstream) media was coaxed into a false narrative. Reporters became so invested in the denial (of the Hunter Biden story) that they couldn't afford to acknowledge evidence of wrongdoing. … The media was in the bag for Joe Biden," and still is.

When President-elect Biden held a brief news conference last week, no one from the mainstream media asked him about the Justice Department's investigations of his son's overseas financial activities. A Fox News reporter finally shouted that question as Biden walked off the stage. "I love my son," the president-elect replied, a non-answer if there ever was one.

"The (Hunter Biden) investigation may not be simply about tax affairs but about money laundering and other suspect dealings," Turley wrote. "The New York Times cited a separate investigation into the Ukrainian activities of Hunter…" That investigation probably involves the fact that Hunter was being paid $80,000 per month, or more, by Burisma, a corrupt Ukrainian energy company, even though he knew nothing about the energy industry. Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if your last name is Biden.

"Joe Biden should address his denial of knowledge about the business activities of his son," Turley concluded. "It will be hard for news outlets to maintain silence with the growing list of investigations." And here's a key question: Will President-elect Biden's attorney general allow those investigations to go forward after a flurry of political allegations against President Trump's outgoing AG, William Barr? Hunter Biden did nothing wrong? C’mon, man.

Correction: Last Saturday I wrote that the marijuana industry donated more than $70,000 to Gov. Sisolak's successful gubernatorial campaign in 2018. Actually, however, the pot pushers donated more than $700,000 to Sisolak's campaign.

Guy W. Farmer is the Appeal's senior political columnist.