"Caesar's wife must be above suspicion."
Julius Caesar, regarding Pompeia, whom he divorced when she came under suspicion.
Credibility for honest government starts at the top.
Face it: Hunter Biden is a mess.
Democrats should stop minimizing or defending the indefensible. Joe Biden should announce that an investigation of Hunter Biden is underway and he is not interfering with it in any way. Say he expects investigators to do their work fully, fairly, and impartially, and they should appoint a special prosecutor if necessary. Let justice be done.
Joe Biden should continue, saying that if tried and found guilty he should be treated like everyone else. Say he would not be issuing any pardons.
I don't know if Hunter Biden is guilty of crimes. I know he said he abused drugs and alcohol. I know he transacted business with U.S. and foreign companies. Maybe he broke some laws in doing these or other things. "Influence peddling" by family members of American politicians looks sleazy and corrupt, even if it isn't exactly illegal. Prosecute him if it was illegal.
So, too, with Don Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and Jared Kushner. The Justice Department should call for a special prosecutor, if necessary. The three Trump children were "punished" for corruptly diverting charitable foundation money for personal use. They got the sweetest of deals, being required to give some of the money back, being forbidden to be on a foundation board, and being required to get some community service training on how not to steal from nonprofit boards in the future. Maybe they are criminally liable for tax or other fraud in their management of the Trump real estate. Jared Kushner's new hedge fund, against all industry practice, got a $2 billion start-up investment from the sovereign fund of Saudi Arabia, based on no track record or industry expertise whatever. That is $25 million a year income to Kushner, plus a percentage of the profits. Ivanka got valuable trademark protection from the Chinese government for a variety of consumer products, for no clear reason. This, too, looks bad. Possibly it was illegal, and if so, prosecute it. It is probably legal, which is the problem. A lot of corrupt behavior is legal.
We need to re-establish post-Watergate ethical norms. Back then the media and the public were on the lookout for corrupt practices. Jimmy Carter was setting an example. He sold his peanut business upon taking office. He didn't want suspicion of self-dealing. He kept arms length from his brother Billy, who tried to trade on his brother's fame. In the subsequent 40 years Americans have gotten accustomed to ever-greater levels of self-dealing and corruption, along with pardons for friends who did corrupt things under the eye of the president. Hunter Biden and Donald Trump would have been unthinkable in the years after Watergate. Now they shape ethical norms.
Democrats should reaffirm the idea that elected office is not a way to get rich, directly or indirectly. Public officials need to be as clean as Caesar's wife.
Biden needs to establish credibility. Whatever Hunter Biden did isn't a capital crime. If Hunter goes to prison, so be it. When he gets out he may be a better person for the experience. Biden can visit him in prison like hundreds of thousands of other family members visit their loved ones. If prison is too inhumane for a president's son--or a former president--it is too inhumane for anyone. That is an incentive for politicians to clean up the prison system. They risk going there.
Having shown that "no one is above the law" as regards Hunter Biden, the Justice Department has more credibility to prosecute Donald Trump for whatever crimes he committed. So, too, with the Trump children and Jared Kushner. Investigate and report. Maybe sunlight and transparency will reduce the nepotism and influence peddling that feeds the idea that "elites" play by different rules than everyone else. They do. The 99% have every reason to be unhappy.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden should also recommend a law that ends stock trading by members of Congress. Employees of investment firms have strict rules about stock trading on non-public knowledge. I lived with those rules. They were reasonable. Members of congress should have similar laws.
Democrats should embrace an anti-corruption movement. This must start at the top, with Joe Biden. Hunter Biden has an important role to play in re-establishing trust in American government. He needs to face justice.
That sets the stage for more justice.
This is well-said and I would love to see it happen just as you recommend. Trump supporters believe that he and his family can do no wrong and/or are above the law, and that all Democrats are corrupt. Investigations and criminal charges are not likely to change their opinion, which is unfortunate. One of the benefits would be more people of integrity and honesty willing to serve.
Refreshingly honest, balanced. Like Bill Maher with you both solidly on the left, yet with enough integrity and evenhandedness to which we on the right can give the "Amen" to your commentary, at least now and again. Best to you and your ever improved writing. RLG