House GOP lawmaker rolls out bill to prevent CCP-linked entities from buying land near federal property
FIRST ON FOX: GOP Rep. Dan Newhouse is rolling out a measure that would prevent businesses and individuals associated with the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing property adjacent to federal land. Newhouse, R-Wash., who sits on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, is expected to introduce the legislation Tuesday evening. The “No American Land for Communist China Act” has 20 cosponsors, including the support of committee Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich. The legislation, obtained by Fox News Digital, states that it would “prohibit certain businesses and persons from purchasing real estate adjacent to covered Federal lands in the United States, and for other purposes.” LAWMAKERS TO PROPOSE GREATER OVERSIGHT OF CHINESE LAND ACQUISITIONS IN AMERICA Businesses and individuals that would be blocked would be related to those which the government of the People’s Republic of China “directly or indirectly through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, owns 25 percent or more of equity interests of the business.” The legislation defines federal lands as owned by the United States and under the jurisdiction of the secretary of the interior, including Indian reservations; the secretary of defense; and the secretary of agriculture, with respect to land managed by the Forest Service. BIDEN ADMIN FAILING TO TRACK CHINESE OWNERSHIP OF US FARMLAND: GOVT WATCHDOG “The Chinese Communist Party is at our doorstep, and we best not let them in,” Newhouse told Fox News Digital. Newhouse told Fox News Digital that he has been “closely watching the rise in cases of the CCP’s attempts at undermining our institutions.” “From spying on sensitive national security sites to buying up American farmland, it is clear we are vulnerable to their malicious efforts,” Newhouse said. He added: “This bill strengthens our domestic defenses and protects critical federal lands against these foreign actors that aim to deepen their already dangerous influence on the world stage.” The proposed legislation comes amid efforts to tighten security of U.S. lands, specifically those surrounding military installations across the country. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which is composed of several federal national security agencies, is charged with reviewing certain acquisitions and real estate transactions made by foreign individuals and entities. BIDEN PROPOSES TIGHTER NATIONAL SECURITY RULES AROUND MILITARY BASES AFTER CHINESE REAL ESTATE PURCHASES CFIUS expanded its jurisdiction to additional military cites last year after warnings of possible national security risks resulting from the purchase of that type of land by Chinese Communist Party-linked individuals. When CFIUS looks at property transactions involving non-U.S. persons, it is required by law to consider the risk of potential intelligence collection at military installations, which could expose national security activities and increase the risk of foreign surveillance.
Martha’s Vineyard is about to run out of pot. That’s led to a lawsuit and a scramble by regulators
An 81-year-old woman on Martha’s Vineyard drove up to the Island Time dispensary last week seeking her usual order of pot. But owner Geoff Rose had to tell her the cupboard was bare — he’d been forced to temporarily close three weeks earlier after selling every last bud and gummy. Unless something changes, the island’s only other cannabis dispensary will sell all its remaining supplies by September at the latest, and Martha’s Vineyard will run out of pot entirely, affecting more than 230 registered medical users and thousands more recreational ones. MIGRANTS FLOWN TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD NOW CONSIDERED CRIME VICTIMS TO OBTAIN WORK VISAS The problem boils down to location. Although Massachusetts voters opted to legalize marijuana more than seven years ago, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission has taken the position that transporting pot across the ocean — whether by boat or plane — risks running afoul of federal laws. That’s despite a counterargument that there are routes to Martha’s Vineyard that remain entirely within state territorial waters. The conundrum led Rose to file a lawsuit last month against the commission, which now says that finding a solution to the island’s pot problem has become a top priority. Three of the five commissioners visited Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday to hear directly from affected residents. The tension between conflicting state and federal regulations has played out across the country as states have legalized pot. California law, for example, expressly allows cannabis to be transported to stores on Catalina Island, while Hawaii last year dealt with its own difficulties transporting medical marijuana between islands by amending a law to allow it. Federal authorities have also been shifting their position. The Justice Department last month moved to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, though still not a legal one for recreational use. For several years, sellers on Martha’s Vineyard and the nearby island of Nantucket thought they had a solution. They grew and tested their own pot, eliminating the need to import any from across the water. But Fine Fettle, a Connecticut-based company that had been the sole commercial grower on Martha’s Vineyard and also runs the island’s other dispensary, told Rose last year that it planned to stop growing pot on Martha’s Vineyard and would close its store when its existing supplies ran out. Benjamin Zachs, who runs Fine Fettle’s Massachusetts operations, said that when the company opened in Martha’s Vineyard, it knew it was illegal to transport marijuana across federal waterways. “Candidly, when it started, we thought this was a good thing for business,” Zachs said. “A captured market.” But over time, pot became cheaper with more varied options on the Massachusetts mainland, while the costs of employing testers on the island rose, making it uneconomic to continue such a niche operation, Zachs said. He added that many people bring their own supplies over on the ferry. But for people living on the island, taking the ferry to buy pot can be expensive and time-consuming. There’s no dispensary in Woods Hole, where the ferry lands, so they either need to take an Uber from there or bring over a car, and space for vehicles is in hot demand over summer. That leaves medical users such as Sally Rizzo wondering how they will access marijuana. She finds the drug helps relieve her back problems and insomnia. “The nice thing about getting it at a dispensary is that you can tell them specifically what you’re looking for, and know the milligrams, and know the potency, and what’s in it,” said Rizzo, who submitted an affidavit in support of Rose’s lawsuit. Rose, 77, has lived on Martha’s Vineyard for more than 20 years and opened his Island Time store three years ago. For now, he’s keeping his core staff of five on the payroll. The dispensary’s green logo looks like a hippyish take on the famous Starbucks emblem, with a relaxed woman smelling a bloom under the words “Stop and smell the flower.” But Rose is anything but relaxed these days. “I’m on the verge of going out of business,” he said. “While I acknowledge the efforts of the commission to address the issue, I really felt that the only way to get some immediate relief was to file a lawsuit. I was not going to sit on the sidelines. I had to do something.” Rose was joined in his lawsuit by the Green Lady dispensary on Nantucket, which for now continues to have its own homegrown supply but also faces the same high costs of onsite testing. In the lawsuit, Rose outlines how he told the commission in November that his business faced an existential crisis because Fine Fettle would no longer be growing pot. In March, he took a chance by buying some pot on the mainland and shipping it across on the ferry. But the commission ordered Rose to stop selling the product he’d shipped over, putting it into an administrative hold. The commission eventually released the marijuana a few weeks later but told Rose he couldn’t ship over any more. In his suit, Rose complains about the commission’s “arbitrary, unreasonable, and inconsistent policy against transport over state territorial waters.” Island Time is represented by Vicente, a firm that specializes in cannabis cases. It agreed to delay an emergency injunction against the commission until June 12 after the commission said it would enter into settlement discussions. “We’re cautiously optimistic that we’ll be able to reach resolution, but if we can’t, we’ll be prepared to make the arguments in court,” said Vicente lawyer Adam Fine. Until last week, the commission maintained that it wouldn’t comment on pending litigation, other than to say there was no special accommodation to allow pot to be transported from the mainland to the islands. But when commissioners traveled to Martha’s Vineyard, they assured residents they were all on the same page. “Obviously, this is a super priority for us, because we don’t want to see the collapse of an industry on the islands,” said commissioner
Biden faces ‘major political blowback’ if he flip-flops on Hunter pardon: experts
President Biden could face major “political blowback” should he ultimately decide to pardon his son, Hunter, following his conviction Tuesday on federal charges related to the purchase of a firearm, elections experts tell Fox News Digital. Biden vowed to “accept the outcome” of the case following the verdict, and has said he will not be issuing a pardon, but considering his son faces a maximum of 25 years in prison, some say the possibility of the president changing his mind wouldn’t be that far-fetched. “I don’t think that American voters really care very much about the gun charges. What they care about is the influence peddling, and these business dealings that have been covert. So, I think with a pardon, that immediately feeds into how there is impropriety going on with this family,” Republican strategist Tricia McLaughlin told Fox. HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL “I don’t even know if people are going to be paying attention at all to these gun charges, but I think that there would be major political backlash,” she said, adding the trial had already led to more questions surrounding Hunter’s infamous laptop. The laptop was entered as evidence in the trial by prosecutors last week, further proof that it actually exists and was, in fact, not a tool of Russian disinformation as was suggested by Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and former Biden-supporting intelligence community officials. “We know without a doubt the laptop exists, but I think that this just kind of unearths that issue even further, and the same would be said for a pardon, especially if Joe Biden said the laptop didn’t exist, and called talk of a pardon Republican talking points,” McLaughlin said. “If both those things turn out to be true, Biden has zero credibility, especially when it comes to dealings with his own family.” EX-INTEL OFFICIALS DOUBLE DOWN ON SIGNING ‘PATRIOTIC’ LETTER AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP: ‘WOEFULLY IGNORANT’ Republican strategist Erin Perrine told Fox that Biden’s “hemorrhaging support from every corner of the Democratic base” meant Hunter’s conviction should be “the least of his worries,” but she agreed with McLaughlin that a pardon would highlight accusations of impropriety within the Biden family. “Even the possibility that Biden could change his mind and pardon his son only highlights what Republicans have been saying about an unequal justice system and a double standard of justice for Democrats and their familial felons,” she said. “The idea that a pardon is a possibility is why Americans are appalled at how Biden has weaponized the judicial system.” FORMER OBAMA OFFICIAL GIVE ONE-WORD ANSWER WHEN ASKED IF HE WOULD RETRACT ATTACK OVER HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP Political commentator Kristin Tate had a slightly different take. She told Fox a pardon flip-flip would “make very little difference” to Biden politically, but that “Biden apologists” would claim the trial was politically motivated, essentially providing cover for the president if he were to pardon his son. She also argued there was no way Hunter would spend any significant time in jail, regardless of any potential pardon, “even though he should.” “There is a two-tiered justice system in the United States. We saw that with Hillary Clinton when she flagrantly broke the law, but nothing was done. Contrast that with what’s happening to Donald Trump with very questionable charges. Mark my words, Hunter is not going to jail,” Tate said. “The justice system in the United States has been completely weaponized and politicized, and it’s become a dangerous joke,” she added. Hunter was found guilty on all charges in the case, including making false statements in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. The jury deliberated for a total of three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Hunter Biden’s ex-business associate dismisses gun trial charges: ‘Distraction’ from ‘influence peddling’
FIRST ON FOX: A former business associate of Hunter Biden is speaking out after President Biden’s son was found guilty of all charges on Tuesday in his federal gun trial in Wilmington, Delaware. The ex-business associate said he “feels bad” for Hunter with these charges and that it’s such a “bonehead charge” and “clearly more political gamesmanship with DOJ.” “It’s also a distraction from the main event with their influence peddling,” he continued on background in a statement to Fox News Digital. ONE TRIAL DOWN, ONE TO GO: HUNTER BIDEN FACES TRIAL ON FEDERAL TAX CHARGES NEXT “I am convinced that the entire Justice System is just an institution of people with agendas; not an institution of laws,” he added. Hunter Biden was found guilty of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said in a statement following the verdict. Hunter Biden’s trial this month lasted about six and a half days and included emotional testimony from members of his family, including daughter Naomi Biden, ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and sister-in-law turned girlfriend, Hallie Biden. HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL Prosecutors worked to prove that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. Hunter Biden purchased the gun from a store called StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington. Special Counsel David Weiss on Tuesday said that no-one is “above the law” and that “Hunter Biden should be no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of this same conduct” while speaking to the media Tuesday afternoon. The ex-business associate’s response echoes the Trump campaign, whose spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, highlighted his “real crimes.” “This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine,” she said in a statement. “Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit,” she said. Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Supreme Court Historical Society blasts ‘surreptitious’ recording as Dems target Justice Alito
The Supreme Court Historical Society (SCHS) is condemning a secret audio recording that took place at its recent annual dinner, during which a liberal filmmaker presented herself as a conservative supporter to Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and his wife Martha-Ann Alito in order to ask them questions. “We condemn the surreptitious recording of Justices at the event, which is inconsistent with the entire spirit of the evening,” SCHS executive director James Duff said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Attendees are advised that discussion of current cases, cases decided by this Court, or a Justice’s jurisprudence is strictly prohibited and may result in forfeiture of membership in the Society.” The filmmaker, Lauren Windsor, recorded the justices without their knowledge at the event on June 3. The audio files were later published by Rolling Stone. She engaged Alito in conversation about ideological differences, and the justice claimed, “there are differences on fundamental things that really can’t be compromised,” in one recording. ‘LOOSE CANNON’: SENATE DEM ESCALATES ATTACK ON JUSTICE ALITO AFTER SECRET RECORDING Windsor prompted the justice further, saying to him, “People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that – to return our country to a place of godliness.” Alito responded to her, “I agree with you. I agree with you.” TRUMP TO MEET WITH HOUSE, SENATE REPUBLICANS IN DC THIS WEEK The article highlighted both the justice’s remarks on ideology and compromise as well as his agreement on the notion of returning the country to “godliness.” In response to an assertion from Windsor, Roberts pushed back at the undercover filmmaker. “The idea that the court is in the middle of a lot of tumultuous stuff going on is nothing new,” he said. MIKE LEE PRAISES TRUMP FOR RESISTING CLINTON LAWFARE, WARNS BIDEN OF SLIPPERY SLOPE Duff explained in his statement following the article, “The Annual Dinner of the Supreme Court Historical Society is an occasion to recognize and support the educational and historical work of the Society over the last year. Society members are allowed to purchase two tickets, one for themselves and one for a guest.” “Our policy is to ensure that all attendees, including the Justices, are treated with respect,” he added. SENATE DEM DOUBLES DOWN ON OLD ALITO COMPLAINT AS SCOTUS NEARS TRUMP IMMUNITY RULING The recordings, while brushed off by conservatives on social media as non-controversial, served to fuel additional criticism against Alito by Senate Judiciary Democrats, who have revived efforts to force his recusal from cases related to the 2020 election. Scrutiny was renewed when the New York Times reported on flags that were flown at Alito’s homes in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. One of his homes briefly flew an upside down American flag, which he said was his wife’s doing and unrelated to Jan. 6, and his beach home was seen flying an “Appeal to Heaven” flag, which is a historic Navy flag that is still used for official purposes across the country. Despite the ongoing calls for recusal ahead of a decision being released on former President Trump’s immunity claim in his federal election interference case, Alito has refused to do so. A decision in the Trump immunity matter is expected from the court this month.
Will Hunter Biden guilty verdicts impact his father’s rematch with Trump in 2024 presidential election?
President Biden issued a heartfelt statement after his sole surviving son was convicted in federal court in Delaware. “I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” Biden said Tuesday minutes after Hunter Biden was found guilty by a federal jury on criminal gun charges. The younger Biden was convicted on three counts tied to his October 2018 purchase and possession of a revolver while using illegal drugs. Federal prosecutors accused the president’s son of lying on a federal background check form when he claimed he was not using or addicted to illegal drugs. While the case appears to be a personal and emotional distraction for the president, the big question moving forward is whether his son’s guilty verdicts will make any kind of political impact on Biden’s 2024 election rematch with former President Trump and whether it will influence persuadable voters. CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES IN THE HUNTER BIDEN TRAIL CONVICTIONS “Today’s conviction of Hunter Biden on all counts is unlikely to have much impact on the presidential campaign,” veteran New Hampshire-based political scientist and New England College president Wayne Lesperance told Fox News. Lesperance said that “while they share the same last name, Hunter is not Joe and voters will not hold the father accountable for the crimes of the son.” HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILD ON ALL CHARGES IN HIS CRIMINAL TRIAL Longtime Republican strategist and communicator Ryan Williams agreed, saying, “It’s a deep personal blow to the president, but I don’t think it will have that much of an impact on the election. People aren’t going to vote for or against Joe Biden based on his son’s actions.” The president, who has said he wouldn’t pardon his son if Hunter was convicted, emphasized in his post-verdict statement that “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” Biden’s language stands in direct contrast with Trump, who repeatedly slammed his own recent trial as “rigged” and a “sham.” Trump was found guilty of all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to payments during the 2016 election that he made to Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about his alleged affair with the adult film actress. TRUMP’S WEST COAST SWING PAYS OFF AS HE TAPS BLUE STATE’S POLITICAL ATM Prosecutors in the case – which was the first trial of a former or current president in the nation’s history – argued that this amounted to illegally seeking to influence the 2016 election. Trump repeatedly claimed, without providing concrete evidence, that the trial was a “political Witch Hunt” orchestrated by the president and the Justice Department. But Williams, a veteran of a handful of Republican presidential campaigns, said Hunter Biden’s convictions “undercut the argument that Trump makes that the Department of Justice is politically motivated against him and Republicans. Joe Biden’s Justice Department has convicted President Trump. It’s also convicted his own son.” Lesperance agreed, saying the “verdict blunts GOP claims about a partisan judiciary targeting Republicans. It is difficult to imagine how Republicans can claim bias as they did following the Trump verdict when today’s conviction involved the son of the sitting Democratic president.” Hunter Biden will likely be sentenced in the trial – which witnessed graphic testimony of his years-long struggle with drug addiction – just days before the November presidential election. And he faces a second trial in California in September over his failure to pay taxes for several years. The guilty verdicts could provide Trump and his allies with more ammunition as they aim to conflate the former president’s convictions with those of Hunter Biden. The Trump campaign, reacting to the verdict, argued in a statement that “this trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine.” Ryan said Tuesday’s verdicts “muddy the waters to some degree now that there are convictions on both sides.” But seasoned Democratic operative Joe Caiazzo called the comparison “a false equivalent” because “Hunter Biden is not on the ballot.” “The Trump campaign is going to try to use this as a political football, which is disturbing, disgusting and dishonest. Millions of Americans deal with substance issues on a daily basis,” Caiazzo, a veteran of several Democratic presidential campaigns, said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Jury likely considered Hunter Biden’s own words in memoir as ‘powerful’ evidence to convict: experts
Following the historic conviction of a sitting president’s son, some legal experts pointed to Hunter Biden’s own memoir of his drug addiction recovery as “powerful” evidence for the jury to convict him. Hunter Biden was found guilty on Tuesday of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. After a week of witness testimony, the 12 jurors deliberated a total of three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Legal experts speaking to Fox News Digital pointed to Hunter Biden’s 2021 book titled, “Beautiful Things: A Memoir,” chronicling his battle with addiction to illegal drugs, which they argued likely served as compelling evidence to the jury. The autobiographical book was played aloud in the courtroom, narrated in Hunter Biden’s voice as he was sitting in the courtroom. HUNTER BIDEN ‘DISAPPOINTED’ BY GUILTY VERDICT, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CALLS GUN TRIAL A ‘DISTRACTION’ “A lot of cases you’ll have admissions by defendant, you know, by police interrogation or whatever. And those are quite powerful. I always liked having them in a case,” Jonathan Fahey, a former federal prosecutor and white-collar crime attorney, told Fox News Digital in an interview. Prosecutors referred to several excerpts of the book during witness testimony, including references to “crackhead wisdom,” and the “ability to find crack in any town.” “Crack takes you into the darkest recesses of your soul, as well as the darkest corners of every community,” Hunter Biden wrote in the book. “When I could, I tried to buy from a user instead of a dealer,” he wrote. “I could get off a plane in Timbuktu and find some crack,” Biden writes in the book. He describes how he could be a “crack daddy” to Washington, D.C., drug dealers because his addiction was so strong. The prosecution had to prove that Biden was addicted to illegal drugs when he purchased a handgun, and that he lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. HUNTER BIDEN FOUND GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN GUN TRIAL “But when you have their admissions, where they’re not being interrogated, when it’s just by their own volition, in his case, trying to sell a book or as part of his book – I think it’s pretty powerful to then say, you know, essentially I wasn’t candid in my book, and I’m candid now,” Fahey said of Biden’s defense strategy. “I do think it is quite compelling that you have his own words,” Fahey said, adding that testimony from close family members who “corroborated” each other also likely impacted the jury. John Malcolm, a former federal prosecutor in Atlanta, said he was not surprised a verdict was reached quickly, saying “the evidence of Hunter Biden’s guilt was overwhelming.” “That evidence included not only contemporaneous text messages to and from Hunter himself, but testimony from people who care about Hunter Biden, but who had to admit that he was in the throes of addiction at the time he made the choice to purchase a firearm, as well as testimony from Hunter himself in the form of excerpts from his book in which he chronicled his struggles with addiction at the time he purchased the firearm,” Malcolm said. HUNTER BIDEN WILL NOT TESTIFY IN HIS CRIMINAL GUN TRIAL “The only open question was whether the jurors would ignore the evidence and the instructions from the judge and engage in jury nullification because of the fact that he is a Biden in a small state in which the Bidens have dominated the political landscape for decades,” Malcolm said. Throughout the trial, members of Biden’s family, including first lady Jill Biden, were present in the courtroom. “The members of the jury, to their credit, managed to set that aside and focused on the task at hand,” Malcolm said. “I think it was an accumulation. There’s not necessarily one smoking gun so to speak,” Jim Trusty, a former federal prosecutor and former lawyer for former President Trump, told Fox News Digital, adding that Biden’s memoir was “a big piece of evidence.” “They started with that for a reason,” he said. Hunter Biden reacted to the guilty verdict on Tuesday in a statement saying, “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome.” “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he added. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Four Texas House Republicans censured for campaigning against incumbents
The censured members said they had been punished for campaigning against “liberal incumbents” alongside statewide elected officials like Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Republicans vow to continue pursuing ‘Biden crime family’ after Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict
Reactions from Republicans poured in after Hunter Biden was found guilty on all charges Tuesday morning in his historic criminal case focused on his purchase of a firearm in 2018. Last year, Hunter Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time for his felony gun charge. But that arrangement – dubbed a “sweetheart deal” by Republicans – fell apart when it was revealed Biden is still under investigation for possible Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) crimes. “Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal was smoked out after scrutiny by a federal judge,” House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said in a statement after Tuesday’s verdict. “Today’s verdict is a step toward accountability but until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated over $18 million in foreign payments to the Biden family, it will be clear department officials continue to cover for the Big Guy, Joe Biden.” JURORS MIGHT BELIEVE HUNTER BIDEN IS GUILTY AND VOTE TO ACQUIT HIM ANYWAY In the months preceding Hunter Biden’s trial, Comer pledged to target President Biden, asserting “this was always about Joe Biden” and vowed to continue investigating him in the subsequent stage of Biden’s impeachment inquiry. “Remember, this is an investigation of Joe Biden,” Comer said on Fox News’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo. “Hunter Biden, Jim Biden, Eric Schwerin, Devon Archer – these are all witnesses in an investigation of Joe Biden. This was always about Joe Biden.” Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to President Trump, said in a post on X following the verdict that the “DOJ is running election interference for Joe Biden – that’s why DOJ did NOT charge Hunter with being an unregistered foreign agent (FARA) or any crime connected with foreign corruption.” “Why? Because all the evidence would lead back to JOE. DOJ is Joe’s election protection racket,” he said. In response, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said, “And yet Dems will now point to Hunter’s conviction as evidence that ‘there’s no lawfare.’” For his part, Rep. Matt Gatez, R-Fla., said on X, “The Hunter Biden gun conviction is kinda dumb tbh.” Other Republicans used news of the guilty verdict to circle back to concerns over Biden family business dealings. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., said, “Biden DOJ is trying to distract Americans from the $20 million the Biden family raked in from China, Russia, Ukraine, etc.” “Can Joe Biden explain what the money was for?” Hunter Biden has previously claimed he didn’t “stand to gain anything” from his role on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma despite it leading to him making millions of dollars. HUNTER BIDEN ENTERS DAY 6 OF CRIMINAL TRIAL WITH POSSIBILITY OF TAKING THE STAND Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., also posted his reaction to the verdict on X. “Never forget DOJ tried to avoid this trial & verdict by giving Hunter a sweetheart plea deal. Until the judge exposed them,” he said. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., told reporters he’ll “be very curious to see when they schedule the actual sentencing.” “That will be interesting because then you get to see if they’re going to do it before, after it impacts Joe Biden if he gives him a pardon.” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., also posted on X: “GUILTY. Accountability for the Biden Crime Family at last?” “The Biden Crime Family is exposed again,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., wrote on X. “No one, including Joe Biden’s son, is above the law. It’s time the DOJ takes action on Hunter Biden for using his father’s position to make millions of dollars from foreign influence peddling and even lying to Congress about it.” “In 2020, Blinken led 50 former intel officials in falsely claiming the Hunter laptop story was Russian disinfo,” Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote on X, referencing the current secretary of state, Antony Blinken. “Social media companies then silenced all who dissented including the New York Post. Now Joe Biden’s OWN DOJ is using that same laptop as evidence to prosecute Hunter.” HUNTER BIDEN’S DRUG USE: WHAT THE PROSECUTION NEEDS TO PROVE AND WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW “Today is the first step in delivering accountability for the Biden crime family,” Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said to reporters Tuesday. “We must and we will continue as House Republicans to investigate the Biden crime family, for the corrupting influence peddling schemes that generated over $18 million in foreign payments to the Biden crime family members. So this is one step, but again, it goes back to the corruption of Joe Biden’s DOJ as they tried to negotiate a sweetheart plea deal.” Hunter Biden faced a trial this month that lasted more than a week and included emotional testimony from members of his family, including daughter Naomi Biden, ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and sister-in-law turned girlfriend Hallie Biden. Prosecutors worked to prove that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. Hunter Biden purchased the gun from a store called StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington. The president’s son pleaded not guilty in the case. Hunter Biden has a well-documented history of drug abuse, most notably described in his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” which walks readers through his previous need to smoke crack cocaine every 20 minutes, how his addiction was so prolific that he referred to himself as a “crack daddy” to drug dealers, and anecdotes revolving around drug deals, such as a Washington, D.C., crack dealer Biden nicknamed “Bicycles.” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.
UN Security Council passes US-backed Gaza cease-fire proposal
The U.N. Security Council voted in favor of a U.S.-backed proposal for a cease-fire in Gaza on Monday. The 15-member council negotiated over the deal for more than a week prior to Monday’s vote. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield praised the outcome as a “vote for peace.” Both Hamas and Israel have indicated that they favor the proposal. “Yesterday, the UN Security Council called on Hamas to accept the deal on the table, which would end the fighting in Gaza. What is needed – now more than ever – is a ceasefire with the release of hostages. Israel has already accepted this deal. Now, the ball is in Hamas’ court,” Thomas-Greenfield wrote in a Tuesday statement. The proposal passed with a unanimous 14-0 vote, with Russia abstaining. BLINKEN LANDS IN EGYPT AS BIDEN ADMIN SEEKS TO PUSH CEASEFIRE, PREVENT ESCALATION WITH HEZBOLLAH The cease-fire proposal calls for a three-phase process leading to the end of Israel’s war in Gaza, beginning with the exchange of hostages in Gaza for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The second phase would see a negotiated end to the war and Israel withdrawing from Gaza. The third phase would cover the rebuilding of Gaza. While Biden’s administration says Israel has accepted the deal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not acknowledged that publicly. Thomas-Greenfield noted the discrepancy in a Monday interview with NPR. “He hasn’t said [he accepts], for reasons that I am not… that I can’t get into here,” she said. A senior Hamas official confirmed the cease-fire deal on Tuesday. Sami Abu Zuhri said Hamas is ready to negotiate over the details, adding that it was up to Washington to ensure that Israel abides by it. BIDEN ADMIN SLAMMED FOR ‘DOUBLING DOWN’ ON ALLEGED GAZA REFUGEE PLANS “The U.S. administration is facing a real test to carry out its commitments in compelling the occupation to immediately end the war in an implementation of the U.N. Security Council resolution,” Abu Zuhri said. Osama Hamdan, another senior Hamas leader, echoed calls for a permanent cease-fire and said the group is ready for a fair prisoner exchange deal, but he said the U.N. resolution has flaws and that Secretary of State Antony Blinken “is one of the obstacles to reaching an agreement because he acts solely according to ‘Israel’s’ wishes.” “The resolution contains points we do not accept, but its main aspects are positive,” Hamdan said. “The Security Council resolution will not take effect on the ground unless the occupation agrees to it.”