House Democrats say President Biden’s record is strong enough to pull him through his reelection efforts regardless of Hunter Biden’s legal problems and allegations of influence peddling and bribery.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York told The Washington Times that Mr. Biden is “going to have a phenomenal story to tell.”
“Illegal border crossings are down. Inflation is coming down, and gas prices are down, so the American people understand when folks are trying to distract the public … because the extreme MAGA Republicans don’t have the ability to talk about the economy.”
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut said Hunter Biden has already addressed his problems.
“The courts are moving forward with what they will do. I don’t think it deters the president’s electoral plans or what is his program or where he’s going,” she said. “I don’t think it will get in the way.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California said federal prosecutors are targeting Hunter Biden only because he is the president’s son.
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“I do think that if he were not the president’s son, he might not have been charged with some of those things in the first place,” the former House speaker said.
George Mason University political science professor Jeremy Mayer said the effect of Hunter Biden’s problems on the 2024 election depends on President Biden’s Republican opponent.
“If he runs against a squeaky-clean governor with no family problems, no personal scandals at all … Hunter Biden could hurt Joe Biden at the margins,” he said. “But if he’s running against Trump, he is just as dirty as they come in terms of American politics.”
He said former President Donald Trump, who faces a string of federal and state charges, has a long history of courtroom entanglements.
“He has been involved in many lawsuits before he was elected president the first time, thousands of civil lawsuits, both being sued and suing. Hunter Biden won’t matter,” the professor said.
The calculus changes dramatically if evidence emerges that President Biden was personally involved in a Hunter Biden scandal.
“If that does emerge, the Hunter Biden scandal could matter a lot,” Mr. Mayer said.
Federal officials revealed at a court hearing Wednesday that Hunter Biden could face charges of failure to register as a foreign agent while conducting highly profitable business deals with Ukraine, China and other countries where his politically powerful father held sway.
Prosecutors said an ongoing investigation of the president’s son could include violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA.
The 1938 law requires special registration with the Justice Department by anyone who works on behalf of a foreign country to influence U.S. policy or public opinion.
Evidence suggests that Hunter Biden used his father’s political position to score lucrative business deals with China, Russia, Ukraine and perhaps other countries that wanted to influence U.S. policy.
Prosecutors made this known in a federal court proceeding when Hunter Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges in a deal that also let him off on a felony gun charge.
The agreement collapsed when U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned the details of the plea deal with federal prosecutors.
Judge Noreika forced prosecutor Leo Wise to acknowledge that the Justice Department is investigating Hunter Biden in connection with other charges, including some related to FARA violations.
The judge ordered new court filings in the case by mid-August.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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