From your times, I'm like our own this israeli this morning, when hunter Biden enters a guilty play in delaware, courtroom it will mark the end of a year long federal investigation. That many republicans believed would put the press his son in prison and put an end to the Biden presidency. today, my colleague MIKE Schmidt, Why none of that has happened. It's Wednesday July. Twenty six so much

the past several years, we ve come to understand that the president's son hunter Biden was under a fellow. Instigation and a case that had become profoundly politicized and today as that investigation wraps up hunter Biden will enter a plea deal so set that scene for us in a few hours hunter Biden we walk into a federal court room in delaware and he will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges. Essentially he did not pay his taxes, pretty big tax bills for two years and he will admit to having lied to the federal government when he purchased a handgun, because when he bought that hand gun, he like every american that tries to buy a gun is asked.

You using drugs. At this point like on a form correctly, he had to fill out a form and he check the box tat. He had not been using drunk when, in fact he had correct, ok and what kind of charges that you said, the first two misdemeanors. The third thing is this unusual resolution of sorts of a criminal matter. It's called a diversion agreement, they are going to divert birth to accused of him on this charge, and if stays clean for two years and he can do used to not own a gun, he will never be prosecuted on it, okay, so in totality when he entered His deal for the three issues you just raise. What kind of a prison sentence is looking up? If everything goes according to plan, basically the agreement worked out by the defence lawyers and the prosecutor

Is he will not go to prison for any time? So we are looking here at the president son entering a plea deal for a couple. A misdemeanor is and not going to be serving any prison time whatsoever. That doesn't seem like all that big, a prosecution, effective seems like a very small prosecution. Is that what we had expected? Well, if you were a rapporteur who was trying to fix, out what was going on here for the past. Several in several years this is not a surprise, but few are a republican or a donald trump supporter. or someone who has been in seeing a lot of donald trump and conservative media. Then. this- is a very surprising outcome who this was going to be the criminal matter that was going to expose Not only biden

family members, but the president himself as being someone that had taken much from foreigners to change american policy. Someone who was completely compromised by his foreign ties and that this whole matter was going to end. The Biden family an essentially allow Donald trump to become president and again right. It was going all the way to the top, and it was basically the watergate of the Biden in the eyes and the imagination of the conservative women it was to end this five decades long political career of Joe Biden, which is not what happened or anything close to it. So help us understand MIKE what honour Biden actually did why

ever triggered a federal investigation, and why, for so many americans who, as you said, were ingesting this republican approach to this case, the thought was that it would ever become something that big, an import so in some ways it's just the story of a father and his son binding is the second son of Joe Biden and he ended. becoming a lobbyist. He made her they are of money in the early two, thousands in that job, but and his father becomes a vice president and he stopped his lobbying were probably because his father gave I present. The optics were too

complicated to be a lobbyist and have your father is vice president, but hunter Biden had a lifestyle that he'd needed to fund and maintain so in an attempt to keep that life style. He heads down a different path, which was hunter Biden, was going to find opportunities abroad where he could AIS and consult, hmm, which kind of sounds just as problematic as lobbying when your dad is vp, but for some reason he thought that was the better route. So he heads down this path with a business partner and reaches these consulting contracts. These deals with foreigners. What kind of you give us some examples? The most important high profile, one of them all was with the ukrainian energy company called teresa breeze were had a lot of problems. They were accused of being corrupt, and the obama administration

with Joe Biden leading the charge was supporting investigations into charisma as part of an international anti corruption push and so borri smell was trying to fit their reputation and their issues a bra and in the united states, it's around this time that they hired hunter by two beyond their bore. So this is a pretty sticky wicket, as they say, from the gecko in washington, where optics on Conflicts of interest are really important and taken very seriously. This is not something that looks so kosher end. It raise concern inside the then obama administration about what was really going on. So one is happening with this messy arrangement, so hunter bite

and probably not someone that strikes you as a ukraine or energy expert, and he gets a job paying him six hundred thousand dollars a year to beyond the sport, to consult and advise and be a board member. So this is kind of what it looks like it is ripe, berries, ma has probably hired hunter Biden with the idea that he might help them get out of some of the state, situations therein, knowing that his dad is vice president, why else would they pay him that much money, it raises some darn good old fashion, good government questions like ok you have the vice president of the united states. He has a sun watcher that son be able to do pursue his own career in a way that is fair to the sun, but also does tarnish american foreign policy right, and there are a lot of

essentially great options out there, and this probably isn't the best one? This is a smack dab, fair question Should the vice president son be doing this? Does it burmese american foreign policy. An american efforts to you know, do what it wants to do abroad. So because of this dynamic because of hunter binds. Ukraine lings it cast a shadow or questions over everything that Joe Biden does in regard to ukraine, including his efforts to have a proper Peter removed. Who was looking apparition right, and I remember this. It was because, according who Biden and obama that prosecutor wasn't being vigilant enough in his pursuit of crops It just takes this situation and it is ok. What's really going on here me, for reasons that are legitimate. Maybe for reasons that are unlike what does Biden say throughout this

Here it about what his relationship is to his son hunters work when it comes to ukraine. he says he has no relation to his sons were, but really doesn't have to address it, because it's not a big public issue right cause he's just vice president, his vice resident? It's the end of the administration, and he's not running for president twenty seventeen, but then all of a sudden he is by twenty twenty, so bring us to that point in the store. by two thousand and eighteen. In two thousand nineteen donald trump realises dad he's gonna be running for real action and the person who he thinks is most likely to beat him is Joe Biden. now when buying son walks away with millions of dollars from ukraine. He knows nothing and they're, paying him millions of dollars. That's corruption and trust

It starts to raise the issue of Joe Biden, hunter Biden and Sma, while I think Biden is going down, and I think, though, with your wife that, because now you may very well find that there are many other countries they scam, Tromp comes up with an argument that Joe by It is corrupt because of this one bite is a disgrace. What a sunday is a disgrace. The son took money from ukraine. The son took money from I know a lot of he starts to pressure his justice department to do something about this, though I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the and he dispatches his law time, lawyer and confident, rudy giuliani to ukraine too. oh gather evidence that can then be brought back to the

It states justice department to be used in a prosecution, as trump is. Casting about for any way to raise this, he has his. Now infamous perfect phone call with the ukrainian. President, the load, a mere zalewski right and when He says I would really appreciate it if you could get to the bottom of the providing one hundred Biden brees. My story for me by the way it might make a big difference in terms of some of that aid that the? U s sends to at the seams that he's holding up much needed aid to prevent the russians from over running the country right. This, of course, becomes the basis for the first congressional impeachment adoniram correct drums. First impeachment right.

so in the background is trumpet kicking a ball this stuff about hunter. A real justice department investigation is taking hold, the justice department. Officials in washington took all the questions about hunter Biden and they gave them to the trump pointed united states attorney in delaware, David wise to look into and this is two thousand starting in two thousand eighteen and nineteen to us as trump is trying to get Rudy giuliani, to galvanise the world looking for evidence in is getting impeach for all this whatever these federal prosecutors are digging into hunter binds life got it they're, starting this examination, basically of everything that hunter Biden has done. All of the deal's. All of his worn interactions. All of his taxes. Every

you're looking at his entire life, and it's not known publicly that this is going on here, like MIKE. This is the moment where two universes start to diverge In one universe, like you said, there's an unseen an investigation going on trying to figure out what is the, what with honour Biden and then the other universe. Could you say it's too? Nineteen trump is running re election and eventually against Joe Biden and as you say, kicking above his stuff spread claims, which are trying I think that look. There is the political and there is the law enforcement, so polite we Donald trump is out there saying jobs and in his son or corrupt, and it's all because of ukraine. On the, their hand where no one can see off to the side are

prosecutors were beginning to look at every aspect of hunter binds life right and the one we the public seas is the trump one and it becomes a drumbeat because of its coming up at major moment, in the campaign? Roger? You know nothing. about energy. You know nothing about. You know nothing about anything. Frankly, hunter you're, a loser. Why did you get one five billion dollars. This is a major tenant of his stump speeches in interviews in tweets and never did he do with bernard hundreds of real fastened, become so at the forefront of the campaign. They donald trump at one of the debates raises the question of hunters- conduct this credit berlin array, her hundred eighty three dollars a month. with no experience in energy network, I saw it did nothing wrong and parisian. Mister president, I want an answer is

is Biden, was adamant that there is nothing to what trump was saying. Trump is essentially seeding the country no notions of hunter Biden condom other day another explosive report surroundings, zero experience, hunter Biden, he's kicking off. All these different ideas and theories, conspiracy theories and allegations that are covered widely in the conservative media, and it's not just about hunter Biden. It's now, about Joe Biden as he now Here's to have put national security risk so that his family, he cash in and make millions hunter bind in his business partners, helped rich chinese investors and members of the chinese communist party meetings would then vice president Zyobite there's a money order. A case that I could prove and four minutes Fourteen million dollars involving the binds as trump in the final weeks of the election is looking, for

any way to get the upper hand in an election? He knows he's losing something of a gift, for him appears it is not just there is overwhelming, and that was hunter Biden slack so hunter Biden. had struggled mightily with addiction. He hit a low point, two thousand and eighteen where he was smoking crack with strangers. In the midst of that, he had dropped off his laptop, which he thought he damage with water adder repair shop. In delaware, He never went back to pick it up by the summer of twenty twenty, the height of the twenty twenty campaign, that laptop is in the hands of rudy giuliani.

and trump in giuliani think that they have the october surprise that will keep trump in office right. They believe that whatever is my laptop is the key to unlocking what they have long believed and hold their supporters. Is the true corrupt, Nature of the relationship between hunter Joe Biden and all the work understand it's gonna, be there in some email in the laptop is not pretty. Its contents are very ugh. Because what it is is a lot of photos. in messages hunter Biden took and sent at the height of his addiction, but does that laptop end up containing anything?

That shows something we didn't already know about his relationship to his dad in his business. It doesn't go much further her, then these major questions that have hung over hunter binds businesses But of course this does not end up being and october surprised that changes dynamic of the selection trump loses now Leslie doesn't, except that fact but loses, but there is if you're tromp and you This story do not go away the reality that a federal investigation is still going on. In the background, trump didn't know that he didn't in the week after the election hunter vine put. Statement and says on the subject of an irish tax investigation and from says what the heck I didn't know about this, I didn't know about the federal investigation. Deity

any general billboard had kept it from trump and trump is furious, with bar for not having publicized it to help him in the lead up to the election. So as Donald trump is heading off stage, the only hope that he in the right have that hunter Biden is going to take down Joe Biden. Is this still ongoing investigation in delaware trump, and the right now have an issue that investigation. Will now be overseen by oh binds. Justice department, and his hand pit attorney general

we'll be right back. This is our glass, the host of this american life and I'm here, because one of our producers has a brand new podcast and its story that when you hear it, you like, I can't believe this really happened. You get mad that women who enter the yale fertility centre and had a procedure called an egg retrieval impatient after patient month after month, with the pain of excruciating as if the amis asia was working at all, They say the pain was ignored. Some of them. There must be something wrong with them until finally, find out what is really going on As things unfolded from there, it's called the retrievals she's in britain is than some of the most memorable stories on this american life produced by our co workers

that cereal production and by the new york times again. The retrieval was one of the first one. I better get hooked find it wherever you get your punkahs. So MIKE what happens once this federal investigation, leaves the trump administration and is inherited by president binds justice department so for He knows is clear as day that, if tries to meddle in this at all? He's gonna get crush for so he is gonna, go to great pain, to ensure that he has no influence or the appearance of that influence over the investigation. And what does that look like the grape in the Biden and his administration go to preserve the independence of the hunter by investigation. So, the attorney general merrick garland, without

salting. Joe Biden keeps on that process tudor in delaware. David weiss, who was appointed by right, which is a alone usual. As I understand it, new presidents of different parties and they often replace all the us attorneys. They kept this guy on. They keep this guy on because he is going to finish. The hunter Biden investigation got it and they thought this was best way to insinuate that in instigation from the appearance of politics, so what does this have to train from delaware? What does he ultimately find and what are we in a learning about how much investigating has actually been doing is, as you said, zog going on in the background, so wise friends over every rock or pretty much rock it hunter binds life, particularly from this period of time when he was addicted to draw.

and was engaging in these risky unusual dealings with fires and while the accusations and the things from said were grandiose, remember, who's the investigation that was going to expose the Biden family as Chris only corrupt right, this resignation by wise, look at all these different things, and narrowing to questions of Andrew widens taxes. This purchase of a gun that he made in two thousand and eighty and my guts, shutting of why the investigation now rose so dramatically. Why after turning over every rock looking at it. We deal whether it was the bereaved medea ordeals like that. That weiss turns to what kind of feels like pretty pedestrian crewman

She is so if you accept wisest investigation at face value its that he looked at all things in while they may raise these good old fashion government questions of appearance of impropriety or why Is this elected official son doing these deals? Theirs, criminality that right can be ugly and still be legal correct, but because he's turned over the rocks in hunter binds life from a particularly rocky period of time when he finds some stuff daddy int kosher right, the tax issue, the gun issue an end like, I wonder how due process peters normally think about crimes or alleged crimes like those, so legal experts will give you all sorts of it indians. But my reporting on this shows that these crimes,

these are usually not charge wanna, because there, too, small there too small bore their typically dealt with through a civil, fine but while finds himself in a situation where he has found criminality that the president's, has engaged in so is it the best thing for justice to avert your gaze of that criminality? What does that say? This is an interesting case where, because the investor it has gone on for so long and Doug around and so many corners, it's pretty hard to not charge hunter Biden with anything politically speaking, even when the things he be charged with, might not normally merit federal prosecutor charges Kerr, that's the weird position. the wisest and am I guess, the word position that hunter Biden gets it. This is the kind of strange case,

where hunter buttons name in the position is in, are not helping him the way, perhaps they did with this deal with teresa but are hurting him when it comes to being charged with crimes. That might be, as you say, caught a small current. But, of course, my group against, obviously don't see it. This way this case has turned out for them to be a major major disappointment, given their expectations, for how it would turn out in the way they ve talked about is they ve been gnawing on this hunter bide bone for many years now and now there being told that hunter Biden is gonna plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charge,

and have a diversion agreement on the purchase of a weapon right end being told that by a republican appointed? U s attorney no less, so the fix must have been it. In republicans, minds right, so how are they approaching this case? Now that you know in the minds of the justice department cut over so republic hence had wrestled back control of the house earlier this year, that has allowed them investigative power in the ability to promote what they want to promote and raise what they want to raise. What a welcome every here today in the course of that dave, focus themselves back on hunter Biden. Today we have to brave and credible hours whistleblowers who have risked their careers to come forward and provide important test about any done that

the help of irish investigators, who were originally working on this case, iris investigators, who got I didn't do it because of the allegations that hundred line didn't pay us taxes correct. My name is gary shapley. I worked as a special agent for iris criminal investigation for fourteen years, based on my experience, I'm here to tell you that the delaware? U S, attorney's office and department of justice handling the hunter bind tax investigation was

very different from any other case. My fourteen years at the irs to irish investigators, supported by house republicans, have come forward claiming they are whistleblowers and that there was political interference, so they have opened up a whole new chapter in the hunter Biden saga by accusing the justice department under both attorney general bar. When trump was president and attorney general miracle, ireland, when buying came in of treating hunter Biden differently, because he was the son of a former vice president and the president in April. Twenty two in a hearing, a train general girl and was asked how the american people could be confidently. Menstruation was conducting a serious investigation into the presidents. Own son the train, jenner girl and responded by saying, because we put the investigation the hands of a trumpet pointy. He led congress to believe the case was insulated from improper political influence

because all decisions will be made exclusively by delaware. Nice attorney David wise, but that was not true their most salacious allegation is that weiss, the trump appointed? U s attorney. Did not really have the full authority to be whatever charges he wanted. I wash you nice attorney why cell room for senior we are in iraq, senior leaders on october. Seventh, two thousand twenty two that he was not the deciding person and whether charges were filed. That was my read that the notion that, when attorney Oh garland said why,

it has the ability to do what he wants with this investigation that that wasn't true. If there's no further business without objection, the committee stands adjourned, but it doesn't appear like that's. The case. Weiss in letters to congress has said that he did have full authority to do what he wanted to do, This investigation and that there is nothing to the allegations, so this has become a bit of he said he said de the whistleblowers and wise yes, but with the republicans holding up the whistle blowers as the truth tellers and as evidence that the fix was her. So what should we make of what this has become since weiss, more or less ended? His investigation with a plea deal that we're about to see in court. Today and the congressional publicans picked it up and said: no, no, no! We're gonna get to the bottom of this and

the kind of flying around whistle blower. Testimony now shall we think about that. I'm not sure I think The one thing that I have learned is that every time that you think the hunter story is over? There is something else so in case, you had a years long investigation look at all the stuff and undermine sigh, frank, and last month it was announced that he was going to plead guilty de in that, there was a resolution to all of this, and then the whistleblowers stuff came and now has taken on a life of its own? So while it looks like one hundred Biden walks into court today, it's the end and as someone that has followed this weather you're going all the way back to trump trying to get

the ukrainians to investigate hunter Biden or guilty in delaware today, it just seems to keep on going. so we may very well end up in a year or so in a situation where there's a we run of four years ago is presidential debates, Joe Biden onstage, with donald trump and donald trump is accusing Joe fine of being involved in some sort of criminality with under Biden, even though the justice department is looked at all his claims and decided. There's nothing to prosecute without taking many leaps or liberties. It's pretty clear that the high your Biden story is, can be something that republicans and trump or not and be able to resist, seizing on because remember, Donald trump has been indicted by the Biden. Justice depart

on a slew, a felony charges that have exposed him too many years in prison. So is it that far fetched to think that donald trump will be back on that debate stage with jobs? I saying you're justice department laid on the brakes for your son at this time that a charge me in the hunter bind story will keep going and going Thank you very much appreciated. Thanks on tuesday. In a last minute, maneuver congressional republicans and conservative activists sought to intervene in hunter bindings pleading file

legal brings that urge the judge in the case, to throw out the agreement that huh Providing reached with prosecutors the times reports that the manoeuvre is unlikely to succeed, but highlights these, ordinary links that republicans will go to keep the hunt by the story in the national spotlight could write back with no fees or minimums banking with capital. One is the easiest decision in the history of decisions even easier than deciding to listen you another episode of your favorite podcast and with no overdraft fees? Is it even a decision that spanking re imagined, what's in your wallet term supply, see capital one dot, com, slash bank capital, one n member after I see

here's, what else you need to know today, on tuesday in a federal judge, struck down the binding ministrations latest plan to reduce illegal crossings at the? U S, mexico border, a plan that the vital ministration says has been working. The plan put in place in may punished: migrants who cross the border illegally and rewarding those who scheduled appointments to seek asylum as a result, border crossing fell sharply over the past few months. But the judge said at the policy violated federal law which says that foreigners who reach? U s? Soil are entitled to request asylum. No, or how they entered the country and the? U s? Department of justice has opened a civil rights investigation into harvard university's policy of giving

preference to the relatives of alumni and donors. When admitting students. The investigation appears to stem from a complaint filed by activist who argue that the foreign policy known as legacy admissions illegal, discriminates against black hispanic. An asian applicants in favour of wealthy students who were less qualified, tidies episode was produced by looking to educate and still a town with help from Michael Simon Johnson, me harbour and mary wasn't. It was edited by rachel quest her with her from Michael men want and John ketchup contains original, by mary amazon dan and diane walk in engineered by Chris. Would our athenians. is by just one burg and then land of wonderingly the

the that's it for the daily. I might go blah blah see tomorrow. This package is supported by better help you know. All of us gets sometimes so any need help getting unstuck, better help matthew with a therapist who can help you get back on track. Your mental health is too important to ignore. Visitors of this podcast get ten percent off their first month of therapy at better eighty lp dot com flesh new york times.