Hunter Biden Military Tribunal: Day I. Although the military had plenty to charge Hunter Biden with, Rear Adm. Darse E. Crandall, standing for the prosecution, said at the start of Monday’s tribunal that he would focus only on the most egregious charges and ignore lesser crimes to avoid dragging out the tribunal and wasting the military’s time.
He told the 3-officer panel he was confident in JAG’s ability to convict Biden on charges of treason and conspiracy, rape, and child sex crimes.
Despite facing a capitol case and a potential death sentence, Biden, handcuffed at the wrists, swaggered into GITMO’s south courtroom and flashed an artificial grin at the officers tasked with weighing the military’s case against him. His smile was artificial because years of chronic drug use—crack-cocaine and crystal meth—had rotted his natural teeth to the jawbone.
Hunter Biden, a lawyer, had declined outside counsel in favor of representing himself.
“This trial is a circus,” Biden said in an opening statement, “and I am innocent of all charges. Yes, I’ve made some poor decisions in my life—but those decisions affected me and only me. There is no proof, absolutely none, that I have committed crimes in or against the United States of America. I am the First Son, and my father will see that this commission is prosecuted for its crimes against law-abiding American citizens—like me.
Rear Adm. Crandall introduced into evidence a laptop that once belonged to Hunter Biden, calling it the “infamous computer” that elicited protracted media controversy.
The basics of the story are well-documented: The New York Post had obtained from the laptop emails showing that Biden had received $10m from Chinese billionaire Ye Jianming for an introduction to the “big guy,” ostensibly Joseph Biden. A former business partner of Hunter Biden’s, Tony Bobulinski, later confirmed the allegations, saying that the Bidens began receiving large Chinese payouts as early as June 2017.
The $10m payout was only the beginning, Rear Adm. Crandall told the tribunal, for Hunter had taken numerous payouts from several influential Chinese billionaires with ties to the PRC and that nation’s Ministry of State—China’s version of the CIA.
He laid on the defense table a second laptop and an iPad that the military had seized during a raid on Hunter Biden’s Venice, California, estate. They, too, held innumerable emails and financial records proving that Biden had received approximately $250m in Chinese payouts between 2017 and the time of his arrest.
“Seventy-five million dollars in 15 installments from Chen Dongsheng under the condition that 35% be put toward demonizing Donald J. Trump and taking ‘any action necessary’ to prevent his 2020 reelection. In a January 19, 2019, response email, Hunter wrote back, “You don’t need to worry about Trump. You don’t have to worry about Trump at all. Monies are well spent. Trump won’t be president if–he’s around at all.””
“We know he wouldn’t talk during his first deposition. Maybe he’ll talk now. Hunter, did you collect that cash on behalf of dear old dad? Did he coerce you?”
Hunter shut his mouth.
Rear Adm. Crandall then pointed out that Chen Dongsheng was no ordinary Chinese citizen. No common billionaire.
“It’s known to us that Dongsheng is a PRC asset, and I find it hard to believe that the Biden’s didn’t know,” Rear Adm. Crandall said. “Documents on his devices show he’s been privy to all his father’s dealings and intelligence for over 12 years. Hunter was the point man for an operation to solicit funds from foreign actors that stood to gain from a Biden presidency and suffer if Trump got reelected. This wasn’t a fundraising campaign; it was treason.”
In all, he showed the tribunal 250 emails and 645 pieces of financial documentation detailing Biden’s dealings with shadowy figures from the bowels of the Communist nation’s security and secrecy agencies.
Biden objected: “None of this proves anything. These devices aren’t mine. Never owned them. Never saw them. The military invented them to trap me.”
“I’d expect better from a lawyer. I assure the commission that these items have been digitally authenticated as belonging to Hunter Biden. And he didn’t care that he left his fingerprints all over them. Ownership of them is indisputable.
After another round of irrelevant objections, Rear Adm. Crandall put the tribunal in recess until Tuesday morning.
Hunter Biden Military Tribunal: Day I