EDITOR’S NOTE, February 16, 2024: On February 15, Justice Department Counsel David Weiss indicted FBI informant Alexander Smirnov on two felony counts of making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record for claims made to the bureau. The charges are in relation to June 2020 FD-1023 form alleging President Joe Biden and son Hunter Biden received a combined $10 million in a bribery scheme involving the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.
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On Wednesday, House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer (R-KY) released records detailing payments that the Biden family received from corrupt business associates in foreign countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. This was ignored by the “big three” evening news broadcasts of ABC’s World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News.
Instead, the three networks gave airtime to a billion-dollar lottery ticket sold in Florida (ABC and CBS), and plans for the first space tourist flight (NBC).
Fox News Channel’s Special Report not only had the story but even ran the segment at the beginning of the newscast.
Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reported that “the memo appears to reveal millions coming from Ukrainian energy firm Burisma where Hunter Biden served on the board.”
Even worse, “Records released by House Republicans indicate President Biden attended dinners in Washington with ex-Soviet empire oligarchs.”
Despite howling that former President Donald Trump colluded with the Russians (which was always a hoax), then-Vice President Joe Biden had dinner with Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina after she sent “millions to Hunter Biden's business partners.”
“Also a transaction of $142,000 which allegedly landed in the account of a Hunter Biden-related firm. Hunter later received a high-end sports car, supposedly costing the same amount,” Pergram added.
Democrats in Congress were predictably denying any wrongdoing by Joe Biden. “The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Jamie Raskin says the transactions do not involve the President,” Pergram reported. “Raskin characterized this as an effort to justify calls for an impeachment inquiry.”
Pergram ended by quipping “The GOP says this was not only pay-to-play but pay-to-dine and with the car pay-to-drive.”
This bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by Allstate on ABC, Progressive on CBS, and Liberty Mutual on NBC.
The transcript is below:
FNC’s Special Report
8/9/2023
6:02:47 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: New developments tonight in the Biden family business scandal. The House Oversight Committee has released bank records detailing alleged payments from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan to the Biden family and its business associates. The White House is calling the memo old news, innuendo, and misdirection without any connection to President Biden. Republicans say they are continuing to follow the money and the communication. Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram is on capitol hill.
CHAD PERGRAM: The memo appears to reveal millions coming from Ukrainian energy firm Burisma where Hunter Biden served on the board. Records released by House Republicans indicate President Biden attended dinners in Washington with ex-Soviet empire oligarchs.
REP. BYRON DONALDS: This is payback for the millions of dollars that the Biden family received because of their access to the brand, to the big guy, being Joe Biden. There were no services being delivered, except for access.
PERGRAM: Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina is one of the richest women in Russia. She allegedly scored a dinner with then Vice President Biden at D.C.'s swank cafe Milano, but only after sending millions to Hunter Biden's business partners. The White House ducked when asking how Baturina dodged sanctions earlier this year.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: I'm not speaking to individual -- individual persons from Russia.
PERGRAM: Republicans believe this makes the connection between the son and the father.
REP. JIM JORDAN: 30-plus meetings. 20-some phone calls. Dinners with the wealthiest woman in Russia and all they talked about was the weather we’re supposed to believe.
PERGRAM: Also a transaction of $142,000 which allegedly landed in the account of a Hunter Biden-related firm. Hunter later received a high-end sports car, supposedly costing the same amount. The top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Jamie Raskin says the transactions do not involve the President. Raskin characterized this as an effort to justify calls for an impeachment inquiry. Other Democrats believe it's about something else.
REP. JIM MCGOVERN: This is about distraction, this is about revenge and this is about doing what Donald Trump wants them to do.
PERGRAM: Some Republicans say the records point toward impeachment.
REP. SCOTT FITZGERALD: There’s no doubt that there’s gonna be not only an inquiry but I think an impeachment trial that will move forward sometime this fall.
PERGRAM: The GOP says this was not only pay-to-play but pay-to-dine and with the car pay-to-drive, Bret?
