With 15 minutes to go until his inauguration, Joe Biden has snatched notoriety from the jaws of obscurity.
Opinion polls are at record lows and widely seen as .We're screwedBy granting preemptive pardons to his own family, President Biden completed his solo victory to the bottom of ethics.
The pardon was timed to prevent the media from focusing on further unethical behavior by this president. He didn't need to worry. For four years, the media has worked tirelessly to deny or deflect the corruption scandal surrounding the Biden family.
The pardons of James Biden, Sarah Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John Owens, and Frances Biden brought to light the inescapable corruption of what is known in Washington as the Biden Corporation.
I've been writing about corruption in the Biden family for decades. Influence peddling has always been a favorite form of corruption in Washington, but this city has never seen anything like the Bidens. Millions of dollars were secured from foreign sources and distributed among various members of the Biden family.
Biden repeatedly lied about his influence touts. He has long denied knowing about his son's foreign clients or business. He denied ever meeting Hunter's clients. Photos and emails later revealed that Mr. Biden apparently met with these clients and knew about their business dealings. He was fully aware that his family was using his name and various jobs to make money.
Even Biden's claims about his response to the Trump incident have been contradicted in recent days. Although he has long maintained that he leaves these cases to the Justice Department and takes no position on the merits, the Washington Post recently reported thatBiden was reportedly furious. For not prosecuting Trump before the election. He also reportedly slammed Attorney General Merrick Garland, saying he regretted his appointment given his failure to nail Trump.
One of the most obvious lies was that he would never forgive his son. Few believed him. In fact, Hunter Biden's bizarre criminal defense made no sense unless he knew there was a pocket pardon if all else failed.
Once Biden was removed from the presidential race, he was given free rein to sign a pardon for all crimes committed by his son over the past 10 years. He claimed he wasn't really lying. He claimed that no ordinary person would have been tried for his son's crimes, but this was clearly a false statement. He also stressed that he had to take this step as the father of a son who was a hopeless addict but has now been clean for many years.
However, this family's pardon shatters even that justification. These Bidens have not been charged with anything, but Biden wanted to protect them from the possibility of being charged with anything. It was the ultimate sign of contempt for the intelligence of the American people and the integrity of his office.
Biden has long practiced situational ethics, but as his mandate nears its end, circumstances call for him to cash in before his credibility erodes. By granting these pardons, Biden was trying to protect not only his family but himself. He was a target for spreading influence and repeatedly lied to bury scandals. This family isolation helps keep the threat away from himself.
But this time Biden may have been too smart by half. In the final moments of his presidency, he invaded public life and exposed not only himself but his allies to the media. It's now become abundantly clear that reporters are willing suckers in one of the biggest corruption scandals in this country's history.
In his pardon statement, Biden said, “The issuance of these pardons should not be misconstrued as an admission that an individual has engaged in any wrongdoing, nor should acceptance of a pardon be misconstrued as an admission of guilt of any crime. It shouldn't be done.'' More importantly, a pardon does not end the threat to the family.
People like James Bidenbe accused of lying to Congress About the act of spreading influence. He could still be subpoenaed and could be charged with new crimes if he lies.
Indeed, it will be argued that after James Biden's pardon, there is less ground for claiming the right to remain silent about alleged crimes committed during the period in which the pardon applies. (He may claim there is a risk of state prosecution, but that is unlikely given the running statute of limitations and other factors.)
In fact, the pardons make these investigations even more compelling to those seeking answers to longstanding corruption problems.
Biden sealed his legacy with a showdown that eludes most presidents. Although his declining mental capacity will continue to be a problem for historians, his long-standing lack of ethics was conclusively demonstrated by these pardons. This was Biden's last act of corruption.
For a president who liked to refer to others as “lying dog-faced pony soldiers,” Biden proved that ponies are completely optional in a world of political corruption.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of .An essential right: freedom of speech in a time of anger”