Just how preferential is the Hunter Biden plea deal?
The two prosecutors on Hunter’s case – Leo Wise and Derek Hines – demanded 12 months in a less egregious tax case back in 2018.
They now recommend Hunter get probation.
An illuminating thread...
Wise and Hines are have been called prosecutorial "terminators"
They are described as hardliners who “pursue stern sentences and prosecute even small-time crooks.”
Their reputation comes from bringing some of the biggest public corruption cases in Maryland history
Wise helped bring the biggest racketeering case in Maryland history in 2016.
Wise and Hines would later prosecute corrupt Baltimore cops who robbed drug dealers and ran interference for a million-dollar heroin ring.
The importance -
In 2018, these prosecutors charged a defendant with failing to file/pay taxes (26 USC 7203) - the same charges brought against Hunter Biden.
The 2018 defendant only owed $60K.
But Wise and Hines demanded 1 year in jail. (He got 10 months)
In the 2018 case -
These prosecutors made sure the Court was informed of the particular details by which that defendant (1) failed to pay taxes and (2) used false deductions.
Their filings were thorough and complete. https://t.co/uS2KJPiycDtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
How things have changed.
For Hunter Biden, where the tax loss is between $1.2 million and $1.6 million...
Prosecutors Wise and Hines (with the OK from Main DOJ) demand Hunter receive probation.
These prosecutors, via an Exhibit to the plea, also agree that that Hunter “miscategorized" prostitutes and sex clubs as "legitimate business expenses.
In doing so, they downplay an easily provable felony (26 USC 7206, also not charged) as a mere mistake. https://t.co/R35rlXgUdrtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
And by (apparently) allowing Hunter Biden's lawyers to draft plea documents, they omitted key facts underlying much of the uncharged conduct (deductions, etc.).
Such deference was not seen in these prosecutors' similar 2018 tax case. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Wise and Hines even agreed to the claim that Hunter received $1 million from Patrick Ho (a Chinese national convicted for bribery) “as a payment for legal fees” –
without even thinking to question whether that payment was a bribe masked as legal fees. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
In sum, the Hunter Biden deal just isn't a departure for the DOJ -
It is out of character for these public corruption prosecutors who earned their reputation as being tough on even minor offenders.
And the comparison of the 2018 case to Hunter's case proves the point
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