Good morning. The Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden’s Presidential victory on Monday. A coronavirus vaccine is here. Those are both massive stories this week but, for once, they’re also not overtly partisan. While this is fantastic, it means there are fewer narratives to dissect as well. Therefore, our team has decided to examine a fiercely polarized topic: the Hunter Biden investigation. After reading today’s edition, you’ll have a much better idea of what’s happening, what both sides are saying, and why.

Let's dive in.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Katherine Chuang

When Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma -- a Ukrainian oil company -- in 2014, claims of corruption flowed thick and fast. At the time, his father was helping to develop the Obama administration’s Ukrainian foreign policy. However, an investigation by the Republican-led Senate did not identify any foreign policy directly affected by Hunter’s role. Joe Biden’s first-born son also has a history of heavy drinking and drug usage, which has only furthered the controversy surrounding the now 50 year-old businessman. 

In October, Hunter became front-page news again. The New York Post published a story about a laptop hard drive obtained by Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. It contained emails that alleged Hunter and Joe Biden’s involvement in Ukrainian and Chinese business dealings. The FBI had already subpoenaed the hard drive in 2019, and added it to an ongoing federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax history that quietly began in 2018 (AP). 

Last Tuesday, the Pittsburgh U.S. Attorney’s office subpoenaed additional documents about Hunter’s foreign business dealings in regards to a Department of Justice (DOJ) finance investigation. Hunter was the first to publicly confirm its existence the next day, which has created concerns of election interference from the Right (more on that soon). At the moment, it’s unclear if his work in Ukraine is a central part of the investigation or whether prosecutors are simply seeking information about all his sources of income in recent years (AP). 

Here’s what else you need to know.

The Facts

• Joe’s pick. Biden has yet to name his nominee for Attorney General (AG) and head investigator of his son. Senator Doug Jones and Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland are leading contenders, both of whom have longtime ties to the President-elect. (AP)

• $400k. One email from the laptop hard drive was from a former business partner in 2017, informing Hunter that he (Hunter) didn’t disclose $400,000 in income from Burisma. NBC could not independently verify whether the email was authentic and unaltered. (NBC News)

• Interference Accusations. Trump has accused Bill Barr, his soon to be ex-Attorney General, of stalling the announcement of this investigation until after the election to help Biden, saying “Bill Barr should have stepped up.” According to the Department of Justice Manual, “DOJ generally will not confirm the existence of or otherwise comment about ongoing investigations.”  (AP)

NARRATIVES

Katherine Chuang

Here are the narratives from both sides, along with supporting headlines and article snippets. These are not necessarily factual, but instead illustrate the news coverage that solidifies each narrative. The bias ratings refer to news outlets as a whole, not a specific article.

If you're reading on mobile, the Right narrative will appear above the Left's. Next week, we'll switch it up.

BOTTOM LINE

What Does It All Mean?

The Electoral College has cast their votes and Hunter Biden is officially the son of the president-elect. Those closest to the leader of the free world, justified or not, receive a lot of attention and scrutiny. Depending on where you get your news, it’ll probably sound something like this:

• If your news outlets lean left, you’ll see this as a Hail-Mary attempt to smear Joe Biden as he begins his presidency.You might be thankful that Bill Barr played by the DOJ’s rules (for once) and didn’t bring this up until after the election. Joe Biden won the presidency, and if Republicans want to go muckraking that’s their choice.

• If your news outlets lean right, you’ll see a blatant double standard.First, the media criticizes Trump for his COVID response, then praises a vaccine that’s released right after Biden wins. Those same outlets also pounced on Trump for his tax returns, but won’t do the same for Hunter. It’s frustrating, but it’s what you’ve probably come to expect.

A recent poll of Biden voters in swing states found that 9.4% would’ve changed their vote had they known the full scope of the Hunter Biden financial scandal. However, as with many polls, take those numbers with a grain of salt: the poll had a relatively small sample size and was conducted by the Media Research Center, which has a “Right” bias rating by AllSides.

The Presidential election aside, Barr is resigning on December 23rd, and it’s unlikely that the interim Attorney General, Jeffery Rosen, will wrap up the Hunter Biden investigation before Joe moves in on January 20th. Once that transition happens, Joe Biden will pick the next Attorney General to oversee the DOJ. This appointment could create a potential conflict of interest and obstruction of justice. Biden has tried to distance himself from the DOJ, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper, “it's not my Justice Department, it's the people's Justice Department.” 

Team Biden may feel a little better knowing this isn’t the first time this has happened. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter’s brother, Billy, cultivated a friendship and business dealings with the Libyan dictatorship. A Senate investigation found nothing incriminating and the ordeal didn’t leave a lasting mark on the President’s reputation.

Of course, this investigation certainly could result in an indictment and distract from Joe Biden’s agenda. If no charges are brought by the DOJ, there will likely be accusations of Biden sweeping the issue under the rug (AP). These things tend to move slowly, so don’t expect to hear any outcomes too soon. The Biden administration will either start off on the right foot, or be tripped up by the missteps of his son.

Now that you understand more, you're ready to take the next step.

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