Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a high-ranking House Judiciary Committee member, accused Joe Biden this week of using White House Counsel as a shield against media scrutiny concerning potential corruption allegations. Breitbart News first reported on Issa’s comments, and the report suggests that the Biden administration may be manipulating its position to avoid transparency and accountability.
In response to questions about President Biden’s potential involvement in his son Hunter’s business dealings with Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-linked partners, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has repeatedly refrained from answering directly. Instead, she referred reporters to the White House counsel, a move critiqued by Issa’s Communications Director, Jonathan Wilcox.
SHOCK: The President of the United States has hired a criminal defense lawyer after huddling with Hunter and his lawyers all weekend at Camp David. Will the media continue to run cover for their disgraced president? Will the Democrat Party look the other way? https://t.co/rHJ4ONI8Sb
— @amuse (@amuse) June 25, 2023
Wilcox stated, “The White House is trying to use the president’s counsel as Biden’s personal lawyer to shield questions from the media. If Biden wants to lawyer up, that’s fine. But he’s going to have to hire his own criminal attorney.”
This approach by the administration implies that questions concerning President Biden’s alleged corruption have been converted into purely legal issues, provoking increased scrutiny over the White House’s response. The core of the problem lies in distinguishing the role of the White House counsel, which is to serve the presidency, not a personal legal advisor to the president.
In an apparent response to this evasion, Issa made his opinion known through a Twitter post, declaring, “Joe Biden has officially lawyered up. This is what a real scandal looks like.” The implication is clear: according to Issa, Biden is exploiting White House lawyers to deflect accountability and evade media scrutiny.
These allegations have come to the forefront after the recent revelation that a 2017 message from Hunter Biden to a CCP-linked businessman demanding money was indeed from Hunter. In that message, Hunter asserted he was “sitting” with his father, adding a significant twist to the story.
The White House’s evasion of questions surrounding this issue reached its peak when Jean-Pierre responded to a reporter’s question about the president’s involvement in the “shakedown attempt” with a curt, “I just answered the question – It’s not up to you how I answer the question.”
This episode is part of an ongoing controversy involving Hunter Biden’s business dealings and whether Joe Biden was involved or aware of what was occurring. The administration’s responses, or lack thereof, to the matter, have further ignited questions about potential corruption.
Despite the White House’s continued avoidance of direct answers, Issa remains determined to uncover the truth. As Wilcox remarked, “The White House has no right to use its counsel to stonewall the media and shield itself from scrutiny and accountability. Congressman Issa will remove that shield and get the truth. He’s done it before.”
This narrative underlines the gravity of the allegations and casts a shadow on the Biden administration’s transparency and accountability. With the pressure mounting, it remains to be seen whether the White House will eventually address the issue directly or continue to deflect.
As the American public and global observers watch this drama unfold, one thing is clear: the accountability of those who hold high public office must not be compromised. While the legal framework exists to protect the presidency, it must not serve as a shield against rightful scrutiny or potential transgressions. The public deserves full disclosure.
