Belzer

“Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!”

During the 2016 presidential campaign, this is the chant you would have heard at most Donald Trump rallies in reference to his opponent, Hillary Clinton. You may be surprised to learn that she has not been indicted, tried, convicted nor sentenced for any crime over the past seven years. Trump associates, however, have not fared as well.

Roger Stone was convicted of seven criminal counts and was sentenced to over three years in prison, but his sentence was commuted by Trump a day before he was due to report.

Paul Manafort was found guilty of tax fraud and then pleaded guilty to a variety of conspiracy charges. He was sentenced to 47 months in prison but was pardoned by Trump after serving just under two years.

Other Trump associates charged with crimes were: Steve Bannon, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, George Papadopoulos and Allen Weisselberg. Some were convicted, some pardoned and some served prison time. Most of these individuals were charged during the Trump presidency.

Hundreds of those who invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, have been convicted of either felonies or misdemeanors. The leaders of both the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, along with selected associates, were convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Recently, a jury found Donald Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million. Trump also faces a 34-count criminal indictment for business fraud related to his payment to Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to keep her quiet about an alleged affair.

Then we have the other side of the coin. John Durham was appointed special prosecutor by Trump’s attorney general, Bill Barr, to investigate “THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY,” primarily by the FBI. Durham’s four-year investigation yielded two indictments; both went to trial and both defendants were acquitted. Durham’s 300-page report, which was just released, questioned the launch of the FBI’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. It should be noted that the FBI inspector general performed the same investigation and found that the FBI’s actions were appropriate.

What about the Bidens? Trump and Rudy Giuliani opened their own investigation by requesting assistance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy declined to become involved; Trump was impeached for attempting to extort Zelenskyy but was not convicted. Now we have Rep. James Comer, R–Ky., chairman of the House Oversight Committee, investigating wrongdoing by the Bidens. So far, all he has is an informant who has disappeared. It does appear that Hunter Biden has benefited from his relationship to the president but probably not to the extent that Jared and Ivanka have benefited from their relationship to the former president. As you may have surmised, making money from your father’s name and status is not against the law.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R– Ohio, is chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Its goal appears to be proving that the FBI was weaponized against Donald Trump. The latest witnesses were former FBI agents who had their security clearances revoked for a variety of reasons. Jordan deemed them “whistleblowers,” but this was challenged by the minority as they had never filed a complaint of wrongdoing on the part of their FBI superiors.

We now have a straightforward method to keep score between the left and the right. Begin by ignoring the rhetoric regarding who is guilty of what crime. Instead, simply trust juries — people like us — who have evaluated the evidence and the defense. A “guilty” verdict is more reliable than a pointed finger. At present, it’s a blowout in favor of the left. Want to place a bet on the next indictment between the left (Hunter Biden) and right (Donald Trump)? Las Vegas is sure to give you great odds (and some laughter) if you’re willing to put money on Biden.

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