Senator Wants Probe of Hunter Biden Legal Team: A prominent U.S. Senator wants a probe of Hunter Biden’s legal team after a lawyer of their firm impersonated a staffer with the House Ways and Means Committee in an effort to obtain a court document related to the president’s son’s ongoing tax case.
“I’ve heard from countless Americans who are concerned our justice system is being weaponized against President Biden’s political opponents while his son gets preferential treatment,” Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital in a statement. “There needs to be accountability for any misconduct or favoritism, including Hunter Biden’s own legal team. Faith in our justice system has been gravely damaged by the Biden administration’s mishandling of recent cases and restoring its integrity is essential.”
Judge Bars Attorneys From Talking to Court Clerk’s Office
Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika, the judge overseeing the case, issued an order threatening sanctions against Latham & Watkins lawyer Jessica Bengels accusing her of misrepresenting herself in a call with Clerk of Courts office, saying questions should be brought to her attention only.
“The Clerk’s Office for this Court is staffed by many hardworking and dedicated employees,” she wrote. “They are often the public face of this Court and must address many different, and often difficult, issues on any given day. Their jobs are not always easy, but they do these jobs well. They have earned my trust and my respect. I will not tolerate or countenance them being ill-used, disrespected or lied to.”
On the eve of Wednesday’s hearing at which Noreika decided to delay approval Bidens’ plea agreement, House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., had filed an amicus brief with the court seeking to have it thrown out on other grounds. He asked her to consider testimony from IRS whistleblowers who claimed that the Hunter Biden investigation had been tampered with by the Justice Department.
The Biden legal team had accused Smith of including confidential grand jury and social security information in the document. An employee at Latham & Watkins, who was not an attorney, called the clerk’s office asking to have the document removed.
A few hours later the employee admitted to having done so under the penalty of perjury. The employee claimed that she had been misunderstood.
Ricketts Demands Inquest
“While the exact details of this matter are uncertain, it appears an ethical line was crossed,” Ricketts said about the allegation. “Regardless of whether or not it was Ms. Bengels or another staff member at Latham & Watkins who called the clerk, the circumstances surrounding the incident demand an investigation.
Ricketts continued: “Furthermore, it was the responsibility of Biden’s lead lawyer, Christopher Clark, to ensure his team conducted themselves in a manner consistent with the Rules of Professional Conduct. It is the responsibility of courts, legislatures, and state bars to ensure that members of the profession adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct … Therefore, I ask both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to open investigations into the conduct of both Christopher Clark and Jessica Bengels.”
John Rossomando is a defense and counterterrorism analyst and served as Senior Analyst for Counterterrorism at The Investigative Project on Terrorism for eight years. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as The American Thinker, The National Interest, National Review Online, Daily Wire, Red Alert Politics, CNSNews.com, The Daily Caller, Human Events, Newsmax, The American Spectator, TownHall.com, and Crisis Magazine. He also served as senior managing editor of The Bulletin, a 100,000-circulation daily newspaper in Philadelphia, and received the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors first-place award for his reporting.
From 19FortyFive
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