LOS ANGELES.–Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland, 71, continues to make a disgrace out the Department Justice [DOJ], the one institution designed to uphold the Constitution, rule of law and criminal justice system. Imagine how other nations view the DOJ now that it’s decided to drop all charges of illegally retaining classified documents by 81-year-old President Joe Biden? Releasing his 388-page final report, Special Counsel Robert Ur concluded that Biden violated federal laws regarding the retention and handling of classified documents but elected not to press charges because Biden is not fit to stand trial because of forgetfulness and memory impairments. Ur’s report confirmed that Joe broke the law but that he would be acquitted by a sympathetic jury for being a doddering elderly man who couldn’t recall on questioning when he was Vice President of the United States or when his son Beau died.
So, the criteria the DOJ used to determine who gets prosecuted and who does not has to do with a prosecutors’ assessment of whether the department could get a conviction. What kind of arbitrary nonsense in that? Ur should be ashamed of himself and the department exposing to the public the capricious way in which prosecutors decide whether or not to press charges. Ur’s report didn’t sit well with 77-year-old former President Donald Trump who faces Special Counsel Jack Smith’s charges for mishandling and retaining classified documents. “You know, look, if he’s not going to be charged, that’s up to them. But then, I should not be charged,” Trump said, asking the DOJ to toss out his case. Garland is under pressure from the White House to discredit Ur’s report for its incendiary comments about Joe’s memory problems, prompting some Democrats to say is was GOP hit job.
Reporting facts isn’t something the White House and Democrats want, seeking to control the narrative about Biden’s 2024 campaign. With polls showing 70% of voters, Democrats, Republicans and independents, don’t think Biden is fit for four more years, Ur’s report sent shockwaves through the media. Biden tried to respond quickly against White House advice, addressing his alleged memory issues by biting off the head of CNN reporter C.J. Lee for asking question about Ur’s report pertaining to Biden’s memory issues. Biden became combative and surly, saying, “My memory is fine.” “I am the most qualified person in the country to be president,” Biden insisted, looking more agitated and defensive. Lee simply wanted the president’s comments on whether or not he had problems answering Ur on dates he served as Vice President or when his son died.
Trump has different issues with about whether he should be charged for mishandling classified docs when Ur decided not to press charges against Biden. Biden insists, despite Ur’s report saying in “willfully” retained classified documents, he did no such thing. Biden’s handlers excuse his actions because he cooperated with the DOJ, unlike Trump who dragged his feet on returning any classified documents under the Presidential Record’s Act to the National Archives. “They’re trying desperately to spin the Biden document disaster ino a ‘Oh, but wasn’t Trump worse?’ No, no, no. Trump was peanuts in comparison,” Trump said. White House officials are busy discrediting Ur’s report, saying it was inappropriate in the report to comment on Biden’s thinking or memory issues. White House officials say that only a qualified neuro-psychologist or neurologist can comment about memory.
If Ur says Biden couldn’t recall when he was Vice President or when his son Beau died, it’s significant to any charging decision. Thinking and memory are all part of performing Biden’s job as President of the United States. You don’t need to be a neuro-scientist to know that if some can’t recall when the served as Vice President, it’s a real problem for performing daily duties. Trump has made the case for years, during the 2020 presidential campaign, that Biden suffered from cognitive decline, making him a hazard for the presidency. Over three years into his first term, Biden has the U.S. funding a proxy war in Ukraine against the Kremlin, ending decades of diplomacy, détente and arms control. Military strikes at U.S. targets and global shipping lanes have added to chaos in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and Gulf of Omaan, all vital commercial shipping lanes in the Middle East.
Trump has a six year history with the DOJ, allowing the FBI in 2016 to open up a counterintelligence investigation into Trump’s alleged ties to the Kremlin. Former FBI Director James Comey, before he was fired by Trump May 8, 2017, investigated Trump based on former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s bogus opposition research AKA The Steele Dossier, alleging Trump fake ties to the Kremlin. DOJ officials under former President Barack Obama approved the FBI investigation of Trump, despite the lack of probable cause. Now the DOJ decides not to charge Biden in retaining classified docs but moves ahead to prosecute Trump. No wonder that Trump and his supporters think that he’s the target of political prosecution by the DOJ and Special Counsel. Smith looks like a Democrat political hack saying he’s prosecuting Trump under the 1917 Espionage Act.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
