DeepSummary
The podcast episode centers around the federal trial of Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, for charges related to lying on a government form when purchasing a gun in 2018 while struggling with drug addiction. Former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori provides analysis, expressing his view that Hunter Biden will likely be found guilty but questioning the rationale behind aggressively prosecuting the case.
Khardori highlights the prosecution's strategy of playing lengthy audio excerpts from Hunter Biden's memoir detailing his addiction struggles, which he found distasteful and unseemly. He argues that the case seems designed to humiliate the president's son rather than serve a legitimate prosecutorial purpose, as such cases are rarely pursued as standalone charges.
While acknowledging that Hunter Biden made poor choices, Khardori suggests the trial reflects the ongoing politicization of the justice system and the influence of former President Trump, who pushed for investigations into Hunter Biden. Khardori proposes that President Biden could use the trial as an opportunity to reaffirm the rule of law and the principle that the law applies equally to all.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Hunter Biden is likely to be found guilty of charges related to lying on a gun purchase form while addicted to drugs.
- The aggressive prosecution of Hunter Biden on these charges is highly unusual and seems designed to humiliate the president's son rather than serve a legitimate prosecutorial purpose.
- The prosecution's strategy of playing extensive audio excerpts from Hunter Biden's memoir detailing his addiction struggles is seen as distasteful and unseemly.
- The case against Hunter Biden reflects the ongoing politicization of the justice system and the influence of former President Trump's efforts to target the president's son.
- Former federal prosecutor Ankush Khardori suggests President Biden could use the trial as an opportunity to reaffirm the principle of equal application of the law and the rule of law.
- The trial highlights the personal struggles and heartbreak of addiction within families.
- Khardori acknowledges that while Hunter Biden made poor choices, his actions do not necessarily warrant such an aggressive prosecution.
- The trial raises questions about the appropriate boundaries of prosecutorial discretion and the potential for political influences on the justice system.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I've also bought crack cocaine on the streets of Washington DC and cooked up my own inside a hotel bungalow in Los Angeles. I had no plan beyond the moment to moment demands of the crack pipe.“ by Hunter Biden
- “I dove into the kind of next level bingeing few addicts see coming. By now I possessed a new superpower, the ability to find crack in any town at any time, no matter how unfamiliar the terrain.“ by Hunter Biden
- “But this is not a char, I've never seen a comparable case, never seen a standalone case charging someone with lying on a form about drug use. And that's the only charge. Never. And I've seen no one, no one even identified a comparable case.“ by Ankush Khardori
Entities
Person
Company
Organization
Concept
Product
Book
Podcast
Episode Information
What Next | Daily News and Analysis
Slate Podcasts
6/11/24
Is Hunter Biden’s trial proof that the justice system doesn’t care about your last name? Or is the president’s son being targeted?
Guest: Ankush Khardori, attorney and a former federal prosecutor in the US Justice Department.
Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.
Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices