The Daily Signal - Hunter Biden Flips To Not Guilty Plea, House Republicans Grill Mayorkas at House Judiciary Hearing, Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty | July 26

Episode Date: July 26, 2023

On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas reports that Hunter Biden’s plea agreement with federal prosecutors–panned by critics as a sweetheart deal–fell apart in federal court in Wilmington, Del. on Wednesday after a judge scrutinized the agreement.  A donor of President Joe Biden and appointee purchased artwork by the president’s son, which some ethics experts are saying present an “apparent conflict of interest” and “raises red flags,” according to Fox News. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas appeared before the House Judiciary Committee, where he was grilled by Republicans over the ongoing border crisis.  Our colleague Mary Margaret Olohan reports that for more than 120 years, the Daughters of the American Revolution has brought together the female descendants of Revolutionary War heroes to promote “historic preservation, education, and patriotism.”  Actor Kevin Spacey has been found not guilty by a jury in Britain  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm Samantha Sherris, and this is the Daily Signal Top News for Wednesday, July 26. Here are today's headlines. The Daily Signals, Fred Lucas reports that Hunter Biden's plea agreement with federal prosecutors, panned by critics as a sweetheart deal, fell apart in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, after a judge scrutinized the agreement. Although the president's son appeared to have reached a deal to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges, and to lying on a gun purchase form, he ultimately pleaded not guilty. This means the case is likely headed to trial at a time when Congress has been digging into the Biden family influence peddling,

and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, has floated an impeachment inquiry to look into President Joe Biden. During a tumultuous day, it appeared the deal had fallen apart, then it might be salvaged before it fell apart again. The New York Times reported U.S. District Judge Mary Ellen Norica asked the U.S. attorney Leo Wise if the Biden investigation was ongoing. Wise replied yes to the judge and said that if Biden's team thought otherwise, then there's no deal. Hunter Biden's lawyer said in news accounts this was the end of the investigation. After two recesses, the defense lawyers for the president's son and prosecutors that met with U.S. district judge Mary Ellen Norica agreed to cover the tax years for 2014 to 2019. Nureka raised concerns about the scope of the agreement and linking the tax and gun charges

together. The original agreement panned by critics as a sweetheart deal covered only 2017 and 2018. After the deal was announced by the Justice Department, transcribed testimony from two IRS whistleblowers was made public showing alleged political interference. The two whistleblowers also testified to Congress and alleged the investigation was stifled for apparent political considerations. Both sides say this does not shield Hunter Biden from future prosecution, CNN reported. In other Hunter Biden-related news, a donor of President Joe Biden and a pointee purchased artwork by the president's son,

which some ethics experts are saying presents an apparent conflict of interest and raises red flags, according to Fox News. Earlier this week, Business Insider reported that, Elizabeth Hirsch Neftali purchased Hunter's artwork. Last July, Hirschneftali was appointed to the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad. Fox News reports that Hirschneftali donated over $200,000 to Biden's candidacy in 2020 and more than $13,000 to his 2024 campaign and victory fund. Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, told Fox News Digital that because buyers were not made public that there was no way to assess whether they made these purchases

in an attempt to buy access or influenced decisions made by the president. Arnold also said at a minimum, anyone who purchased the art would have an appearance of a conflict of interest and should not be granted special access or appointed to boards. Paul Kaminar, counsel at the National Legal and Policy Center told Fox News Digital that there seems to be a questionable activity going on here, almost like a pay-to-play because we were told the buyers of the art would be anonymous. Everybody at that time thought it was kind of a joke because obviously the buyer of the art is not under any constraints to keep his or her purchase a secret from Hunter or the Biden folks at the White House. Department of Homeland Security Secretary

Alejandro Mayorkas appeared before the House Judiciary Committee today, where he was grilled by Republicans over the ongoing border crisis. Republican Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who chairs the committee, said in his opening statement that after two and a half years of the Biden border crisis, here's what administration officials have told us. The Biden administration's policies have led to more national security threats. The Biden administration policies make it less likely, less likely, that enforcement actions will be taken against criminal aliens.

During the hearing, Republican Representative Matt Gates of Florida had a tense exchange with Mayorkas. Let's take a listen. Of those 2 million plus that you've encountered and released, how many have you told to go home? Congressman, individuals who are released are placed in immigration enforcement proceedings under the law where they can make their claim for relief. If their claim for relief is not satisfied, they are subject to removal from the United States. Right. Subject to removal sounds like that. very different than actually removed. So I'm not interested in the process. I'm not interested in what people are subject to.

Two million people encountered and released, not the expulsions under tighter flooding to or two, not the criminals. How many of those people have you deported? So, Congressman, a few points. Number one. Just how many of the people? I just want to know how many. Just a number. Congressman, we are dealing with a completely broken immigration system. I get it. No, no, no, Mr. Secretary, I'm not going to let you burn my five minutes. Do you know the answer? Do you know the number of people out of that two million that you've removed that aren't criminals? I do know that we have removed more aggravated felons.

Right. I'm not asking about them. I've caveated that away. Because here's what I'm sort of getting and what your non-responsiveness is demonstrating. The Majorchist doctrine is this. If you show up at the border and get released into the country, if you don't commit a specific aggravated felony, which by the way doesn't include a lot of assault and battery, doesn't include a lot of bad domestic violence. But if you're not one of the people who commit those crimes, you get to stay forever. Is that a fair characterization of your doctrine?

No, that is false. Then tell me how many you're sending home. No, that is false. But you don't know the number of how many you've sent home. Republican Representative Darrell Issa of California asked Mayorkas about people who were encountered at the border that are on the U.S.'s terrorist watch list. Let's take listen. So far this year, it's 140. Can you give us the whereabouts of those 140?

Are they all incarcerated? Have they all been removed? Or is it a mixture of incarceration, removal, and release? Congressman, let me say this. The safety and security of the American people is our highest. So prove it to me. What is the status of those 140? Individuals who present a national security or public safety threat are detained and are priority.

My definition, Mr. Secretary, if you're on the terrorist watch list, you represent a threat. So 140 people on the terrorist watch list so far this year, for the record, would you please give us the status of each of those individuals so we know what you did with people who were on a terrorist watch list who were apprehended, many got away, but were apprehended where they are today so that Congress can know. Congressman, I would be pleased to provide you with that information with respect to the individuals encountered at the southwest border. We'll include a link to Virginia Allen's full coverage of the hearing in today's show notes.

Our colleague Mary Margaret O'Lehann reports that for more than 120 years, the daughters of the American Revolution has brought together the female descendants of revolutionary war heroes to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. But now, faced with the prospect of biological men joining the esteemed society, the DAR finds itself grappling with both resignations and indignation. DAR organizers pass an amendment to the group's bylaws in June that strikes out the line provided an applicant for chapter membership is personally acceptable to the chapter, the Daily Signal has learned.

The amendment also added another line, specifically stating that the DAR cannot discriminate on the basis of gender, religion, or sexual orientation. President General Pamela Edwards, Rouse Wright, and other DAR leaders defended the move as necessary to preserve the group's 501 C3 tax-exempt status. But DAR members from around the country told the Daily Signal that this is just an excuse their leaders are using to push woke ideology upon the historical society. In phone interviews with the Daily Signal, a slew of outrage D.A.R. members push back against the idea that it is discrimination only to allow biological women in their society. Also, almost all members who spoke with the Daily Signal pointed to their religious beliefs and the science of biological sex as they disputed the notion that a man could become a woman. Dorothy Middleton, an 85-year-old

D.A.R. member of the Cheyenne chapter pointed out that the members of the D.A.R. have to do a lot of proving that our ancestors had something to do with the Revolutionary War or something to promote the cause. We'll include a link to Mary Margaret's full article in today's show notes. And for our final story today, the New York Times reports that a jury in Britain found Kevin Spacey not guilty of nine counts of sexual assault. Let's take a listen to some of Spacey's comments outside the courtroom on Wednesday via Sky News's Twitter. I imagine that many of you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened today.

But I would like to say that I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reach their decision. And I am humbled

by the outcome today. I also want to thank the staff inside this courthouse, the security and all those who took care of us every single day. My legal team, Evan Lowenstein and Lucy, for being here every day. And that's all I have to say for the moment. Thank you very much. Fox News reports that the alleged acts ranged from 2001 to 2013 and included unwanted touching to aggressive crotch-grabbing and performing oral sex on an unconscious man.

And that's going to do it for today's episode. Thank you for listening to The Daily Signal's top news. If you haven't gotten a chance, make sure you subscribe to our morning show right here in this podcast feed, where we interview lawmakers, experts, and leading conservative voices. Join us tomorrow morning for the Daily Signal interview edition. Rob Louis will be sitting down with Chris Rufo to discuss his new book, America's Cultural Revolution, How the Radical Left Conquered Everything. Also, make sure you subscribe to the Daily Signal wherever you get your podcast and help us reach even more listeners by leaving a five-star rating and review.

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