The Gantt Report, by Lucius Gantt
Recently, I was sitting in the lobby of an Atlanta hospital waiting for a friend to come out of surgery when an elderly white man sat down in a chair next to mine.
He seemed like a nice guy. We chatted for a little while then the conversation went left. He began to sound like Hannity, Carlson and other big liars on Fox News.
No problem. The change in tone was no surprise. I was in Georgia, and he lived in a small country town.
He went on to tell me how corrupt Hunter Biden was. He said crooks in Ukraine energy companies were giving Hunter millions of dollars to give to Joe Biden.
Well, I have never seen any proof of that scenario. I know Republicans in the House of Representatives were investigating Hunter but the GOP witnesses to alleged wrongdoings either disappeared or declined to show up and lie to Congress under oath.
I respected the white guy’s beliefs and feelings. However, in my mind, I was thinking that family members of elected and appointed members of Congress, Courts and state legislatures have been getting paid by special interest groups throughout political history.
The daughter, sons and son-in-law of the former President played “Let’s Make a Deal” throughout Trump’s presidential term in office. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think family deals were transacted with Saudis, Chinese, and perhaps other foreigners, and foreign governments around the world.
I thought the trips, gifts, and vacations enjoyed by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas were suspect and questionable but when I was informed that wives and other family members of different Justices were getting jobs and benefits based on their family relationships, I was dumbfounded!
Pay to play or pay for access to politicians, Justices and other government employees is not a racial relationship. Black elected officials, along with their families and staffs sometimes try to get in on the money act.
The brothers and sisters in politics often ask me about political financial transactions, and I always tell them, “You can’t always do what you see others do.”
White people in politics don’t have a problem telling a lobbyist or special interest group to talk to Becky or Bruce about desired legislation or court rulings. They do that to avoid direct involvement in alleged political payoffs.
Too many of our politicians are reluctant to tell lobbyists to hire Ray Ray or Shewanda, perhaps because the Black contacts, or family members, could make more money than politicians do.
In politics and in life, we all have our roles. We can stay out of trouble when we stay in our lanes.
In American life and in American politics, money is the primary motivating factor.
The witches that deplore witch hunts seem to be hunting Hunter!
Lucius is a contributing columnist to NNPA newspapers around the nation, and the author of “Beast Too: Dead Man Writing,” available on Amazon.com and from bookstores everywhere.