Big-game hunting season in Summit County has begun and will end sometime in October, depending upon the type of animal hunted and the weapon utilized. In this regard, the literate elk, deer, moose and bear are put on notice as to when the time to lay low and avoid the humans falls on the calendar.

Those in Washington, D.C., do not have the luxury of a calendared big-game hunting season, as it occurs all year long, every minute of every day. And no one in the swamps of D.C. is being hunted more than a man named Hunter. Why is Hunter being hunted? Well, for several reasons, including pending criminal charges related to gun and tax issues.

Hunter is a lawyer, and an elite one at that — he went to Yale Law School; can’t get more Ivy-league snobby than a Yale Law School softball team stocked with alumni like Bill and Hillary Clinton, current Supreme Court Justices Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, and Sotomayer, and our very own Senator Bennet. And based upon a unanimous vote, Senator Josh “run from the riot after raising a fist in protest” Hawley will not be invited even though he technically qualifies as a graduate.

Hunter is also a drug addict and, like many drug addicts, did some very bad things while under the influence of various chemicals. He didn’t even last one day as a member of the U.S. Navy reserves before testing positive for cocaine and being discharged. He managed to stay married for 24 years even though his relationships to drugs, prostitutes and exotic dancers deprived the family of money to pay legitimate household expenses. Before his divorce was finalized, he was involved in a two-year relationship with his brother’s widow.

To say Hunter had and continues to have some serious demons, legal and otherwise, would be an understatement. Yet, relationships and payoffs to sex workers, while a political liability as recently as the 20th century, is now considered a rite of passage, at least to some major-party candidates. You simply brag and move on.

Hunter is also good at making money. He managed to land prestigious positions at a major bank and seats on the boards of two foreign companies (in China and Ukraine, adding to the intrigue). Coincidentally (of course, this is Washington remember), his father happened to be a very high-ranking elected U.S. official who received large campaign donations from the major bank where his son was hired. The family made sure that they never discussed business with each other so as to afford no possibility of any ethics or other corruption charges. Maybe they didn’t. At a minimum it must have made for some very quiet family dinners.

However, Hunter is not being hunted because he made money off of shady business deals, as thankfully, for the elite, success is often measured by how shady and lucrative the deal can be, yet still be legal. To date, there is no evidence of any undisclosed payments to his family, including dad. If making money off of shady business deals becomes a crime, especially for friends and family of those at the top of the political food chain, I would start to run if my name was Jared, Eric or Junior.

Hunter is also being charged with crimes in two separate federal criminal cases. The first case involves three counts relating to gun charges (two counts where he allegedly lied on an application to purchase a Colt revolver and one count of possession of said revolver by a drug addict). He has plead not guilty and is being vocally supported by nearly all Republican members of Congress in his opposition to these likely unconstitutional gun laws.

Or not. Even though there is no prohibition in the Second Amendment to a drug addict owning a revolver and also no application form required for which there could be any lie, not a single Republican is supporting Hunter. Even though Hunter and Justice Thomas, who wrote the recent majority opinion requiring courts to look back to the time of the passage of the amendment in rendering decisions concerning the constitutionality of firearm restrictions, are on the same page, no one else on the right seems to be. Why not?

Hunter is also being charged with not filing his income tax returns and/or not paying his income taxes due on time. Imagine that, a drug addict decides to spend his money on drugs and sex workers instead of paying his income tax obligations. Who would have thought? He has managed to pay all his taxes, with penalties and interest, albeit late. Again, no Republican support in Congress even though their current political leader has said that not paying taxes “makes me smart.” Why are no Republicans standing up and declaring this to be another “witch hunt,” as there is no way the Department of Justice prosecutes a drug addict for a misdemeanor tax offense unless he is being singled out.

So, who is really hunting Hunter and why? The Democrats are keeping mum, even though many would likely hope that Hunter and dad ride off into the sunset, never to be heard from again. It must therefore be the Republicans, now hoping to hold the country to a high moral standard. No more jobs because of who you know. No more shady business deals. The laws now apply to everyone and just because you are rich and/or famous is no longer a loophole.

If only this was the case. If only.

Scott M. Estill’s column “Challenges, Choices, Changes” publishes biweekly on Thursdays in the Summit Daily News. Estill is an attorney, author, and public speaker who lives in Dillon when not traveling or attending to legal matters in Denver. Contact him at scott@scottestill.com.