Hunter Biden, the eldest son of President Biden, has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, accepting a guilty plea for federal tax charges. This deal is expected to spare him a trial and the possibility of imprisonment, as stated in a court document filed on Tuesday.
NBC News initially reported the charges, which are seen as relatively lenient consequences following a five-year investigation into the 53-year-old’s involvement in overseas business ventures.
Delaware US Attorney David Weiss submitted a letter to the federal court indicating that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to his failure to pay federal income tax.
According to the charges, Hunter neglected to pay $100,000 in income tax for both 2017 and 2018.
As part of the agreement, Hunter has also committed to enrolling in a pretrial diversion program for the felony charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm as a drug user. This charge stems from his false statement on a federal gun purchase form in October 2018 regarding his addiction.
Additionally, Hunter will avoid potential charges related to improper lobbying for foreign interests in connection with his position on the board of Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings. This matter is currently under investigation by the Republican-led House Oversight Committee.
Hunter Biden was open about the ongoing investigation into his “tax affairs” soon after his father’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, as revealed by Weiss’s office.
The investigation, initiated in 2018, focused on whether Hunter and his associates violated tax and money laundering laws during their business dealings in Ukraine and China.
Simultaneously, a separate investigation was launched after Hunter’s former sister-in-law and romantic partner, Hallie Biden, discarded his firearm. Secret Service agents subsequently conducted a search for the weapon, leading to its disclosure and sale to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Hunter’s gun transaction form from October 12, 2018, showed that he had answered negatively to the question regarding unlawful drug use or addiction to substances such as marijuana, depressants, stimulants, narcotics, or controlled substances.
These charges mark the culmination of a five-year investigation.
Hunter has previously acknowledged his struggle with drug addiction following the death of his brother Beau in 2015.
Christopher Clark, the attorney representing Hunter Biden, expressed in a statement that he understands the longstanding probe has now been “resolved” due to the agreement.
“I know Hunter believes it is crucial to take responsibility for the mistakes he made during a tumultuous period of addiction in his life,” stated Clark.
“He is eager to continue his recovery and move forward.”
President Biden has not yet addressed the charges directly, but the White House counsel’s office released a statement affirming their support and love for their son as he continues to rebuild his life.
Former President Donald Trump wasted no time in sharing his opinion, posting on Truth Social: “The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN!”
Meanwhile, Trump’s Make America Great Again PAC criticized the agreement as a favorable deal orchestrated by the Justice Department, suggesting it was intended to make their baseless case against Trump appear fair.
“In the meantime, Biden’s DOJ continues to turn a blind eye to the extensive corruption and bribery scheme involving the Biden family,” stated spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “The American people need President Trump back in office to appoint a truly independent special prosecutor who will finally bring justice.”
{Matzav.com}
A regular person would serve jail time as well as the tax preparer.