Hunter Biden has been hit with federal taxes and firearms charges

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Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to criminal tax violations and reached an agreement with prosecutors for a separate firearm offense, just days after his father, Joe Biden, held the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign.

According to a court document filed Tuesday in Delaware federal court, Hunter Biden has been charged with two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax.

He also agreed to enter into a “pre-trial diversion agreement” in connection with a separate charge accusing him of possession of a firearm as an illegal user or addict of a “controlled substance”. Such agreements usually redirect defendants to community services with the goal of preventing future misconduct. The firearms offense relates to the possession of a Colt Cobra handgun in October 2018.

Hunter’s turbulent personal life and business dealings have become a frequent target of criticism by Joe Biden’s political opponents. Former US President Donald Trump repeatedly raised questions about Hunter Biden’s foreign business activities during Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign for the White House.

Trump, the frontrunner in a crowded field of Republicans vying to challenge Biden for the presidency in 2024, said on social media Tuesday that the US Department of Justice “has removed hundreds of years of criminal liability by awarding Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic fine’.” Our system is broken!”

Trump recently received a federal criminal indictment in connection with the alleged mishandling of classified documents. He has pleaded not guilty.

Allies of the former president on Tuesday jumped to his defense, accusing the Justice Department of aggressively attacking Trump while giving Hunter Biden lenient treatment.

“This is an example of Joe Biden’s Justice Department being politicized and weaponized because it’s a slap on the wrist of President Biden’s son,” Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said Tuesday. “It has never been so clear that we have a two-tier system of justice.”

Chris Clark, the attorney representing Hunter Biden, said in a statement that he believes the Accords “solved” a five-year investigation targeting his client. “I know that Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes that he made during the turbulent and addictive period of his life,” he added. “He is looking forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

Hunter Biden said earlier that he had shown “misjudgment” in his business dealings in Ukraine and China, which exposed his father to more political criticism. But he denied any wrongdoing. He also spoke publicly about fighting alcohol and drug addiction.

Ian Sams, a White House spokesman, said in a statement: “The President and First Lady love and support their son as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”

Chris Coons, the Democratic senator from Delaware and a close ally of Joe Biden, issued a statement on Tuesday saying he is “encouraged that Hunter takes responsibility for his actions, pays the taxes he owes, and prepares to move on with his life.”

David Weiss, the US attorney in Delaware who was nominated by Trump in 2018, oversaw the case against Hunter Biden. The White House has long insisted that Joe Biden never discussed the Hunter Biden investigation with the Justice Department.

US Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was nominated by Joe Biden in 2021, confirmed during a congressional hearing last year that Weiss was “responsible” for the Hunter Biden investigation. “There will be no political or improper interference,” he added.

Hunter Biden said he first learned that the US Attorney General’s office in Delaware was investigating his tax affairs in December 2020, a month after Joe Biden was elected president. In a statement released at the time, he said he was “confident” that the audit would establish that he handled matters “lawfully and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.”

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