Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, speaks to guests during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House [Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press]
Under a deal with the Justice Department, US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has agreed to enter a guilty plea on two federal tax charges and seek a separate arrangement on a firearms charge, according to his attorney and court filings.
The younger Biden’s attorney announced on Tuesday that “Hunter would assume responsibility for two instances of misdemeanour failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” according to a statement issued to multiple US news agencies.
The lawyer, Christopher Clark, added that a separate firearms charge, “will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement”. A “pretrial diversion” is typically an agreement between defendants and prosecutors that allows rehabilitation instead of prison time.
Hunter Biden is accused of violating federal law by keeping a Colt Cobra 38 special handgun in his possession for 11 days in October 2018 despite being aware that he used drugs. The charge carries a maximum prison term of 10 years.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward,” the statement said.
Prosecutors from the Justice Department also described the proposed settlements in a court filing.
The agreement is anticipated to put an end to a protracted federal investigation into the younger Biden’s personal and professional relationships, which has long caused his father political headaches and stoked right-wing criticism and conspiracy theories.
In a brief statement, White House spokesperson Ian Sams said: “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
The extensive government inquiry, which dates back to at least 2018, has looked into the younger Biden’s burgeoning international business agreements after his father was appointed vice president in 2008. He attended Yale University.
As his father prepared to run for president in the 2020 elections, Hunter Biden’s struggles with addiction were more well-known. The death of Joe Biden’s oldest son, Beau, from brain cancer in 2015, according to him, made things more difficult.
While the senior Biden has not been connected to any wrongdoings, his Republican political rivals have long used charges against his son as proof of larger wrongdoing. Hunter Biden is the subject of a separate inquiry being carried out by House Republicans.
In a tweet on Tuesday, Republican US Representative James Comer, who is leading the congressional investigation, said “Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist”.
He said Republicans have uncovered growing evidence that “reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery”.
The first impeachment of former President Donald Trump by the US House of Representatives focused on his attempts to exert pressure on Ukraine to provide negative information about Hunter Biden’s business interests there. Later, in a Senate trial, he was found not guilty.
Trump referred to the alleged settlements as “minor traffic tickets” in a post on his Truth Social website. The former president is currently the subject of numerous active criminal investigations as well as state and federal charges in two different cases.
A federal judge would have to approve any agreement that Hunter Biden and the prosecution reached. Hunter Biden lives in California, so it is unclear when he will show up in the Delaware court where the deal will be filed.
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