According to a Justice Department filing, Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, has reached a tentative deal with the U.S. attorney in Delaware, agreeing to enter guilty pleas to two misdemeanor tax charges and admitting to felony gun possession. A federal judge in Delaware must approve the deal, and Biden will now face arraignment in U.S. District Court in Wilmington. He is expected to give himself up to Delaware authorities and will be processed by U.S. Marshals. It’s the first time the Justice Department has brought charges against a child of a sitting president.
Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ office said Biden faced misdemeanor charges for failing to pay federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018 despite owing more than $100,000 in taxes in each year. It also said Hunter Biden possessed a firearm in October 2018 despite “knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance,” a charge for which he has agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement to avoid prosecution.
Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said that his “expectation, at least with regard to after that proceeding, is that he [Biden] will be released without conditions … it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.” Clark added: “Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement. A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government. 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.”
A statement from a White House spokesman 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.” Later at an event in California on Tuesday afternoon, President Biden responded to questions about Hunter Biden by saying, “I am very proud of my son.”
Editorial credit: Bo Shen / Shutterstock.com