IN WILMINGTON, Del.— On Wednesday morning at the federal courthouse in Delaware, Hunter Biden, the troubled second son of the president, is anticipated to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes.
It is the first time that the Justice Department, which is part of the executive branch, has filed charges against a president’s child.
Biden is expected to follow the terms of the plea agreement he reached last month with U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and retained by President Joe Biden to oversee the case. Biden is anticipated to arrive at the federal courthouse on Wednesday morning.
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In a statement outlining the charges, Weiss’ office stated, “Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1.5 million per year in 2017 and 2018. Even though he owed more than $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the required amount.
Biden was additionally charged with unlawful possession of a Colt Cobra.38 Special handgun. The Justice Department stated, however, that he had reached a pre-trial agreement that, under certain conditions, would likely result in the case being expunged from his record.
Last month, his attorney, Christopher Clark, said, “I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for the mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life.” “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
The scandal has dominated the U.S. political landscape, particularly among Republicans. They contend Biden received preferential treatment because of his father and that he should have been charged for some of his other business transactions.
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Trump, members of his family, and his political allies have regularly leveled numerous allegations against him. Although the agreement brought to a close a five-year investigation involving federal prosecutors, FBI agents, and IRS officials, it is unlikely to stem the flow of political commentary.
Hugh Hewitt, a conservative commentator, argued in The Washington Post on Tuesday that “Hunter Biden’s doozy of a plea deal over tax and gun charges is ripe for rejection” because it does not involve prison time. His argument parallels those of numerous Republicans who criticized the plea agreement as a strike on the wrist.
In response to the Justice Department’s handling of the case, Republicans have questioned the investigation and threatened to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland. Since two IRS whistleblowers involved in the investigation testified to Congress that there was interference to benefit the president’s son, their anger has consistently increased.
Greg Shapley, one of the whistleblowers, stated, “At every stage, decisions were made in favor of the subject of this investigation.”
In response, Weiss offered to testify publicly before Congress in a letter sent to the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), on Monday.
Assistant Attorney General Carlos Felipe Uriarte wrote in a letter obtained by NBC News, “The Department believes it is strongly in the public interest for the American people and Congress to hear directly from U.S. Attorney Weiss on these assertions and questions about his authority at a public hearing.” The letter included a list of potential dates.
The FBI also provided Republican oversight leaders in the House and Senate with a memo containing unsubstantiated claims about Biden’s tenure on the board of a Ukrainian energy company while his father was vice president. The uncorroborated allegations were part of a Justice Department investigation that Trump’s then-attorney general, William Barr, initiated in 2020. The investigation concluded later that year.
On Monday, at a press briefing, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed the allegations, which Republicans have frequently raised during the Biden administration.
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“I’ve been asked this question a million times,” she stated. The answer remains unchanged: the president and his son never conducted business together.
