Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has been indicted on multiple tax charges, adding to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding his business dealings and adding to his gun charge.
As the investigation into his finances intensifies, it has become a contentious topic in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
The Indictment
Hunter Biden was indicted in California on nine tax charges, including three felonies and six misdemeanors.
These charges are in addition to the federal firearms charges he faced in Delaware, which alleged that he violated a law prohibiting drug users from possessing guns in 2018. Initially, he was expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges as part of a plea deal.
However, the agreement fell apart after a judge raised concerns about its validity and Republicans criticized it as a “sweetheart deal.”
Congressional Republicans’ Claims
House Republicans have been investigating Hunter Biden’s business dealings and have pursued an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, accusing him of being involved in an influence-peddling scheme with his son.
Following a hearing convened by the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday to deliberate further evidence presented by two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley, and Joseph Ziegler, U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) issued a lengthy statement on President Joe Biden and his family.
“The evidence presented in the Ways and Means Committee further solidifies four statements to be true: (1) The DOJ stonewalled, delayed, obfuscated and intentionally hindered the investigators from investigating where the facts led to Joe Biden and treated the Hunter Biden investigation different than any other investigation to shield and protect him from prosecution, (2) the Biden Family made millions of dollars from foreign countries, to date the Republican House has uncovered over $24 million in payments from foreign governments and entities to the Biden Family, (3) the Biden Family benefitted financially from official actions taken by Joe Biden, and (4) Joe Biden was involved in the influence peddling, directly benefitted, and lied to the American public,” said Steube.
“Joe Biden claimed there was an “absolute wall” between his official duties and his family influence peddling schemes. That was a lie. There is evidence submitted of Joe Biden using fictitious email addresses to directly email actors in the Biden family business (Exhibit 606). There is also evidence Joe Biden made threats and took official actions to help Hunter while he was on the board of Burisma, Joe Biden is on video bragging about withholding a billion dollars from Ukraine if they didn’t fire the prosecutor investigating Burisma,” said Steube.
Read: Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan Roasts Dem Rep Who Suggested Hunter Laptop Was ‘Manipulated’ By Russia
Background of the Criminal Investigation
The criminal investigation led by Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss has been ongoing since 2018. Initially, it seemed that the investigation would conclude with the plea deal that Hunter Biden had planned to strike with prosecutors over the summer.
Under the terms of the deal, he would have pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor tax evasion charges and a separate agreement would have been reached regarding the gun charge.
Instead of jail time, he would have served two years of probation. The agreement also included immunity provisions, which his defense attorneys argue are still valid, despite the collapse of the deal.
The Unraveling of the Plea Deal
Following the breakdown of the plea deal, prosecutors filed three federal gun charges against Hunter Biden. These charges alleged that he lied about his drug use in order to purchase a gun in 2018, which he kept for 11 days.
While federal law prohibits gun possession by “habitual drug users,” the validity of this charge has been questioned by a federal appeals court.
Prosecutors highlighted that Hunter Biden’s struggle with substance abuse worsened after the death of his brother Beau Biden in 2015, providing context for his actions during that period.
Read: Rep. Matt Gaetz Of Florida Calls Out Biden For Appointing Hunter Associate Hampton Dellinger
Hunter Biden’s Finances and Tax Obligations
During the investigation, it was revealed that Hunter Biden made substantial income from various business ventures, including private equity deals, corporate consulting, and legal fees in countries such as Ukraine, China, and Romania. Prosecutors alleged that he failed to pay taxes on approximately $4 million in personal income in 2017 and 2018. While he eventually filed his taxes in 2020 and the back taxes were paid the following year, the indictments claim that he utilized false business deductions and subverted his own company’s payroll and tax withholding process to reduce his tax liabilities.
Implications and Repercussions
The indictment against Hunter Biden has significant implications for both him and his father, President Joe Biden. As the president campaigns for a second term and faces a Republican impeachment bid, his son now contends with the prospect of prison time in two criminal cases.
The ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances has fueled political debates and raised questions about the potential influence he may have wielded due to his family connections.
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