Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, reached an agreement on Tuesday in which he will plead guilty to federal tax evasion charges but will likely not face prison time.
The son of the commander-in-chief had been charged with two misdemeanors related to his neglect to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018. Hunter Biden will plead guilty to both counts of “willful failure to pay federal income tax,” according to court documents obtained by The Washington Post, and enter a pretrial diversion agreement over one count of “possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.”
Christopher Clark, an attorney representing Hunter Biden, said in a statement provided to The Washington Post that the agreement with prosecutors would conclude the five-year Justice Department investigation into the troubled first son.
“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of failure to file tax payments when due. 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,” the lawyer said. “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.”
Renewed controversy over the criminal behavior from Hunter Biden occurs as his father mounts a reelection campaign for the White House. Lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee are presently investigating the Biden family over domestic and overseas business deals that could impact Biden’s ability to safeguard national security.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) said in a statement that the deal with Hunter Biden constituted “a slap on the wrist” and affirmed that lawmakers would continue to investigate the family for “corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery.”
Prosecutors will likely recommend a sentence of probation and diversion conditions for the tax evasion and firearm charges, sources told The Washington Post, meaning that Hunter Biden will not face a prison sentence for the misconduct. The firearm charge filed against the first son will be removed from his record if he successfully completes the diversion program.
Former President Donald Trump, a frontrunner in the Republican primary race and therefore a possible rival of President Joe Biden in his reelection bid, reacted to the deal on social media platform Truth Social by asserting that prosecutors gave Hunter Biden a “traffic ticket.” Donald Trump Jr. likewise said that the plea deal “reeks of favoritism and brazenly reveals a system where there are two tiers of justice, wholly dependent on your political affiliation.”
The former commander-in-chief presently faces multiple indictments related to his real estate empire’s business records and his store of classified documents. Critics of the Biden administration have contended that the prosecutions represent lawfare tactics meant to decrease Trump’s support in the general election. A slight majority of Americans believe the charges against Trump constitute “selective prosecution” rather than “fair justice” since other federal officials, including Biden himself, have likewise kept classified documents after leaving office, according to a recent survey from Harvard University and The Harris Poll.
