Hunter Biden to Plead Guilty to Federal Charges

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, at the White House on April 18, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

President Joe Biden's son has agreed to plead guilty to federal crimes in a deal with the U.S. government, prosecutors said on June 20.

Hunter Biden, 53, has admitted to intentionally failing to pay federal income tax, U.S. Attorney David Weiss said in a letter to the U.S. court in Delaware. Hunter Biden plans to plead guilty in an upcoming hearing to violations of a law that forbids "willfully [failing]" to file tax returns or pay taxes.

Hunter Biden received more than $1.5 million in taxable income in 2017 and more than $1.5 million more in 2018, according to an indictment. He was required by law to pay more than $100,000 in income tax for his earnings each of those years. But he "did willfully fail" to pay the tax.

The counts are misdemeanors. Each carries up to one year in prison.

No hearings have been scheduled as of yet, according to the court docket.

Hunter Biden said in late 2020 that authorities were investigating his "tax affairs." He said, "[I am] confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately.”

A subpoena, made public in 2022, showed that Weiss was compelling JP Morgan Chase Bank to release Hunter Biden's bank records. IRS agents later came forward to allege the investigation wasn't being handled properly.

From left to right: U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and Ashley Biden attend an event at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia on May 15, 2023. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Another Charge

Separately, Hunter Biden, in 2018, "knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance ... did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver with serial number RA 551363, said firearm having been shipped and transported in interstate commerce," an indictment states.

The law in question forbids people convicted of a crime punishable by a prison term of more than one year or who illegally use or are addicted to a controlled substance as defined in the Controlled Substance Act from possessing firearms.

Several outlets have reported that Hunter Biden possessed a gun in 2018 and that his then-girlfriend, Hallie Biden—the widow of Hunter’s brother, Beau—threw the gun into a garbage can before it was recovered by authorities. Hunter Biden has said in his autobiography that he was using crack cocaine that year.

Hunter Biden has agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement on that charge, according to Weiss.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss in a file image. (Department of Justice via The Epoch Times)

Pretrial diversion programs enable defendants to get charges dismissed if they meet certain criteria. The objectives of the programs include preventing future criminal activity and promoting rehabilitation, according to the Department of Justice.

The charge carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Christopher Clark, a lawyer representing Hunter Biden, declined to comment.

"The president and first lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life," Ian Sams, a White House spokesperson, told news outlets in a statement. "We will have no further comment."

Joe Biden has claimed in the past that his son "did nothing wrong."

"I trust him. I have faith in him," the president said on MSNBC in a recent interview.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, on June 13, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Trump Reacts

Former President Donald Trump, who was recently charged with 37 counts, said that the new information indicates that the justice system is broken.

"Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere 'traffic ticket.' Our system is BROKEN!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The Department of Justice didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Weiss was appointed by Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate the following year. He is one of the few U.S. attorneys from the Trump administration to be retained by Joe Biden.

Trump has said in the past that he believed that to make the federal case against him "look fair," Hunter Biden would be charged with "something small."

Republicans decried the announced deal.

"Biden’s DOJ is treating Hunter with kid gloves, giving him a deal that only the President’s son could receive," Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) said in a statement. "[The deal] will not stop our investigation into the Biden crime family."

"Anyone can see Biden’s DOJ went easy on Hunter Biden," Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said.

House Republicans have been probing Biden family financial dealings and uncovered bank records that they say show a complex money laundering scheme. The White House has stated that Joe Biden wasn't influenced by the payments made to the then-vice president's family members.