According to a court document filed on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of wilfully failing to pay income taxes and to enter into an arrangement that could prevent him from being found guilty on a charge involving a firearm.
Former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies, who have long targeted both Bidens, immediately accused the news of favoring the Democratic president’s son.
Unraveling Hunter Biden Tax and Money Laundering Allegations
The inquiry by David Weiss, the US attorney in Delaware chosen by Trump, that resulted in the charges was sparked by their allegations of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden regarding Ukraine and China. Hunter Biden’s two misdemeanor tax charges were his first.
The younger Biden has had positions as a lobbyist, attorney, advisor to foreign businesses, investment banker, and artist, and he has openly discussed his battles with addiction.
The Justice Department’s announcement coincides with President Biden’s re-election campaign, which might pit him against Trump, the front-runner for the GOP candidacy in 2024, once more.
Hunter Biden’s operations in China and Ukraine are being looked into by Trump’s administration as president.
Hunter Biden reportedly received more than $1.5 million in taxable income in 2017 and 2018 but failed to pay income tax during both years despite owing more than $100,000, according to court documents.
The Federal Department stated that he is also accused of illegally possessing a weapon from roughly October 12 to October 23, 2018, while abusing and being addicted to a controlled substance.
He signed a pretrial diversion arrangement for that accusation, an alternative to prosecution that occasionally lets offenders escape jail time or a criminal conviction.
Weiss made the customary declaration that the inquiry is ongoing.
The White House opted not to comment on the accusations or the agreement.
According to Tess Lopez, a sentencing expert, Hunter Biden might receive a sentence of 12 to 18 months for the tax charges, of which up to half could be spent behind bars.
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From Tax Affairs to Substance Abuse
But, given the size of the tax loss, the fact that he is a first-time offender, and his willingness to accept responsibility for his acts, the likelihood that he will receive a prison sentence is low.
In December 2020, Hunter Biden said that Weiss’s office was looking into his tax troubles. He refuted any misconduct.
In a memoir published in 2021, he discussed grappling with challenges related to substance misuse, including crack cocaine use and alcoholism.
After testing positive for cocaine, he was released from the US Navy Reserve in 2014, according to sources at the time.
According to sources who spoke to Reuters, the Weiss inquiry initially looked into possible infractions of tax and money laundering regulations in international commercial activities, particularly in China.
According to American media sources, the inquiry under Weiss’s direction started as early as 2018.
Once Trump left the White House and President Biden took office, Weiss was asked to continue the investigation.
The investigation came after Trump and others accused Hunter Biden of buying influence, and after Trump tried to persuade Ukrainian authorities to look into the son of the man he believed would be his most likely opponent for the presidency in 2020.
These acts, which included the suspension of military assistance to Ukraine that had gained parliamentary approval, led to Trump’s first impeachment.
Conservatives vehemently denounced the deal on Tuesday for favoring the president’s son.
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