US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, has settled with prosecutors for failing to pay federal income taxes and illegally possessing a gun, pleading guilty to tax crimes.
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to tax violations as part of the deal made public this Tuesday that would see him not charged with illegally carrying a firearm as a drug user, if he meets prosecutors’ terms.
The settlement ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into President Biden’s second son, Hunter, who admitted to struggling with drug addiction following the death of his brother Beau Biden in 2015.
The deal also avoids a lawsuit that would have generated weeks of wrangling and embarrassing news for a White House that has sought to distance itself from the Justice Department.
In this scenario, the Justice Department is expected to recommend parole because of the tax charges, meaning Hunter Biden will not receive an effective prison sentence.
Christopher Clark, attorney for Hunter Biden, said in a statement that he considers the investigation process complete.
“I know it’s important to Hunter to take responsibility for the mistakes he made during a time of turmoil and addiction in his life. He now looks forward to moving forward,” Clark said.
News of this deal comes as Republicans in Congress begin an investigation into Hunter Biden’s various dealings, both within and outside the borders.
The White House has already responded to news of the plea deal, showing parental solidarity.
“The President and the First Lady love and support their son as he rebuilds his life,” the White House said in a statement.
The illegal gun possession charge concludes that Hunter Biden was in possession of a Colt Cobra 38 handgun in October 2018 despite knowing he was a drug user.
The crime carried a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department said Hunter Biden had reached an out-of-court settlement of the charges.
The tax crimes that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to are much more limited than the charges against him by Congressional Republicans, who will continue to investigate suspicious payments to foreign companies.
The Justice Department’s investigation began in December 2020, a month after the presidential election, when Hunter Biden revealed he had received a subpoena as part of his tax audit.
The subpoena referred to information about Hunter Biden’s dealings with several companies and organizations, including Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company, on whose board of directors he served.
Source: DN
