June 20, 2023

Hunter Biden Will Plead Guilty to Misdemeanor Tax Charges

The president’s son, who also faces a gun charge, is unlikely to serve any prison time as part of the deal.

Patrick Semansky/ AP

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Hunter Biden has agreed to a plea deal with federal prosecutors, finally ending a five-year investigation into the 53-year-old’s failure to pay $1 million in federal taxes and his illegal purchase of a firearm, according to news outlets. After a probe overseen by the Trump-appointed US Attorney of Delaware, the current president’s son was charged him with possessing a handgun while a being a user of drugs—a felony. According to a court document released Tuesday, Hunter Biden agreed to enter a pre-trial diversion program related to the gun charge, which means that charge will be dropped if he successfully completes the program. According to Politico, prosecutors have agreed to recommend probation for the tax charges, meaning that Biden is unlikely to serve any prison time. 

Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed during Trump’s administration, was permitted to continue overseeing Hunter’s case after Joe Biden took office. Republicans have long accused President Biden of refusing to legally hold his second oldest son accountable and have railed against everything from Hunter’s leaked sex tapes to his history of addiction.

You can read the the prosecutor’s letter detailing the plea agreement here. 

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