By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has reached a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney for Delaware, an appointee of former President Donald Trump.
According to court documents filed on Tuesday, Biden will plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes.
Additionally, he faces a separate gun possession charge, which the court will likely dismiss if he meets certain conditions.
Reportedly, the U.S. Attorney’s Office consented to recommend probation for Biden regarding his tax violations.
Legal experts have said the charges are unlikely to result in jail time for the President’s son.
This decision by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, nominated by Trump in 2018, marks the conclusion of a comprehensive five-year investigation conducted by federal prosecutors, FBI agents, and IRS officials into Biden’s conduct.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest if the President appointed a U.S. attorney to handle his son’s criminal case, the Biden administration allowed Weiss to remain as the lead on the investigation.
Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, said, “With the announcement of two agreements between my client, Hunter Biden, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.”
Clark further stated that the younger Biden would take responsibility for the misdemeanor failure to file tax payments as part of the plea agreement.
He also clarified that the firearm charge would be subject to a pre-trial diversion agreement and would not be included in the plea agreement.
A spokesperson from the White House released a brief statement emphasizing President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden’s support for Hunter Biden as he rebuilds his life.
“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” the White House said.
The resolution suggests that prosecutors did not find sufficient evidence to file charges related to Hunter Biden’s involvement with foreign entities or any other alleged wrongdoing.
Trump and various Republican-led congressional inquiries have previously made claims about Hunter Biden’s alleged involvement in criminal activities tied to the Chinese government and companies in Ukraine and other countries.
The younger Biden has already paid the outstanding taxes he owed for 2017 and 2018, the specific years mentioned in the charges.
A pre-trial diversion agreement will resolve the felony gun possession charge by dropping charges if Biden complies with specific requirements within a given time frame.
The court documents did not disclose the exact conditions regarding the gun case.
A judge will set a date for Biden’s arraignment in the coming weeks. After that, U.S. Marshals will process him.
