WASHINGTON. Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, faces an intensified legal battle as he was indicted on nine tax charges in California on Thursday. These charges, comprising three felonies and six misdemeanors, add to the existing federal firearms charges in Delaware related to alleged violations in 2018.
The indictment unfolds against the backdrop of a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of President Biden’s son, escalating the legal scrutiny amid the approaching 2024 election. The charges, totaling at least $1.4 million in back taxes for the years 2016 to 2019, are linked to Hunter Biden’s acknowledged struggle with addiction during that period.
Special counsel David Weiss emphasized that Hunter Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills.” The charges carry a potential maximum sentence of 17 years in prison if convicted, and the special counsel probe remains ongoing.
In response, defense attorney Abbe Lowell accused Weiss of succumbing to political pressure, asserting that the charges might not have been brought if Hunter’s last name were anything other than Biden.
The charging documents filed in California provide details on Hunter Biden’s expenditures, including drugs, strippers, luxury hotels, and exotic cars. The indictment comes amid a wider political landscape, with congressional Republicans pursuing an impeachment inquiry into President Biden over alleged influence-peddling with his son.
The White House, in response to Thursday’s indictment, refrained from commenting and directed inquiries to the Justice Department or Hunter Biden’s representatives.
As the legal drama unfolds, the defense signals intentions to fight the charges, potentially relying on immunity provisions from a scrapped plea deal. Meanwhile, the separate criminal investigation into Hunter Biden, initially expected to conclude with a plea deal, took a turn leading to the present indictment.
The political implications of this development are notable, especially with the ongoing inquiry into President Biden’s actions and the scrutiny surrounding the Biden family’s international business dealings. The legal battle adds complexity to the political landscape as the nation approaches the 2024 election.
(With inputs from agencies)
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
