June 20 (UPI) — Attorneys for Hunter Biden said Tuesday he will plead guilty to two federal offenses connected with his taxes and businesses.
Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss‘ office said Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, faced misdemeanor charges for failing to pay federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018 despite owing more than $100,000 in taxes in each year.
It also said Hunter Biden possessed a firearm in October 2018 despite “knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance,” a charge for which he has agreed to enter a pretrial diversion agreement to avoid prosecution.
Weiss’ office said the investigation into Hunter Biden is ongoing, although his attorney, Chris Clark, said in a statement that it was his understanding “that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved” as a result of the agreement.
“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement. A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement will also be filed by the government,” Clark said.
Hunter Biden will now face an arraignment in the coming weeks and is expected to give himself up to Delaware authorities and will be processed by U.S. Marshals.
The case marks the first time the Justice Department has brought charges against the child of a sitting president.
“The president and first lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” a White House spokesperson said. “We will have no further comment.”
The investigation into Hunter Biden started under the administration of former President Donald Trump and continued under Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss when President Joe Biden took office. Republicans wanted a special prosecutor for the case but the Justice Department rejected the call, saying it wanted to investigation to be free of politics.
Trump criticized the decision Tuesday in a post on his social networking platform Truth Social.
“The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN,” he wrote.
Hunter Biden has been a political target for Republicans since his father started running for president against Trump. Rep. James Comer, quickly issued a statement, calling Hunter Biden’s pleas a “slap on the wrist.”
“Let’s be clear: the Department of Justice’s charges against President Biden’s son Hunter reveals a two-tiered system of justice,” Comer said in a statement on Twitter.
“Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling and possible bribery.”
Comer said the plea deal will have no impact on the committee’s continued investigation into the Biden family.
“We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family schemes is revealed,” Comer said.
