Hunter Biden faces possible charges over taxes and gun purchase
Sources say federal prosecutors have considered four charges against President Joe Biden’s son, who is also accused of being removed from the IRS investigation by the Justice Department.
BCRP
5/22/20232 min read
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is facing possible legal trouble over his tax affairs and a gun purchase. Federal prosecutors have considered four charges against him, according to sources familiar with the matter¹.
The possible charges are two misdemeanor counts for failure to file taxes, a single felony count of tax evasion related to a business expense for one year of taxes, and a felony count related to a gun purchase¹. The gun charge stems from an incident in 2018, when Hunter Biden bought a firearm while he was allegedly addicted to cocaine. He answered "no" to a question on the form that asked whether he was addicted to or abusing any unlawful substance¹⁴.
The federal investigation of Hunter Biden began in 2018 and has narrowed from an inquiry into his international business relationships, including any possible national security implications, to an examination of the income he earned from those ventures and the false statement he’s alleged to have made during the gun purchase¹.
The decision on whether to file any charges will be made by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed by President Donald Trump and retained by the Biden administration to continue the Hunter Biden investigation¹. There are no indications that a final decision has been made, said the sources¹.
However, an IRS whistleblower who claims to have information suggesting the Biden administration could be mishandling the investigation has alleged that he and his "entire investigative team" have been removed from the probe at the request of the Department of Justice². The whistleblower's attorneys have notified several House and Senate Committee chairmen about this move, which they claim is "clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry"².
The possible legal trouble follows years of Hunter Biden's well-documented personal travails, including a public marital break-up and drug addiction - problems that have spilled over into politics since his father entered the White House³. Hunter Biden's legal jeopardy has been leveraged by Republicans seeking to accuse his father of being complicit in his alleged wrongdoing. Republicans expect, should they regain control of the House, to investigate the Biden family through committees they will control⁵.
(1) Federal prosecutors have considered four charges against Hunter Biden. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/federal-prosecutors-hunter-biden-taxes-gun-charge-rcna80692.
(2) Hunter Biden investigation: Federal prosecutors weighing charges on two .... https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/06/politics/hunter-biden-investigation-federal-prosecutors-weighing-charges/index.html.
(3) IRS whistleblower in Hunter Biden probe alleges agency removed his .... https://abcnews.go.com/US/irs-whistleblower-hunter-biden-probe-alleges-agency-removed/story?id=99376398.
(4) Hunter Biden: The struggles and scandals of the US president's son - BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55805698.
(5) Hunter Biden was repeatedly warned of tax problems, a review of ... - CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/politics/hunter-biden-emails-invs/index.html.