Focus

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax charges, gun offence

21 Jun 2023 10:56am
Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden - Facebook
Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden - Facebook

WASHINGTON, US - Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, has agreed to plead guilty to two federal criminal tax charges and admit to illegally possessing a firearm, according to a court filing on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

The US Department of Justice said in the court filing that Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanour counts of failing to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time. He has been under federal investigation by a federal grand jury in Delaware since 2018.

The president's son also agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement regarding a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.

"The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment," White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement.

Hunter Biden "would get about two years probation and enter a diversion programme," The Washington Post, the dominant newspaper in the US capital reported, citing people familiar with the negotiations.

Any proposed plea deal would have to be approved by a federal judge, said the report, adding that both the prosecutors and the defence counsel have requested a court hearing at which Hunter Biden, 53, can enter his plea.

The report noted that the plea deal will likely become grist for the 2024 US presidential race, as the nation's two main parties once again debate the influence of politics on law enforcement, and the effects of law-enforcement investigations on political campaigns.

Related Articles:

Former US president Donald Trump and House Republicans have been quick to criticise the Hunter Biden plea deal, and are using it as the latest example to argue that the Justice Department is weaponised, CNN reported. - BERNAMA-XINHUA

illegally possessing a firearm
Hunter Biden
Joe Biden
tax charges
plead guilty
More Like This
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) applauds with Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa (2R) as Spain's second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Economy Yolanda Diaz (2L) stands with Palestinian labor minister Enas Attari after signing bilateral accords during a signing ceremony at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, on November 21, 2024. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (R) applauds with Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa (2R) as Spain's second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Economy Yolanda Diaz (2L) stands with Palestinian labor minister Enas Attari after signing bilateral accords during a signing ceremony at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, on November 21, 2024. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)
World Spain holds first talks with Palestinian govt since recognising state
The aim is to "help promote Palestine's statehood at the international level" and encourage other nations to follow the example of Spain, Ireland, Norway and Slovenia.
This handout photograph taken by Press Wing of Bangladesh's Chief Adviser and released on November 21, 2024, shows nobel laureate and chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus (R) with former premier and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia (2L) at a reception to mark the country's Armed Forces Day in Dhaka. - Photo by AFP
This handout photograph taken by Press Wing of Bangladesh's Chief Adviser and released on November 21, 2024, shows nobel laureate and chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government Muhammad Yunus (R) with former premier and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia (2L) at a reception to mark the country's Armed Forces Day in Dhaka. - Photo by AFP
World Bangladesh ex-PM makes first public appearance in six years
The ferocious rivalry between the two former premiers -- born in blood and cemented in prison -- has defined politics in the Muslim-majority nation for decades.
This image shows an artist’s impression of the star WOH G64, the first star outside our galaxy to be imaged in close-up. - Photo by AFP
This image shows an artist’s impression of the star WOH G64, the first star outside our galaxy to be imaged in close-up. - Photo by AFP
World The first 'zoomed-in' image of a star outside our galaxy
Roughly 160,000 light years from Earth, the star WOH G64 sits in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of our home Milky Way.
People play World of Warcraft at an E-Sports centre in Jinzhou, in China’s central Hubei province on August 1, 2024. - AFP
People play World of Warcraft at an E-Sports centre in Jinzhou, in China’s central Hubei province on August 1, 2024. - AFP
World 'World of Warcraft' still going strong as it celebrates 20 years
"WoW" was born the same year as Facebook, and comprised key elements such as online interactions and communities that would help create today's globalised social networks.