Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges in California on Thursday as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of US President Joe Biden’s son intensifies against the backdrop of the looming US presidential election next year.
The new charges — three felonies and six misdemeanors — are in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware alleging Hunter Biden broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018. They come after the implosion of a plea deal over the summer that would have spared him jail time, putting the case on track to a possible trial as his father campaigns for re-election.
Hunter Biden “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills,” special counsel David Weiss said in a statement.
Photo: Reuters
The charges are centered on at least US$1.4 million in taxes Hunter Biden owed from 2016 to 2019, a period where he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid.
If convicted, Hunter Biden, 53, could face a maximum of 17 years in prison. The special counsel probe remains open, Weiss said.
In a fiery response, defense attorney Abbe Lowell accused Weiss of “bowing to Republican pressure” in the case.
“Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought,” Lowell said in a statement.
The White House declined to comment on Thursday’s indictment, referring questions to the US Department of Justice or Hunter Biden’s personal representatives.
The charging documents filed in California, where he lives, details spending on everything from drugs and strippers to luxury hotels and exotic cars, “in short, everything but his taxes,” prosecutor Leo Wise wrote.
The indictment comes as congressional Republicans pursue an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, claiming he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. The US House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on formally authorizing the inquiry.
No evidence has emerged so far to prove that Joe Biden abused his role or accepted bribes.
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