After a five-year inquiry, US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is likely to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses and admit to illegally carrying a gun while a drug user.
The US Attorney for the District of Delaware has filed paperwork indicating that a plea deal has been reached.
He will most likely agree to drug therapy and supervision.
The agreement’s terms are expected to keep him out of jail.
A judge would still have to approve the planned agreement. When Hunter Biden will appear in court to make his guilty plea on the tax charges is unknown.
According to his lawyer, Chris Clark, he will admit to felony gun possession as part of a “pre-trial diversion agreement” distinct from the plea deal.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to accept responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Mr Clark continued. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
Hunter Biden, 53, has worked as a lawyer and lobbyist, including in China and Ukraine. After testing positive for cocaine, he was expelled from the US Navy in 2014.
The guilty agreement ends a lengthy investigation by the Justice Department into whether he correctly declared his income and made false statements on documents used to acquire a firearm in 2018.
The two misdemeanor tax accusations derive from unpaid taxes in 2017 and 2018, which have now been entirely reimbursed.
The gun charge derives from a purchase of a handgun in 2018 while under the influence of drugs.
The younger Mr Biden admits to being a strong crack cocaine addict at the period in a 2021 book.
However, he apparently answered “no” when asked if he was “an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or other controlled substance.”
The agreement comes as some Republican legislators and presidential contenders accuse Joe Biden of “weaponizing” the Justice Department against political opponents.
Conservatives have long questioned Hunter Biden’s overseas activities, alleging that they reveal a pattern of corruption.
Donald Trump and his campaign, as well as leading congressional Republicans, reacted angrily to the plea agreement.
The pact, according to Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for the pro-Trump Make America Great Again Inc, is a “sweetheart deal” that permits the Justice Department to “turn a blind eye” to corruption. Mr. Trump, for his part, referred to the agreement as a “mere traffic ticket.”
The White House also stated in a brief statement that Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden “love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.” We have no additional remark.”
