Zoom Image
President's son Hunter Biden in April 2022
Photo: Andrew Harnik / dpa
US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, has pleaded guilty to tax offences and illegal possession of weapons. As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Biden admitted two counts of tax evasion, according to a court document released Tuesday. In a separate case, the 53-year-old admitted to possessing a firearm, although he was prohibited from doing so as a drug user.
According to the federal prosecutor's office in the state of Delaware, Hunter Biden wants to formally plead guilty to tax evasion. In the event of a violation of the weapons law, another form of agreement with the judiciary is planned. In such arrangements, a prison sentence can be averted, for example, by completing therapy. According to the New York Times, the deal is conditional on Hunter Biden remaining drug-free for two years and committing never to own a firearm again. Hunter Biden himself had made his long-standing drug addiction public in a book.
In both cases, the agreement with the prosecutor's office is intended to avoid a criminal trial against Hunter Biden. The son of the U.S. president has yet to appear before a court where a judge must approve such an agreement. It is not uncommon for criminal proceedings to reach agreements in which the prosecution makes certain concessions to an accused person in exchange for a guilty plea. Hunter Biden had always denied wrongdoing in the past.
Joe Biden loves and supports his son, otherwise no comment
Biden's lawyer Chris Clark told US media that, as he understands, the five-year investigation against his client is now over with the agreements. Hunter Biden wants to "take responsibility for these mistakes he made in a period of turmoil and dependency in his life."
President Biden expressed his support for his son, whose previous drug problems have long been known. "The president and first lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life," the White House said. "We're not going to comment on that."
Biden's predecessor Donald Trump immediately attacked the agreements reached by the president's son with the prosecutor's office. The "corrupt Biden Department of Justice" spares the 53-year-old "hundreds of years of criminal liability by only giving Hunter Biden a 'traffic ticket'". The system is "broken".
The process is also politically sensitive. Joe Biden has announced that he will run for a second term in the 2024 presidential election. Biden's son Hunter has been a target of political attacks from the ranks of the Republicans, above all from former President Donald Trump, for years. The Republican made allegations of corruption against Hunter Biden in connection with foreign business in Ukraine and China. With their majority in the House of Representatives, the Republicans have launched investigations into Hunter Biden's financial dealings. Joe Biden had always rejected attacks against his son in the past as a smear campaign.
Hunter Biden is the president's second son. His older brother, Beau Biden, died of a brain tumor in 2015. Hunter and Beau had survived a serious car accident as children, in which Joe Biden's first wife Neilia and their daughter Naomi died in 1972.
mgo/AFP/dpa