Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on Thursday on nine federal tax fraud charges. This adds to the federal gun charges he already faces in a special counsel investigation. [Source]
The new charges, filed in California where Hunter Biden resides, include three felonies and six misdemeanors. They are centered on at least $1.4 million in taxes owed between 2016 and 2019, a period during which he has acknowledged struggling with addiction. The back taxes have since been paid. If convicted, he could face up to 17 years in prison.
These tax charges are in addition to the federal firearms charges in Delaware, where Hunter Biden is accused of lying on a background check form when purchasing a handgun in 2018. He allegedly answered “no” to a question about whether he was an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any controlled substance, while reportedly using crack cocaine at the time. He is also accused of discarding the gun in a trash bin near a school, prompting a search by the Secret Service.
One of the most controversial aspects of the investigation is whether Hunter Biden should have registered as a foreign agent under FARA, which requires individuals to disclose their work for foreign governments or entities that seek to influence U.S. policy. [Source]
A federal lawsuit filed in July by the America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group led by former Trump adviser Stephen Miller, sought to force Hunter Biden to register as a foreign agent. The lawsuit argues that he was operating under the direction or control of foreign governments or entities.
However, Hunter Biden has not been charged with any FARA violations, and it is unclear if Weiss is pursuing that angle. FARA enforcement has historically been lax, with rare and often unsuccessful prosecutions. Several high-profile associates of former President Donald Trump, such as Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and Roger Stone, were convicted of FARA violations or related crimes, but Trump pardoned them before leaving office.
The special counsel probe, led by David Weiss, remains open and could bring more charges against Hunter Biden or others.
Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, accused Weiss of “bowing to Republican pressure” in the case, claiming that the charges were politically motivated. “Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name were anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought,” Lowell said in a statement.
Congressional Republicans continue to pursue an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, alleging he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. The House is expected to vote next week on formally authorizing the inquiry.
This story is still developing…