Hunter Bidenson of the president Joe Bidenhe agreed to the request guilty to two federal misdemeanors crimes willful failure to pay federal income taxesTuesday’s court filing revealed.
Hunter Biden also agreed to a so-called pretrial diversion agreement on federal possession charges pistol a person who is a user or addict of illegal drugs, according to a filing by prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Such deals typically require the associated criminal charge to be dropped if the defendant complies with the terms of the deal for a specified period of time.
Hunter’s first court appearance in the case has not yet been scheduled, his defense attorney Chris Clark told CNBC.
Citing two sources familiar with Hunter’s plea deal, NBC News reported that U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss agreed to recommend to a judge that the 53-year-old Malibu, Calif., resident receive probation for the tax crimes.
Weiss was appointed to his position by then-President Donald Trump Trump and was allowed to remain in that position after the election of Joe Biden to continue the five-year criminal investigation of the president’s son.
“I’m very proud of my son,” President Biden told reporters at an event on Tuesday.
Weiss filed two charging documents, known as informations, against Hunter, one for both tax offenses and one for the firearm charge.
Prosecutors routinely use the information to charge defendants who have agreed to plead guilty.
Information charging Hunter with two tax crimes says he had taxable income in excess of $1.5 million in both 2017 and 2018 but failed to pay income tax for each of those years. Hunter owed the IRS more than $100,000 in taxes for each of those years, according to the filing.
Tax charges carry a maximum possible prison sentence of 12 months.
Hunter, who has struggled with substance abuse for years, paid federal income taxes in 2022 that he had previously failed to pay for 2017 and 2018. The move was seen as part of an effort to limit his chances of criminal charges in the case and to limit any possible punishment , should he be charged.
Information on the weapons charge says that during an 11-day period in October 2018, Hunter possessed a Colt Cobra .38 revolver “despite knowledge that he was an unlawful user and addicted to a controlled substance.”
The maximum possible sentence for the weapons charge is 10 years in prison.
In a press release detailing the settlement, Weiss’ office said, “An investigation is ongoing,” but did not elaborate.
A memorandum summarizing the terms of Hunter’s plea agreement and details of the pretrial diversion agreement will be publicly filed before he appears in court for a plea hearing, a prosecutor in Weiss’ office wrote in a letter to a Delaware federal court clerk.
White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement to NBC about Hunter’s plea agreement: “The president and first lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
The Justice Department declined to say whether Attorney General Merrick Garland was even involved in signing the indictment in advance, NBC reported.
Clark, Hunter’s criminal defense attorney, said in a statement: “With the announcement of two plea agreements between my client Hunter Biden and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter has been resolved.”
“Hunter will accept responsibility for two misdemeanor counts of failure to pay tax when due under a plea agreement,” Clark said.
“The firearms charge, which will be subject to a preliminary diversion agreement and will not be subject to a plea agreement, will also be brought by the government,” he said.
“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
Trump, who was indicted earlier this month on more than three dozen federal charges related to his alleged illegal withholding of classified documents after leaving the White House, condemned Hunter’s plea deal in a post on his Truth Social website.
“Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket,'” Trump wrote.
“Our system is BROKEN!” added Trump, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Trump later wrote on Truth Social, “People are freaking out over Hunter Biden’s DOJ fraud!”
Rep. James Comer, Republican of Kentucky, who chairs the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, also criticized the plea deal and vowed to continue investigating Hunter’s overseas business dealings and an alleged bribery scheme involving President Biden.
“Let’s be clear: the Justice Department’s allegations against President Biden’s son Hunter expose a two-tier system of justice,” Comer said in a statement.
“Hunter Biden gets away with a slap on the wrist as mounting evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens are engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling and possibly bribery,” Comer said.
“These allegations against Hunter Biden and the sweet plea deal have no bearing on the Oversight Committee’s investigation. We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in Family Planning is revealed.”