SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, joined by Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden, attend their granddaughter Maisy Biden's graduation from the University of Pennsylvania on May 15, 2023 in Philadelphia.
Under the agreement, the president's son will plead guilty to a pair of tax misdemeanors and enter probation for a gun felony in order to avoid incarceration.
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Hunter Biden with the illegal possession of a handgun in 2018 and failure to pay roughly $1.2 million in federal taxes in 2017 and 2018.
However, President Joe Biden's son has reached a tentative deal with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time, according to a letter filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to the pair of tax misdemeanors (his representatives say he has already paid the IRS the money he owed). He will also enter a two-year period of probation for the gun felony that, if violated, would result in prosecution for unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of illegal drugs.
Citing people familiar with the plea deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the agreement that are not yet public, The Washington Post reported that "if Biden successfully meets the conditions of the diversion program, the gun charge would be removed from his record at the end of that period."
As the Post observed: "The agreement caps an investigation that was opened in 2018 during the Trump administration, and has generated intense interest and criticism since 2020 from Republican politicians who accused the Biden administration of reluctance to pursue the case. The terms of the proposed deal—negotiated with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a holdover from President Donald Trump's administration—are likely to face similar scrutiny."
"Any proposed plea deal would have to be approved by a federal judge," the newspaper noted. "Both the prosecutors and the defense counsel have requested a court hearing at which Hunter Biden, 53, can enter his plea."
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Hunter Biden with the illegal possession of a handgun in 2018 and failure to pay roughly $1.2 million in federal taxes in 2017 and 2018.
However, President Joe Biden's son has reached a tentative deal with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time, according to a letter filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to the pair of tax misdemeanors (his representatives say he has already paid the IRS the money he owed). He will also enter a two-year period of probation for the gun felony that, if violated, would result in prosecution for unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of illegal drugs.
Citing people familiar with the plea deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the agreement that are not yet public, The Washington Post reported that "if Biden successfully meets the conditions of the diversion program, the gun charge would be removed from his record at the end of that period."
As the Post observed: "The agreement caps an investigation that was opened in 2018 during the Trump administration, and has generated intense interest and criticism since 2020 from Republican politicians who accused the Biden administration of reluctance to pursue the case. The terms of the proposed deal—negotiated with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a holdover from President Donald Trump's administration—are likely to face similar scrutiny."
"Any proposed plea deal would have to be approved by a federal judge," the newspaper noted. "Both the prosecutors and the defense counsel have requested a court hearing at which Hunter Biden, 53, can enter his plea."
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Hunter Biden with the illegal possession of a handgun in 2018 and failure to pay roughly $1.2 million in federal taxes in 2017 and 2018.
However, President Joe Biden's son has reached a tentative deal with federal prosecutors to avoid jail time, according to a letter filed Tuesday with the U.S. District Court in Delaware.
Under the terms of the agreement, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to the pair of tax misdemeanors (his representatives say he has already paid the IRS the money he owed). He will also enter a two-year period of probation for the gun felony that, if violated, would result in prosecution for unlawfully possessing a firearm while being a user of illegal drugs.
Citing people familiar with the plea deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe details of the agreement that are not yet public, The Washington Post reported that "if Biden successfully meets the conditions of the diversion program, the gun charge would be removed from his record at the end of that period."
As the Post observed: "The agreement caps an investigation that was opened in 2018 during the Trump administration, and has generated intense interest and criticism since 2020 from Republican politicians who accused the Biden administration of reluctance to pursue the case. The terms of the proposed deal—negotiated with Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a holdover from President Donald Trump's administration—are likely to face similar scrutiny."
"Any proposed plea deal would have to be approved by a federal judge," the newspaper noted. "Both the prosecutors and the defense counsel have requested a court hearing at which Hunter Biden, 53, can enter his plea."