SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
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.
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Hunter Biden Reaches Tentative Plea Deal on Tax, Gun Charges
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.
Jun 20, 2023
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 Postreported 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."
Asthe 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."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
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 Postreported 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."
Asthe 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."
From Your Site Articles
Kenny Stancil
Kenny Stancil is senior researcher at the Revolving Door Project and a former staff writer for Common Dreams.
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 Postreported 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."
Asthe 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."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.