Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, was indicted on September 14, 2023, on two counts of making false statements and one count of illegally possessing a firearm. The charges stem from a 2018 incident in which Biden purchased a gun from a Delaware gun shop, despite the fact that he was addicted to drugs at the time.
Biden has acknowledged that he lied on the federal form required for the gun purchase, which asks whether the buyer is currently using or addicted to illegal drugs. He has also said that he was struggling with addiction at the time, but that he is now sober.
The charges against Biden were filed by Justice Department Special Counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Biden’s business dealings since 2018. Weiss is a Republican who was appointed by former President Donald Trump.
In July 2023, Biden and Weiss reached a plea deal in which Biden would have pleaded guilty to two minor tax charges in exchange for probation. The deal also included an agreement to suspend the felony gun charge.
However, the plea deal collapsed in July after a judge raised concerns that it did not explicitly protect Biden from being charged with other crimes, including possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere.
The charges against Biden come as his father is facing a re-election campaign in 2024. Republicans have accused the Biden administration of protecting Hunter Biden from prosecution, and they have also accused Weiss of going easy on him.
The White House has denied any involvement in the Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden. President Biden has also said that he has not spoken to his son about the investigation.
It is important to note that Biden is innocent until proven guilty. He has not yet entered a plea to the charges against him.
