Federal prosecutors plan to seek a grand jury indictment of President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, before the end of the month, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
The filing follows a gun possession case in which Hunter Biden was accused of possessing a gun while a drug user, though prosecutors did not specify exactly what charges he was accused of. they were looking for. He is also being investigated by federal prosecutors for his business dealings.
Prosecutors for Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was recently appointed special counsel in the case, said they expect an indictment by September 29.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys, however, have argued that prosecutors are barred from bringing additional charges under an agreement previously reached by the two sides in the firearms case. It contains an immunity clause from federal prosecution for certain other potential crimes. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said Hunter Biden honored the terms of the deal, including regular visits from the probation office.
“We hope for a fair resolution to the sprawling five-year investigation of Mr. Biden, based on the evidence and the law, not outside of political pressure, and we will do what is necessary on Mr. Biden’s behalf to make it happen. achieve,” he said in a statement.
Prosecutors said the gun deal was dead, as was the rest of the plea deal that called for Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax crimes. The project collapsed after US District Judge Maryellen Noreika raised questions about it during a court appearance in July.
The Department of Justice did not immediately comment.
News of a possible new indictment comes as House Republicans brace for a likely impeachment inquiry of President Biden over unsubstantiated allegations that he played a role in his son’s foreign affairs during his tenure as president. vice-president.
“If you look at all the information we’ve been able to gather so far, it’s only natural that you should open an impeachment inquiry,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif, told Fox News recently. .
The young Biden has been the target of congressional investigations since Republicans took control of the House in January, with lawmakers obtaining thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family through subpoenas. appear at the Treasury Department and various financial institutions. Three powerful House committees are now pursuing multiple lines of inquiry related to the president and his son.
And even though Republicans have sought to link Hunter Biden’s financial affairs directly to his father, they have failed to produce evidence that the president was directly involved in his son’s work, even though he sometimes dined with the Hunter Biden clients or said hello to them on calls.
In recent months, Republicans have also focused on the Justice Department’s investigation of Hunter Biden after whistleblower testimony claimed he received special treatment throughout that case that lasted for years.
Hunter Biden was charged in June with two misdemeanors for failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes on more than $1.5 million in earnings in 2017 and 2018. He was due to plead guilty in July, after concluding a deal with prosecutors, who planned to recommend two years of probation. The case fell apart at the hearing after President Donald Trump’s appointee Noreika raised multiple concerns about the details of the deal and her role in the proceedings.
If prosecutors file a new charge of possession of firearms, it could lead to legal challenges. A Louisiana federal appeals court ruled last month against banning drug addicts’ gun ownership, citing a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision on firearms.
News of another indictment comes after U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss special counsel, giving him broad powers to investigate and report his findings and step up the probe into the president’s son ahead of 2024 elections.
The White House legal counsel’s office referred questions to Hunter Biden’s personal attorneys.
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