US President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden was on Thursday indicted by the Department of Justice (DoJ) for the illegal possession of firearm.
The case is related to Hunter buying a weapon in 2018 when he was a drug addict. As per the US law, drug addicts cannot buy and possess guns.
Hunter is the first child of a sitting President of the United States to be indicted by the Department of Justice. Additionally, he is facing separate cases of tax fraud and an inquiry into influence-peddling during his father's years as the Vice President (2008-16). In the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections, the indictment along with the other two investigations are likely to be played up in the political discourse.
The CNN reports that Hunter has been indicted on three counts: 1) Lying on a government form while purchasing the gun, stating he was not addicted to drugs or using drugs when actually he was, 2) Lying to a federally-licensed gun deal, 3) Illegally possessing the gun while using drugs or being addicted to drugs
The maximun conviction for these charges upon conviction is imprisonment up to 25 years and fines of up to $750,000, but CNN notes that maximum penalty is very rarely handed, particularly in cases like Hunter's that involve non-violate crimes and first-time offenders.
While his father Joe Biden is a teetotaller, Hunter has struggled with addiction throughout his life. His professional business dealings and tumultuous persoonal life, including affairs and a child who was initially unacknowledged, has troubled his father who is seeking a reelection and is facing increasing scruitiny. In addition to the economy and questions over his age, ethical as well as legal questions over his son's conduct are also troubling him.
A second indictment in the tax fraud case could also be in the cards for Hunter, noted Associated Press. Hunter was engaged in plea deal negotiations with the prosecutors in the case but the negotiations fell and he is now open to be charged in the second case as well.
"President Biden's son has also been under investigation for his business dealings, and the special counsel has indicated that tax charges could be filed at some point in the future in Washington or in California, where he lives," notes AP, adding that political pressure has also escalated as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives has formally opened an impeachment inquiry into Biden, seeking to tie the president to his son's business dealings.
For months, the Republicans have led inquiries into the business dealings of Hunter, who is accused of corrupt dealings and benefitting from his father's name when he was the Vice President. It has been alleged that Hunter charged or at least sought huge sums of money for lobbying purposes for China- and Libya-related affairs during that period. He is also accused to introducing people to top-level US officials to get things done. While ethics of such conduct are under question, no legal issues have so far emerged.
"And so far, Republicans have unearthed no significant evidence of wrongdoing by the elder Biden, who as vice president spoke often to his son and stopped by a business dinner with his son's associates. The White House maintains Joe Biden was not involved in his son's business affairs. The prosecutor who has long overseen the Hunter Biden investigation, Trump-appointed Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, was elevated to special counsel last month, giving him broad authority to investigate and report out his findings," notes AP.
Rep. James Comer, the lead Republican pursuing an impeachment inquiry into the president, called the Hunter indictment on Thursday “a very small start”, but, he said in a statement, unless the DoJ pursues the claims Republicans have put out regarding whether the president was involved in his son's business dealings, “it will be clear President Biden's DOJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy”.
Hunter has, meanwhile, claimed that a part of the collapsed-deal negotiations makes him immune to other potential charges.
"Defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that part of the deal remains in place, including its immunity provisions against other potential charges. He said in a statement that Hunter Biden 'possessing an unloaded gun for 11 days' presented no threat to public safety and slammed 'MAGA Republicans' improper and partisan interference in this process', a reference to Trump's Make America Great Again slogan," reports AP.
Prosecutors maintain the agreement never took effect and is now invalid, notes AP.
