Hunter Biden to plead guilty in tax, gun case

WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Hunter Biden, the son of the United States president, is expected to plead guilty to two minor tax crimes after multiple reports claimed he reached a tentative agreement with federal prosecutors Tuesday.

Court papers filed Tuesday also revealed he will admit to the facts of a gun charge in a move that will likely keep him out of jail.

As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user. It is somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time the charges are filed in court, though it is not totally unheard of.

The deal still needs to be approved by a judge, and he would need to appear in court to enter his plea.

According to reports, Biden could face two years of probation and would have to complete other court-required conditions.

“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” White House spokesperson Ian Sams responded to the reports.

The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother, Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks or distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.

“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Christopher Clark, a lawyer for the younger Biden, said in a statement that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved.

“He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward,” Clark said.

The news comes as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances. It also comes days after a 37-count indictment came down against former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents on his Florida estate, another case with even more dramatic political implications.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) released a statement on Biden’s plea deal, saying the DOJ charges against him reveal a “two-tiered system of justice.”

The statement continued: “Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery. These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation. We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes are revealed.”

He later told NewsNation, “At the end of the day, this is an investigation of Joe Biden, we’re going to continue to move forward.”

“We have people coming in now for depositions, we have more bank statements en route,” Comer said. “So we’re going to continue to press forward and present the facts to the American people.”

However, Palm Beach Co. Florida state attorney Dave Aronberg explained that these are minor charges, and the government rarely prosecutes on that gun offense where someone was under the influence of drugs at the time they bought a gun. 

Aronberg said Biden took a “pretty typical plea deal.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for more updates.