(NewsNation) — The White House is bracing for political fallout as federal prosecutors decide whether to charge President Joe Biden’s son Hunter with tax and gun purchase violations.
Hunter’s lawyers held a meeting with Delaware’s top federal prosecutor David Weiss at Justice Department headquarters in Washington last month, the Washington Post reported. Hunter’s longtime lawyer Chris Clark was also spotted entering the headquarters, CNN noted.
This type of meeting between defense lawyers and prosecutors tends to come towards the end of an investigation, signaling a decision is imminent, sources familiar with the process told the Washington Post.
The probe into Hunter began in 2018 and was primarily about his finances related to overseas business dealings. Over time, the investigation shifted to whether Hunter failed to report all his income and whether he lied about drug use on a form for buying a gun.
Whether Hunter is charged or not, Republicans will use the opportunity to attack President Biden, who just announced announced his reelection campaign.
Attacks on Hunter surrounding the alleged laptop scandal during the 2020 campaign did not stop President Biden from being elected, but Hunter has begun to play a larger public role at his father’s side.
Democrats and senior Biden administration aides are downplaying the possible impact a decision will have on his father’s campaign, pointing out that Hunter was under scrutiny in the 2020 election as well and that former president and 2024 opponent Donald Trump was indicted himself, according to Politico.
“Obviously, the Biden team would hope that this investigation does not result in an indictment for a multitude of reasons,” Jennifer Palmieri, who served as President Barack Obama’s communications director told Politico. “But the Republicans have failed — both in the 2020 campaign and in their 2023 congressional hearings — to have questions about Hunter Biden impact public opinion and I don’t think they will succeed now, regardless of what DOJ decides.”