Closing 5 years of investigation into President Biden's son

Attorney Christopher Clark, defending Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, said the five-year federal investigation has just ended, after Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty.

"Mr. Hunter Biden believes it is important to take responsibility for the mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward," Clark said, according to Reuters on June 20.

Plea agreement

The charges against Hunter Biden (53 years old) were brought from an investigation by prosecutor David Weiss in the state of Delaware, President Joe Biden's home state. Mr. Weiss was appointed during the term of President Donald Trump (2017-2021). The investigation began in 2018 and in December 2020, Hunter Biden publicly announced that he was under investigation.

The Washington Post, citing court records dated June 20, reported that Hunter Biden had pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion in 2017 and 2018. The total amount of tax involved is said to be about $1.2 million. Prosecutors plan to recommend a two-year prison sentence for these two crimes. Hunter Biden's representatives previously said he had returned the unpaid taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden in Syracuse City (New York State, USA) in February

The other charge is related to firearms, and Hunter Biden has agreed to participate in a rehabilitation program to avoid prosecution. If he completes the conditions of the program, the charge will be expunged from his record. The charge stems from Hunter Biden buying a gun in late 2018, a time when, according to his autobiography, he was abusing crack cocaine. When he applied for the gun, he hid his drug use, leading to charges of false statements and then illegal possession of a gun. Hunter Biden only had the gun for less than two weeks before his girlfriend threw it away.

Pressure from the Republican Party

Hunter Biden’s guilty plea is expected to have implications for the 2024 US presidential race, where his father is a leading candidate for the Democratic Party. Former President Donald Trump, who is the leading candidate for the Republican Party, has frequently complained about the US Justice Department ’s handling of Hunter Biden’s scandal. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said he will give Weiss full investigative authority and not interfere with the prosecution.

However, House Republicans, who have made investigating Hunter Biden and the Biden family's business dealings a priority during their term, said they intend to continue investigating Hunter Biden.

Former Twitter leader: Blocking posts about President Biden's son was a "mistake"

"This has nothing to do with our investigation. In fact, it advances the investigation because the Justice Department will now not withhold any information pending an investigation," ABC News quoted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as saying on June 21.

Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, criticized Hunter Biden's plea agreement and said it did not affect his committee. "We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden's involvement in his family's schemes is revealed," Comer said. The White House has insisted President Biden never discussed his son's business dealings with him.

Court sets Trump trial date

Judge Aileen Cannon in Florida (USA) has just decided that on August 14, the trial of former US President Donald Trump, related to the accusation of illegally storing classified documents, will begin.

Accordingly, all pre-trial motions must be submitted by July 24, according to Axios. Former President Trump was criminally prosecuted for allegedly illegally retaining classified government documents after leaving office and conspiring to obstruct justice by trying to hide documents from investigators. The latest decision was made after Judge Bruce Reinhart on June 19 ordered Mr. Trump's legal team not to release evidence in the classified documents to the media or the public. The judge also set strict conditions for Mr. Trump in accessing those documents.

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