Federal agents say they have enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden over tax and gun offences
Decision is especially fraught because Donald Trump and his allies have made accusations of corruption in the first son's business
Federal agents investigating President Joe Biden’s son Hunter have gathered enough evidence to charge the first son with tax crimes as well as a false statement related to a gun purchase, according to reports last (THURS) night.
The agents believe Hunter Biden, 52, both failed to declare income related to his various overseas business ventures and lied about his history of substance abuse on a firearm purchase form in 2018, The Washington Post claimed, quoting people familiar with the case.
On the form, Hunter is said to have erroneously denied using unlawful drugs or being addicted to drugs. Hunter, the US president’s only surviving son, has been public about his struggle with alcohol and illegal narcotics.
Prosecutions for false statements on gun-purchase forms are relatively rare, but they do happen. The offence carries a $250,000 (£224,000) fine and up to 10 years in prison.
The federal investigation began with agents looking into the younger Biden’s foreign business ventures with a Ukrainian gas company while his father was vice president. But they narrowed on two possible offences.
A decision on whether to charge the younger Mr Biden will be made by the Justice Department and Delaware US attorney David Weiss, who was appointed to his current post by former President Donald Trump.
Given the intense interest, Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed there will be no political or otherwise improper interference in the case.
Should he face trial and be convicted, Joe Biden could be one of the first sitting US presidents to have a son imprisoned.
President Biden has repeatedly insisted he has “never spoken” with his son, who enjoys Secret Service protection, about his overseas business dealings.
In April, Ron Klain, White House chief of staff, said the president “is confident that his son didn’t break the law.”
The decision on whether to charge Hunter is especially fraught because Mr Trump and his allies have made accusations of corruption in the first son's business dealings a key line of attack against Democrats ahead of the November midterm elections.
Republicans have pressed the Biden administration to appoint a special counsel to take over the investigation into Hunter, arguing the step was needed to ensure public confidence in the probe’s outcome.
Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed a Left-wing media conspiracy has kept news of Hunter Biden out of the headlines.
Chris Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, accused investigators of leaking information in an email to The Post. “It is a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a Grand Jury investigation such as this one,” he said in a written statement.