President Joe Biden’s son Hunter pleaded not guilty to federal firearms charges this week. The plea comes as the younger Biden may also soon be hit with federal tax charges stemming from alleged payments from a number of overseas sources.
The president’s son appeared in person at a Delaware courtroom following legal wrangling over whether or not he could enter his plea remotely. The judge found that Hunter Biden had to appear in person.
The Tuesday plea did not come as a surprise but is part of the developing story regarding a number of accusations against him.
.@CBS_Herridge describes the “extraordinary scene” inside the court where Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges.
"What we see now is that the chapter is not closing for Hunter Biden or for his family or for his father, President Biden." pic.twitter.com/Ij3VyjtSze
— Catherine Herridge (@CBS_Herridge) October 3, 2023
Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke’s orders compelled the First Son to seek employment and tell the court should he travel internationally. He is prohibited from firearms possession and from using alcohol and drugs. Hunter Biden must go through random drug testing and addiction counseling.
Over the summer, Hunter Biden was set to plead guilty to one firearm charge and several misdemeanor tax charges in a deal that would have likely seen him avoid prison time.
However, following the collapse of the plea deal, U.S. Attorney David Weiss charged the president’s son with a number of firearms charges, including making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm. The felony charges could come with a significant penalty, as each of the three charges carries a fine of up to $250,000 or a total of 25 years in prison.
Weiss’ office has indicated that it may also bring separate tax charges against Hunter Biden related to unreported income.
The foreign income is a major element of House Republicans’ efforts to find the source of payments to the Biden family. The Biden family, or businesses related to it, received millions in payments from foreign accounts, including payments from Ukraine, Russia, China, Kazakhstan and Romania.
Some of the income was related to Hunter Biden’s tenure on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. He received a stipend of about $1 million per year for his service and allegedly did not report a significant portion to the IRS.
