The son of President Joe Biden was targeted on Thursday by a second indictment by federal justice, this time for tax fraud, an accusation which will fuel criticism from the Republican opposition one year before the American presidential election. Hunter Biden, 53, “was involved in a scheme” that allowed him to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes owed for the tax period from 2016 to 2019, according to the indictment.
Extravagant lifestyle
He “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle instead of paying his taxes,” continues the document, which details nine counts, ranging from tax evasion to false declarations. The former lawyer and businessman spent his money to finance his drug use, afford the company of “escorts”, luxury cars and clothes, according to the indictment.
This new indictment means that the president’s son, already prosecuted for illegal possession of a weapon, could be tried twice next year, while his father tries to be re-elected to the White House. These new prosecutions were expected since Hunter Biden’s guilty plea agreement with prosecutor David Weiss, capable of avoiding prison and an embarrassing trial, was canceled this summer.
The agreement covered both tax evasion and illegal firearm acquisition charges. But it was withdrawn following doubts expressed in July by a judge about its validity. Following this twist, Hunter Biden was formally indicted in September for lying by filling out forms for the acquisition of a firearm in 2018 in which he denied his drug addiction.
Impeachment inquiry
According to the American press, Hunter Biden faces 17 years in prison in this aspect of tax fraud. He already faces 25 years in prison because of his illegal possession of a weapon. In the United States, son Biden’s legal setbacks are being followed very closely by the Republican Party, which is using them against his father to accuse the entire family of corruption. The Republicans criticize the courts in particular for burying the procedures targeting Hunter Biden.
The conservatives, who control the House of Representatives, also began an impeachment inquiry against the Democratic president in September, motivated by his son’s controversial affairs abroad. They accuse Hunter Biden of having made questionable deals in Ukraine and China by capitalizing on his father’s networks and name. But they go even further by attributing to a desire to protect the Ukrainian gas group where Hunter Biden sat the pressure exerted on Kiev by his father, as Barack Obama’s vice-president, to obtain the dismissal of the Ukrainian prosecutor general in 2016. Viktor Shokin.
Despite these accusations from Republicans, Hunter Biden has so far not been charged with any crime related to his overseas business. The Justice Department insists on the independence of prosecutor David Weiss, responsible for investigating him. Appointed under Donald Trump, this magistrate was maintained under the Biden administration. After recovering from drug and alcohol addictions, Hunter Biden has now returned to painting. His father has always denied being involved in his son’s affairs, while publicly supporting him. In May, Joe Biden declared to the MSNBC channel that he had “faith in him” and was “proud” of Hunter.