Biden / Harris Focused Discussion

[Edge-]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/20/hunt...x-charges.html

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has agreed to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor crimes of willfully failing to pay federal income taxes, a court filing Tuesday revealed.

Hunter Biden also has agreed to enter into a so-called pretrial diversion agreement in connection with a federal felony charge of possession of a gun by a person who is a user or addict of illegal drugs, according to the filing by prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

Typically, such agreements call for the related criminal charge to be dismissed if a defendant complies with the conditions of the deal for a set period of time.

Hunter’s initial court appearance in the case has not yet been scheduled, his defense attorney Chris Clark told CNBC.

NBC News, citing two sources familiar with Hunter’s plea deal, said that U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss agreed to recommend to a judge that the 53-year-old Malibu, California, resident receive a sentence of probation for the tax crimes.

Weiss was appointed to his post by then-President Donald Trump and was allowed to remain in that position after Joe Biden’s election to continue what has been a five-year criminal investigation of the president’s son.

Weiss has filed two charging documents, known as informations, against Hunter — one for both tax crimes, and one for the firearm charge.

Prosecutors routinely use an information to charge defendants who have agreed to plead guilty.

The information charging Hunter with two tax crimes says that in both 2017 and 2018 he had taxable income in excess of $1.5 million but failed to pay income tax for each of those years. Hunter owed the IRS more than $100,000 in taxes for each of those years, according to the filing.

The tax charges have a maximum possible sentence of 12 months in prison.

Hunter, who for years has struggled with substance abuse, in 2022 paid federal income taxes he had failed to previously pay for 2017 and 2018. That move was seen as part of an effort to limit his chances of being criminally charged in the case and to limit any possible sentence if he was charged.

The information on the gun charge says that during an 11-day period in October 2018, Hunter possessed a Colt Cobra .38-caliber revolver “despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance.”

The maximum possible sentence for the gun charge is 10 years in prison.

Weiss’ office in a press release detailing the agreement said, “The investigation is ongoing,” but did not elaborate.

A memorandum summarizing the terms of Hunter’s plea agreement and details of the pretrial diversion deal will be publicly filed by the time he appears in court for a plea hearing, a prosecutor in Weiss’ office wrote in a letter to the federal court clerk in Delaware.

White House spokesman Ian Sams in a statement to NBC about the plea deal by Hunter, said, “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”

The Department of Justice declined to say whether Attorney General Merrick Garland was at all involved in signing off on the charges in advance, NBC reported.

Clark, Hunter’s criminal defense lawyer, in a statement, said, “With the announcement of two agreements between my client, Hunter Biden, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware, it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.”

“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” Clark said.

“A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government,” he said.

“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

Trump, who was indicted earlier this month on more than three dozen federal charges related to his alleged illegal retention of classified documents after leaving the White House, blasted Hunter’s plea deal in a post on his Truth Social site.

“Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket,’” Trump wrote.

“Our system is BROKEN!” added Trump, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Trump later wrote on Truth Social: “People are going wild over the Hunter Biden Scam with the DOJ!”

Rep. James Comer, the Kentucky Republican who is chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, also criticized the plea agreement, and vowed to continue his panel’s probe of Hunter’s overseas business dealings and a purported bribery scheme involving President Biden.

“Let’s be clear: the Department of Justice’s charges against President Biden’s son Hunter reveal a two-tiered system of justice,” Comer said in a statement.

“Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery,” Comer said.

“These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation. We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden’s involvement in the family’s schemes are revealed.”

Sweet, seems fine. Republicans are crying he's not getting hit harder but this is a Trump appointee who determined the charges and deals accepted in this. Your average person would likely be hit far harder, but this is about on-par for what we can expect for wealthier/connected folks.

Cool though, they got him. They really got him good. Now if only they'd shut the fuck up about him.

[Shadowferal]

Joe needed this. Despite the noise the maga-idiots make, it won't be on anyone else's radar next year.

[Myradin]

I'm amazed with how much they talk about Hunter Biden....I don't actually know what Hunter Biden even looks like....

[Kaleredar]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/20/hunt...x-charges.html



Sweet, seems fine. Republicans are crying he's not getting hit harder but this is a Trump appointee who determined the charges and deals accepted in this. Your average person would likely be hit far harder, but this is about on-par for what we can expect for wealthier/connected folks.

Cool though, they got him. They really got him good. Now if only they'd shut the fuck up about him.

The ultimate irony, of course, is that Donald trump and those who support him are in absolutely no place to be criticizing people on tax malfeasance.

…and, of course, all of this attacking Hunter Biden… who isn’t running for president.

[Edge-]

The ultimate irony, of course, is that Donald trump and those who support him are in absolutely no place to be criticizing people on tax malfeasance.

…and, of course, all of this attacking Hunter Biden… who isn’t running for president.

If they're upset about Hunter not paying taxes wait until they hear about Trump overvaluing properties when seeking loans and undervaluing them when it comes tax time!

[Breccia]

I'm amazed with how much they talk about Hunter Biden....I don't actually know what Hunter Biden even looks like....

Neither do they. They're desperate.

I'm sure the system of tubes will be flooded with ire that Hunter Biden accepted a plea deal and "got away with billions in corruption and literal murder" or some such. Me, I'm with @Shadowferal on this one. He got caught, he's getting penalized, no-one is above the law.

"Yes but anyone else would be in jail!"

Hmm. Where's Donald Trump?

"At home in his mansion, why would you ask something completely irrelevant?"

[AntiFascistVoter]

Kid screweed up on his taxes and got fined by teh IRS ... they keep making Biden more relatable. Well most people would have gotten a fine and a warning. But they got their pound of flesh.


Glad the issue has been put to rest. No way that 13 months from now. CNN will with host a "town hall" with "independent voters" and 4 guys dressed from Brooks Brothers wont be obsessed with this.

/s

[Elegiac]

Tell you what though this has really made me rethink voting for Hunter Biden for President.

[postman1782]

Tell you what though this has really made me rethink voting for Hunter Biden for President.

The gun charge alone should make him a shoe in for the Republican governorship to fight against the tyranny of gun laws! /s

No seriously, Republicans are pissed that he isn't getting 10 years for the gun charge alone. Claiming it is a 2 tier justice system, not knowing that the prosecutor and whatever were appointed by Republicans.

[Paranoid Android]

The Biden Administration did what Trump couldn't do. Get Hunter Biden. <snark>

Justice for Hunter! The gun charge is actually very dumb in if you are known drug user don't carry a firearm. Actually shocked the NRA doesn't defend this. Well we know why, cause it's used on minorities.

As much as Republicans cry an investigation into Kuschner right now seems appropriate. Perhaps Hunter's doppelganger Don Jr.

This no defense of Hunter btw or deflection to Trump's eff upped kids. Commentary on if you want get someone then laws all sudden apply.

[DarkTZeratul]

Actually shocked the NRA doesn't defend this. Well we know why, cause it's used on minorities.

The NRA really should be fighting most of the cases where police shoot someone because there happened to be a gun somewhere vaguely in the vicinity. Remember that guy who got pulled over, told the police officer he had a legal firearm in the car, was asked to get his registration, and then got shot because the cop thought he was going for the gun? This is almost a textbook Second Amendment violation, and the NRA didn't give a shit.

[postman1782]

The Biden Administration did what Trump couldn't do. Get Hunter Biden. <snark>

Justice for Hunter! The gun charge is actually very dumb in if you are known drug user don't carry a firearm. Actually shocked the NRA doesn't defend this. Well we know why, cause it's used on minorities.

As much as Republicans cry an investigation into Kuschner right now seems appropriate. Perhaps Hunter's doppelganger Don Jr.

This no defense of Hunter btw or deflection to Trump's eff upped kids. Commentary on if you want get someone then laws all sudden apply.

I have people claiming that Joe Biden influenced the investigation, or that Joe will pardon him, without evidence. Meanwhile they are treating Trump with kid gloves and slow rolling the investigation.

[Breccia]

I have people claiming that Joe Biden influenced the investigation, or that Joe will pardon him, without evidence.

They're basing their opinion on Trump saying in public he would direct prosecution at his enemies. What is it @Edge- says, every accusation is an admission?

[Edge-]

They're basing their opinion on Trump saying in public he would direct prosecution at his enemies. What is it @Edge- says, every accusation is an admission?

Basically, yeah. Dislike Biden all you want, but there's zero indication in his history that he'd take an action like that even if the charges weren't a functional slap on the wrist (we can have a discussion about the disparity in sentencing for people in power/with wealth and those in poverty elsewhere, it's super fucking valid and this is a perfect example of it as well). But best I can tell he's maybe facing probation and the associated fines which...yeah, big fuckin deal. The dude in charge of the investigation was a Trump appointee, so unless he was another secret leftist I don't think there's much there in terms of interference he'd stand for as a professional. Whatever happens, happens, homeslice broke the law.

People just keep telling on themselves and like, we just gotta keep listening to them and taking them seriously.

[Kathranis]

I like how a bunch of Rightoids are complaining that Hunter's getting off easy due to white privilege which is in all honesty true. The thing is, you can tell they want him to face harsher punishments, rather than for colored people to face lighter punishments.

[Kaleredar]

I like how a bunch of Rightoids are complaining that Hunter's getting off easy due to white privilege which is in all honesty true. The thing is, you can tell they want him to face harsher punishments, rather than for colored people to face lighter punishments.

Oh I’m all for dialing up the punishment of Hunter Biden, who is not running for president, for what seems to be a few years of tax malfeasance… if only they’ll extend the proportionality of punishment to trump, who is running for president, who has apparently been committing various forms of tax fraud for decades.

[postman1782]

They're basing their opinion on Trump saying in public he would direct prosecution at his enemies. What is it @Edge- says, every accusation is an admission?

Of course they are. Trump did it, so that means Biden did, even though there isn't any evidence that Biden is holding Garland's hand like Trump did with Sessions and Barr.

[Draco-Onis]

I like how a bunch of Rightoids are complaining that Hunter's getting off easy due to white privilege which is in all honesty true. The thing is, you can tell they want him to face harsher punishments, rather than for colored people to face lighter punishments.

Not that it matters to these nut jobs but they are ignoring Trump had so many opportunities during the over a year long time line to make a deal and face no charges.

[AntiFascistVoter]

Always fun to see the whole "Biden would be right wing in Europe" narrative crashing and burning when confronted by reality...

Keir Starmer: ‘Clearly ridiculous’ for children to self-identify as cats
Labour leader thinks ‘children should be told to identify as children’ as he wades into growing row



Why does Labour continue to act the way that hyper-online leftists pretend Dems will act?

[Good Hasbara]

The Libertardians that hate gun regulations and love tax evasion should be embracing Hunter.