He has been at pains not to discuss Hunter’s legal woes, other than to say he is proud of his son for overcoming his addiction. The White House has so far refused to comment.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland announces the appointment of Special Counsel to investigate the business dealings of Hunter Biden.
The Justice Department has long been accused of creating a “two tiered” legal system that has focused heavily on the actions of former US president Donald Trump, who has been indicted in four separate cases.
But as the political attacks intensified last month, federal Attorney General Merrick Garland – who was appointed by the president – assigned a special counsel to oversee the matter, citing the “extraordinary circumstances” and public interest surrounding the case.
Special Counsel David Weiss has now charged Hunter with three crimes: one count of false statement in the purchase of a firearm (which comes with a maximum 10-year jail term or $US250,000 fine); one count of false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer (five-year maximum jail term or $US250,000 fine); and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance (10 years jail or a $US250,000 fine).
However, Republicans say the department must do more by digging into allegations the party has been pushing for months: that the Biden family engaged in corruption linked to Hunter’s overseas business dealings.
Loading
“Today’s charges against Hunter Biden are a very small start, but unless US Attorney Weiss investigates everyone involved in the fraud schemes and influence peddling, it will be clear President Biden’s DoJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy,” said House oversight committee chairman James Comer.
The “big guy” is a reference to the president, based on what Hunter’s associates purportedly called him.
The indictment handed down on Thursday relates to a Colt Cobra revolver bought by Hunter in October 2018, during a period when he was struggling with a crack cocaine addiction. While guns are legal in the US, it is a felony to possess one while using narcotics.
According to the indictment, Hunter Biden certified on a federally mandated form “that he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious.”
Loading
In a statement, Hunter Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell said: “As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case.
“The evidence in this matter has not changed, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process.”
The charges also come days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave the green light to an impeachment inquiry to probe allegations of “abuse of power, obstruction and corruption” surrounding the Biden family.
Republicans have been digging for months, but are yet to uncover clear evidence directly showing that Biden benefited from his son’s business dealings in Ukraine and elsewhere.
“This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather the full facts and answers for the American public,” McCarthy said as he announced the impeachment inquiry on Tuesday.
“That’s exactly what we want to know – the answers. I believe the president would want to answer these questions and allegations as well.”
Get a note direct from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here