Federal prosecutors have issued an indictment against Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, on charges related to gun possession while using narcotics. The indictment, filed in Delaware federal court, includes three counts: two for allegedly providing false information when purchasing a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018, claiming he was not using illegal drugs, and one for possessing a firearm while using narcotics.
This historic indictment comes after a plea deal to resolve a long-standing investigation into Hunter Biden collapsed. House Republicans have concurrently initiated an impeachment inquiry to obtain bank records and other documents pertaining to Biden and his son.
Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee, oversees the case, which he also led. Weiss retained his role as U.S. attorney for Delaware due to the sensitivity and uniqueness of investigating the White House occupant’s son within the Justice Department, an executive branch headed by Biden. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel in August following the breakdown of negotiations over tax and gun-related charges.
The investigation, initiated in 2018, before Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy announcement, primarily focused on Hunter Biden’s financial matters.
In July, both parties reached a plea agreement where Hunter Biden would plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of tax evasion in Delaware federal court. Prosecutors would recommend probation as part of the deal. A separate felony gun charge for possessing an illegally owned Colt Cobra .38 Special handgun would have been dropped in two years, contingent on Biden adhering to the diversion agreement’s terms.
However, the agreement unraveled during a court appearance when the presiding judge, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, raised concerns about certain provisions, including one that might protect Biden from additional tax-related charges within the same time frame. Disagreements between prosecutors and Biden’s attorneys led to the agreement’s dissolution.
Subsequent court filings by Weiss’s office indicated venue issues without the plea agreement, potentially necessitating a trial in California or Washington, D.C. Prosecutors also hinted at the possibility of pursuing different charges in the new case.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, contended that the diversion agreement remains valid as it had already been signed by both parties and prevents further charges against his client.
The White House has largely remained silent on the matter, with Biden asserting his trust and faith in his son, emphasizing that Hunter Biden has committed no wrongdoing. Hunter Biden, in a 2021 interview with CBS News, expressed his complete cooperation with the federal probe and his certainty of being cleared of any wrongdoing by its conclusion.