Hunter Biden.
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for World Food Program USA
Prosecutors think they have enough evidence to bring a criminal case against Hunter Biden.
The Washington Post reported that they believe they can charge Biden with tax crimes.
Investigators also think they can indict the younger Biden for making a false statement linked to a gun purchase.
Federal prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to charge President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, with financial crimes and false statements, The Washington Post reported, citing people familiar with the case.
The younger Biden first revealed the existence of the federal investigation into him in December 2020, saying in a statement that prosecutors were looking into his taxes.
“I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,” the statement said. “I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.”
The Post reported Thursday that investigators also think they have enough evidence to charge Hunter Biden with making a false statement related to a gun purchase. The US attorney in Delaware will now decide whether to move forward with a criminal case.
CNN reported that prosecutors first started investigating Hunter Biden’s taxes in 2018 but temporarily halted the probe because of Justice Department rules barring prosecutors from taking actions that could influence the outcome of an election. Though the inquiry initially centered on Biden’s taxes, it later expanded to focus on whether he failed to report all his income and if he lied on paperwork linked to a gun purchase in 2018, according to The Post.
An indictment against Hunter Biden would mark the biggest test yet of the president’s pledge to restore independence and public trust in the Justice Department.
Chris Clark, a lawyer representing the younger Biden, did not comment on the substance of the Post’s story and accused investigators of leaking.
“It is a federal felony for a federal agent to leak information about a Grand Jury investigation such as this one,” Clark said in a statement to the paper. “Any agent you cite as a source in your article apparently has committed such a felony. We expect the Department of Justice will diligently investigate and prosecute such bad actors. As is proper and legally required, we believe the prosecutors in this case are diligently and thoroughly weighing not just evidence provided by agents, but also all the other witnesses in this case, including witnesses for the defense. That is the job of the prosecutors. They should not be pressured, rushed, or criticized for doing their job.”
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