Attorney Christopher Clark, defending Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, said the five-year federal investigation has just ended, after Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty.

"Mr. Hunter Biden believes it is important to take responsibility for the mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward," Clark said, according to Reuters on June 20.

Plea Agreement

The charges against Hunter Biden, 53, were brought by an investigation by U.S. Attorney David Weiss in President Joe Biden’s home state of Delaware. Weiss was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017. The investigation began in 2018 and Hunter Biden publicly disclosed that he was under investigation in December 2020.

The Washington Post, citing court records on June 20, reported that Hunter Biden had pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion in 2017 and 2018. The total amount of tax involved is believed to be about $1.2 million. Prosecutors plan to recommend a two-year prison sentence for the two charges. Hunter Biden’s representatives previously said he had paid the unpaid taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The other charge involves firearms, and Hunter Biden has agreed to participate in a rehabilitation program to avoid prosecution. If he completes the program, the charge will be expunged from his record. The charge stems from Hunter Biden purchasing a gun in late 2018, a time when he reportedly regularly abused crack cocaine, according to his autobiography. When he filed the paperwork to purchase the gun, he hid his drug use, leading to a false statement and subsequent charge of illegal possession of a gun. Hunter Biden only had the gun for less than two weeks before his girlfriend threw it away.

Pressure from Republicans

Hunter Biden’s guilty plea is expected to have implications for the 2024 presidential race, where his father is a leading Democratic candidate. Former President Donald Trump, who is the leading Republican candidate, has frequently complained about the Justice Department’s handling of Hunter Biden’s scandal. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said he will give Weiss full investigative authority and not interfere with the prosecution.

However, House Republicans, who have made investigating Hunter Biden and the Biden family's business dealings a priority during their term, said they intend to continue investigating Hunter Biden.

"This has nothing to do with our investigation. In fact, it advances the investigation because the Department of Justice will now not withhold any information pending an investigation," ABC News quoted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as saying on June 21.

Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, criticized Hunter Biden's plea agreement and said it would not affect his committee. "We will not rest until the full extent of President Biden's involvement in his family's schemes is revealed," Comer said. The White House has insisted that President Biden never discussed his son's business dealings with him.