Biden says he's 'proud' of Hunter after plea deal announcement

Biden says he is ‘very proud’ of Hunter in first comments on bombshell plea deal: President smiles and ignores questions on whether he told son to plead guilty – before handlers rush press out of the room

• President Joe Biden was asked about Hunter Biden’s plea deal Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco 
• He was peppered with questions and sat silently before answering: ‘I’m very proud of my son’ 
• The president ignored a query about whether he told Hunter to take the plea deal – with reporters then ushered out of the room  

President Joe Biden on Tuesday was supportive of his son Hunter, who made a deal with federal prosecutors that would see him plead guilty of tax crimes and go on probation over a gun charge – likely avoiding any jail time.

Biden is in the Bay Area through Wednesday, mostly on a fundraising trip for his 2024 presidential campaign. 

However he appeared in front of the cameras for under five minutes Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco, at an event alongside his ‘buddy,’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom, about artificial intelligence policy. 

‘I’m very proud of my son,’ Biden said as he was peppered with questions about Hunter’s plea deal. He ignored them at first but then answered.

He was asked if he had spoken to Hunter today and did not respond to a shouted query about whether he encouraged the first son to take the guilty plea. 

Reporters were then ushered out of the room. 

President Joe Biden voiced support for his son Hunter at an articial intelligence policy event Tuesday afternoon in San Francisco 

Hunter Biden reached a deal with prosecutors that would see him plead guilty to a trio of crimes but likely avoid jail time, according to Justice Department filings out Tuesday 

In the past Biden has spoken about being ‘proud’ of Hunter, pointing to his recovery from drug and alcohol abuse.

A Department of Justice legal filing gave details Tuesday about Hunter’s plea deal – which has been condemned by former President Donald Trump and his top GOP Congressional allies.

The president’s son has been under investigation for five years for tax and financial allegations, as well as for paperwork for purchasing a handgun where he attested that he did not abuse drugs.

That contradicted admissions in his own autobiography where he detailed an addiction to crack cocaine that led to a stint in rehab. 

The agreement with prosecutors still must be approved by a federal judge, and comes at a time when the Justice Department is under scrutiny for its handling of high-profile investigations of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Sources told NBC prosecutors will recommend probation – which would spare the president’s son jail time but could land him in hot water if he violates terms. Both tax times to which he will plead guilty are misdemeanor charges.

The Washington Post reported prosecutors would recommend two years’ probation. Any further terms of probation that prosecutors would recommend were not immediately available, and would be subject to modification by the court.

President Joe Biden (left) was peppered with questions about Hunter’s plea deal as held an artificial intelligence policy event alongside his ‘buddy,’ California Gov. Gavin Newsom (right)

U.S. Attorney David Weiss asked a judge to schedule hearing for Hunter Biden for two tax offenses and a gun charge, following a years-long investigation into the president’s son

U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, a holdover from the Trump administration, has been overseeing the politically charged probe. 

A document Weiss filed with the court Tuesday states that the criminal information charges the defendant with tax offenses – ‘namely two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax,’ as well as ‘one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.’

Regarding the gun charge, Hunter ‘has agreed to enter a Pretrial Diversion Agreement,’ according to Weiss.

Handling the matter as a diversion case means Hunter wouldn’t technically have to enter a guilty plea. Such cases are reserved for people who have a clean record and are facing non-violent charges who can meet a series of criteria. They are meant to reduce recidivism and often are applied to people dealing with substance abuse issues.

The letter stated that prosecutors and Biden’s lawyer Christopher Clark jointly request a court appearance on the firearm change and a plea hearing on the tax charge. 

Clark said in a statement: ‘With the announcement of two agreements between my client, Hunter Biden, and the Unites 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. 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. 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,’ he 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,’ said White House spokesman Ian Sams

U.S. Attorney David Weiss said Hunter Biden agreed to enter a ‘diversion agreement’ where defendants can admit the facts of the case without entering a formal guilty plea

Hunter Biden’s problems have been a running theme during the Biden administration. Here President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden and Ashley Biden attend the University of Pennsylvania 267th Commencement Ceremony at Franklin Field in Philadelphia

The gun charge dates to a period where Hunter was involved with Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother, Beau

The plea deal allows Hunter Biden to put the long-running federal investigation behind him, although House Republicans blasted the agreement and are expected to keep up their own probes of alleged corruption

In 2021, Hunter reportedly paid back the feds for outstanding taxes, more than two years after disclosing the probe into his finances. The New York Times reported he told an associate the amount was more than $1 million, and that he needed a loan to pay what he owed the government.

The Hunter probe has been a lingering political issue for the Biden administration, and throughout the president’s tenure the White House has had to respond to questions about his pricey art sales along with a series of disclosures about his business dealings and personal life gleaned from his laptop. 

The probe of the alleged gun violation coincided with a period of repeated mass shootings, and the president’s call for more restrictions including a ban on assault-style weapons.

Republicans have been hammering the administration for allegedly uneven application of justice, after a federal grand jury indicted Trump on charges of willful retention of national security documents and conspiracy to obstruct an investigation into the matter. 

The 37-count indictment has the former president facing a court date currently set for August – in the heat of the Republican presidential primaries. 

A separate probe of classified material uncovered at President Biden’s home and former office is ongoing. 

House Republicans have demanded Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is heading the Trump probe as well as a probe into January 6, hand over materials about how early decisions got made in that matter. 

The plea deal comes despite President Biden telling MSNBC: ‘First of all my son has done nothing wrong. I trust him, I have faith in him.

‘And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.’

Hunter’s failure to pay taxes came from a time when he was acting as a high-flying international lawyer doing deals around the globe, while also according to his autobiography using drugs. 

His dealings extended from Ukraine, where he won a lucrative position on the board of the Burisma energy firm, to trips to China where he is accused of trying to leverage his father’s influence while Biden was vice president to secure business.

Information gleaned from his infamous laptop, which according to a Wilmington repair shop owner Hunter dropped off seeking computer support but never reclaimed, shows him posing naked with a gun and smoking what appears to be a crack pipe while passed out in bed.

‘The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,’ said White House spokesman Ian Sams.

The guilty plea is not likely to be the end of the matter for Hunter Biden or his father. House Republicans have already set up multiple probes of the Biden administration and have been focusing on his family members.

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer has been repeatedly demanding possession of an FBI file on claims made by a whistleblower of ‘bribery.’ He called the allegations ‘very credible,’ but has yet to provide proof. 

Comer blasted the plea deal as a ‘sweetheart’ deal. 

Trump hammered the ‘corrupt’ Justice Department about an hour after news broke of the deal reached by the U.S. Attorney he appointed.

‘Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere “traffic ticket.” Our system is BROKEN!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Back in 2018, Trump hailed Weiss when nominating him before he was confirmed by the Senate. He said Weiss and other candidates ‘share the President’s vision for ‘Making America Safe Again.’

The Biden DOJ then kept Weiss on after the changeover in administration. 

He met with Hunter’s team in April to discuss the case, in one signal it was reaching its conclusion. 

Hunter Biden disclosed the investigation in December 2020, weeks before his father took office. It had been ongoing for about two years at that time. 

The gun charge relates to a period in 2018 when Hunter became involved with the widow of his brother, the late Beau Biden. His sister-in-law allegedly took his handgun and tossed it in a dumpster. 

A man recovered the gun, which got federal authorities involved. Eventually that led to a search for the paperwork traced to the gun purchase.

Hunter Biden, like other handgun purchasers, was required to answer the question: ‘Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?’

He answered no. 

Source: Read Full Article