What does it mean to Biden?, "Problem Son" pleaded guilty to three federal charges after being investigated for 5 years | Hunter Biden
On June 20th, Delaware federal prosecutor David Weiss submitted a document to the court stating that the Department of Justice had reached a plea agreement with President Biden's son Hunter Biden on three federal charges.
If approved by a federal judge, Hunter may leave a record, but he can escape imprisonment.
The public opinion believes that with the achievement of reconciliation, the legal cloud that has been hanging over Hunter's head for five years is gradually dissipating. However, due to its clumsy business arrangements, often struggling lives, coveted Republicans, and extremely torn American society, the Hunter Storm is far from over.
Confession and reconciliation
Court documents show that Hunter was charged with two counts of misdemeanor for intentionally failing to pay federal income tax of over $100000 in 2017 and 2018, and a felony for lying and concealing the use of drugs during his gun purchase in 2018.
According to federal law, individuals who use illegal drugs or become addicted to illegal drugs are not allowed to purchase firearms, otherwise they can be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. As for the charge of tax evasion, it is said that the maximum sentence will be one year imprisonment.
Now, the agreement reached between Hunter and the prosecution is divided into two parts.
Firstly, he pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion and received a two-year probation. Previously, he had already paid all taxes and fines.
Secondly, he reached a pre-trial transfer agreement with the prosecution on a serious charge of illegal gun possession. According to the terms of the agreement, Hunter will ban any drugs for the next two years and agree to never hold firearms again, in exchange for the Department of Justice waiving prosecution and accountability.
The above agreement still needs to be approved by a federal judge before it can take effect.
The public opinion believes that if nothing unexpected happens, Hunter is unlikely to be sentenced to prison. However, he will have to appear in the federal court of Delaware in the coming days, accept summons, and formally plead guilty.
On the 20th, Lawyer Hunter issued a statement, expressing a sense of relief in his words. The statement states that Hunter is willing to take responsibility for past mistakes; After reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Justice, this five-year federal investigation came to an end.
Offensive and Anger
After 5 years of investigation and a final settlement, it is clear that Republicans in Congress are not satisfied.
On the 20th, several Republicans accused the Department of Justice of "light conviction" and "unfair handling of cases," especially in the context of the Department of Justice's recent lawsuit against Trump for mishandling confidential documents.
"If you are the son of the President, you will naturally get a 'sweetheart deal'," mocked House Speaker McCarthy.
"Wow! The corrupt Biden Department of Justice only issued Hunter a 'traffic fine' and cleared him of hundreds of years of criminal responsibility. Our judicial system has collapsed!" Former President Trump exclaimed.
"Hunter's plea agreement was a 'slap in the face', and the congressional investigation into Hunter will not stop as a result," said Komer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
The public opinion believes that, combining history and reality, the anger of Republicans is not difficult to understand.
Firstly, the investigation into Hunter began in 2018, driven by the Trump administration.
At that time, Republicans saw Hunter as Biden's "weakness" and launched a fierce attack on him. Trump personally appointed prosecutor Wes from Biden's hometown of Delaware to investigate Hunter's overseas business contacts and tax issues.
Initially, the investigation focused on illegal activities such as taxation, foreign lobbying, and money laundering. Hunter began providing services to some foreign companies, including Ukraine, China, and Kazakhstan, during his father's tenure as Vice President. It is reported that he failed to disclose his foreign relations to the Ministry of Justice in accordance with the requirements of the Foreign Agent Registration Law. However, the prosecution finds it difficult to prove that Hunter intentionally violated the law.
Since then, the scope of the survey has gradually narrowed.
Now, five years have passed, and the evidence discovered by this Republican government appointed prosecutor is still limited to relatively narrow tax and gun issues, not the "international conspiracy" advocated by Republicans, which will naturally disappoint some people.
Secondly, less than two weeks ago, Trump became the first former president in the United States to face federal criminal charges for mishandling confidential documents, with up to 37 charges and a combined sentence of up to a hundred years.
Although there are significant differences in the nature and scope of the two cases, Republicans still believe that the Department of Justice's avoidance of Hunter is a clear demonstration of partisan double standards and political manipulation. They demanded to continue investigating Hunter's commercial transactions.
On the 20th, federal prosecutor Wes stated in a brief statement that "the investigation is ongoing.".
Pride and Pain
The news of Hunter pleading guilty on the 20th came out, and President Biden only said one sentence: I am proud of my son.
The White House spokesperson issued a brief statement stating, "The President and First Lady love their son and support him in continuing to rebuild his life."
According to American media, for the president, "pride" comes with "pain", and both have been fully revealed.
Hunter is 53 years old and has worked as a lobbyist, lawyer, investment banker, and artist. He has a close relationship with his father, but has also been regarded as a "problematic son".
Over the past five years, he has played a significant role in multiple important political moments: in 2019, he was at the center of Trump's impeachment case, and the reason why Trump called and pressured the Ukrainian President was to have the latter investigate Hunter's business dealings in the area; In 2020, he almost dragged Biden down due to the loss of his laptop, which resulted in the leakage of personal information and indecent videos; He was also criticized for being morally corrupt due to his addiction to drugs.
According to insiders, Biden has been cautious and keeping a distance since the federal investigation began. After months of waiting, Biden is pleased with the latest settlement of the case. But he also knows that a plea agreement is far from the end.
Firstly, the handling of the case still sparked some controversy.
According to legal experts, the crimes recognized by Hunter are rarely prosecuted by ordinary people because these crimes are lighter and usually only accompanied by more serious crimes. However, Hunter had a special identity, and in the absence of factual disputes, the prosecutor abandoned the prosecution, leading people to believe that the President's son had received some kind of special treatment or leniency.
Secondly, Republicans are brewing a counterattack.
Since January this year, House Republicans have begun investigating Biden and his family. Democrats are concerned that the other party may make more sensational accusations, which, even if unconfirmed, will still occupy a prominent position in conservative media.
It is reported that other investigations targeting Hunter currently include his other commercial investments in foreign countries, his lobbying work related to Ukraine, and his efforts to reach investment energy project agreements with foreign companies.
Once again, as Biden prepares to run for re-election, Hunter's confession may have an impact on voter sentiment.
Republicans seem to be interested in making Hunter the focus of the election period again. They will use this to mobilize their fundamentals and also strive to resonate with swing voters.
At the same time, they also attempted to connect Hunter's business dealings and personal troubles with his father.
The White House had previously believed that as long as the legal dispute did not include his father's involvement, the White House could be safe and sound. But there are also opinions that when the president wants to talk about his achievements and the future direction of the country, family scandals may become "stains", distract people's attention, and may also affect Biden's overall confidence during the election season.
Against the backdrop of intensified party disputes, extreme social fragmentation, and low support for Biden, the "Hunter Storm" is far from over.
