President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted on nine federal tax charges in a development that will become a political headache for the White House and Democrats as the 2024 campaign ramps up.
The indictment, released Thursday in Los Angeles federal court, came after House Republicans' announcement of their plan to vote next week to formalize an impeachment inquiry into the president revolving around Hunter Biden's overseas business dealings.
Prosecutors working for Special Counsel David Weiss accused Hunter Biden of tax crimes from 2016 through 2019, including spending millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying taxes.
The indictment didn't offer any evidence that the president benefited from or had any involvement in his son's activities.
"Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes," according to the 56-page indictment.
Hunter Biden faces as many as 17 years in prison if convicted of all the charges. He faces three felony counts, including tax evasion, and six misdemeanor counts of failure to pay taxes.
He will appear in federal court in Los Angeles for an arraignment, where he's expected to plead not guilty. His appearance hasn't been scheduled yet.
The president's son is already under indictment on federal gun charges in Delaware federal court. In July, he had agreed to plead guilty there to two misdemeanor tax counts and acknowledge a firearms violation without a conviction, receiving no jail time. But the deal imploded when a federal judge questioned its terms and refused to sign off on it.
Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell assailed Weiss in a statement, saying his client paid his taxes.
"If Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought," Lowell said. "Now, after five years of investigating with no new evidence — and two years after Hunter paid his taxes in full — the US Attorney has piled on nine new charges when he had agreed just months ago to resolve this matter with a pair of misdemeanors."
Weiss's office and the White House declined to comment.
Joe Biden is traveling to Los Angeles on Friday for a star-studded fundraiser including including director Steven Spielberg, producer Shonda Rhimes and comedian Rob Reiner.
Hunter Biden's prosecution will likely divert attention from the four criminal cases that former President Donald Trump faces. Hunter Biden could go on trial in the heat of next year's presidential race — conceivably at the same time as Trump.
Under the July plea deal, Biden would have admitted to failing to pay taxes on $2.3 million in income in 2017 and $2.1 million in 2018.
In an exhibit attached to the plea agreement, Biden said he made more than $4 million in those two years from sources including a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma Holdings, and a Chinese private equity firm, CEFC China Energy.
