
In recent years, the name Hunter Biden has been in the headlines for various reasons. Hunter Biden, the second son of US President Joe Biden, was born in 1970 in Wilmington, Delaware. Hunter Biden’s life has been surrounded by controversy, beginning with his expulsion from the US Navy in 2014 for drug use. Afterward, he became increasingly dependent on drugs, including alcohol and crack cocaine.
Hunter Biden’s life further fell into disarray when his elder brother, Beau Biden, who he was extremely close to, passed away in 2015. Beau was a man of great integrity and was considered by many to be the leader of the Biden family. He was known for his work as an attorney general and his passion for social justice.
Hunter Biden’s fall from grace became public knowledge during the presidential campaign in 2020. The controversy surrounding his business dealings in Ukraine became a major issue in President Joe Biden’s election campaign. During the election, the media questioned his involvement with a Ukrainian energy company that had been accused of corruption. Allegations of nepotism and conflict of interest between his father’s position as US Vice President and his business dealings overseas were the main points of contention.
As a result of this investigation, questions were raised about Hunter Biden’s taxes, which brought to light a years-long investigation into his finances. It appears now that prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax- and gun-related violations, according to people familiar with the matter, the culmination of a four-year investigation that Republicans have sought to portray as evidence the Biden family is corrupt.
What Could be the Charges Against Hunter Biden?
Weiss and his federal prosecutors are weighing four charges against Hunter, three related to tax crimes and a felony charge related to a gun purchase. The possible charges are two misdemeanor counts for failure to file taxes, a single felony count of tax evasion related to a business expense for one year of taxes, and the gun charge, also a potential felony. Prosecutors are examining whether Hunter paid adequate taxes on millions of dollars of his income, including money he made from multiple overseas business ventures.
When purchasing a .38 caliber gun in 2018, Hunter wrote on the Firearm Transaction Record that he did not use unlawful drugs, but admitted in his memoir that he was a crack addict at the time. Intentionally providing misleading information while making a gun purchase is a felony. Hunter Biden filled out a federal form related to the purchase in which he allegedly answered ‘no’ to the question whether he was ‘an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?’
The investigations in Hunter Biden’s taxes and other financial matters are ongoing, and the prosecutors are expected to make a final decision soon.
Hunter Biden’s Ukraine Connection
Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine became a major issue in President Joe Biden’s election campaign. After a Ukrainian prosecutor was fired, he faced allegations that a $50,000 monthly retainer from Burisma, a Ukrainian gas company where he had been a board member, was a “pay to play” scheme. Joe Biden, as Vice President under Barack Obama, had called for the firing of Ukraine’s top prosecutor while Hunter Biden was a board member of Burisma.
The revelation that Hunter Biden had been paid to sit on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company, while his father was Vice President of the US, was the subject of widespread controversy during the election campaign. The controversy centered around whether Hunter Biden’s role on the board and his compensation could have influenced his father’s foreign policy decision-making while he was Vice President.
Republicans and others have accused Hunter Biden of using his father’s position to enrich himself. Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has maintained that he did nothing wrong when taking the board position at Burisma. During the election campaign, he was attacked by Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, who repeatedly accused him of being corrupt.
However, a Senate report into Hunter Biden’s business affairs released in September 2020 failed to reveal any evidence suggesting that Joe Biden had engaged in any wrongdoing or that Hunter Biden’s activities presented any conflict of interest.
Hunter Biden’s Struggle With Addiction
Hunter Biden has a history of drug addiction and has been to rehab several times. His addiction problems began in his 20s, when he started using cocaine and crack cocaine. After being arrested for cocaine possession in South Florida in 1988, Biden checked into a drug treatment center. He was a graduate of Georgetown University and Yale Law School.
In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Hunter Biden admitted that he had been to rehab seven times. He said that he had used every drug possible, including fentanyl, a highly addictive and dangerous opioid drug. Hunter Biden also discussed the death of his brother Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, which caused him to spiral into addiction.
Hunter Biden’s family has been incredibly supportive throughout his struggles with addiction. His father, President Biden, famously said in a speech that “we’ll never give up on you” during his son’s addiction problems.
Conclusion
Hunter Biden’s life has been surrounded by controversy, and his business dealings in Ukraine have been at the center of political controversy in the US. The latest development, that prosecutors are nearing a decision on whether to charge Hunter Biden with tax- and gun-related violations, is further likely to add to the controversy surrounding him and the Biden family.
Hunter Biden’s struggles with addiction are a reminder that addiction is a serious disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year. It is necessary to seek help when struggling with substance abuse, and it is essential to have a supportive family and community as well.