Hunter Biden could soon be charged with making false deductions on his tax returns, it was reported Wednesday when it emerged that a Chinese business partner of Hunter’s had contacted the FBI for advice over a colleague under investigation.
Hunter, 52, has been in the crosshairs of US Attorney for Delaware David Weiss since at least 2020.
But on Wednesday, The New York Times reported that charges could be imminent, in part due to allegations of $30,000 in tax deductions he claimed for business deductions.
Hunter could also face charges for his purchase of a .38 caliber handgun in October 2018, for which Hunter had to certify that he was not using drugs.
Photos of Hunter’s laptop – left at a repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware – show the president’s son in a number of compromising positions from the period, including what appears to be a crack pipe.
David Weiss, U.S. Attorney for Delaware, may soon file charges against Hunter Biden for tax evasion, the New York Times reported Wednesday
The president’s son, now 52, faces questions about his tax affairs and a gun purchase in 2018
Hunter posed for photos amid his drug and alcohol addiction and displayed his gun
Hunter in 2020 realized the importance of his tax woes in the summer of 2019 when he tried to honeymoon in Mexico but found he couldn’t renew his expired passport due to the outstanding tax claims.
In November 2018, Hunter’s accountant Bill Morgan had emailed him that the State Department would not renew his passport due to the outstanding balance.
Morgan said Hunter owed $158,000 for 2015 and $471,000 for 2018.
“Based on the size of the 2015 shortage, the IRS has notified the State Department and they will not renew your passport until this is resolved,” Morgan wrote.
“I don’t know when your passport is due for renewal, but you might have a problem if it’s issued soon.”
Hunter Biden is seen with his father Joe and son Beau at the White House in July 2022
Hunter’s accountant Bill Morgan warned him in November 2018 that his passport would not be renewed
Hunter’s attorneys have known since mid-2021 that Weiss, who was appointed by Donald Trump in 2017, is considering filing charges against the ailing businessman for failing to pay his taxes in 2016 and 2017.
In October 2021, to evade prosecution, Hunter borrowed $2 million from a friend, wealthy Los Angeles writer and attorney Kevin Morris, to pay the outstanding balance to the IRS.
Analysts told the New York Times that Weiss may now have trouble successfully convicting Hunter of tax evasion now that the money has been paid.
Likewise, it could be difficult to criminally convict him of lying about gun declarations, since charges are rarely brought and tens of thousands of Americans, of the 25 million who buy guns each year, lie on their forms and go unpunished.
The newspaper reported that Hunter’s attorneys have submitted evidence to the Justice Department that the US Attorney’s office in Delaware has never filed a standalone charge of lying about drug use.
Hunter has also faced questions for several years about his relationship with Chinese oil tycoon Ye Jianming, with whom he attempted to do business in 2017.
Ye Jianming, a Chinese oil tycoon, became involved with Hunter in 2017 – and inquired about the FBI investigation of one of his associates
Father Alex Karloutsos, a Greek Orthodox priest, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in July 2022. He was at a fundraising dinner with Hunter, Hunter’s business partners and Joe Biden in 2015 and insists Joe Biden has not engaged with Hunter’s associates
Ye asked Hunter about the FBI and the Justice Department, noting that he was concerned about a possible investigation into his associate, Patrick Ho.
In September 2017, Ho signed a child support agreement with Hunter, making him his attorney and paying him $1 million.
As of November 2017, Ho was in FBI custody – he was eventually convicted in the United States for his role in an international bribery and money laundering scheme and sentenced to three years in prison.
Ye flew back to China and was himself arrested on corruption charges, ending his dealings with Hunter.
Hunter is being investigated separately by a Republican committee now that they have control of the House of Representatives.
Republicans have repeatedly insisted that Joe Biden was involved in, and profited from, his son’s dealings.
The White House insists that Joe Biden has always steered clear of his misguided son’s lucrative ventures.
Father Alex Karloutsos, a Greek Orthodox priest, told the New York Times that Joe Biden didn’t engage with the guests — which included Hunter’s business partners — at a 2015 charity gala.
“I remember the vice president walking in and not walking around the table. He just waved to everyone,” said Karloutsos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
“I haven’t heard any business exchanges with anyone.”