Staff Reports
Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, may still be facing potential legal consequences for the taxes he failed to pay during his tenure with Burisma Holdings. Special counsel David Weiss, who is overseeing the tax fraud case against Hunter Biden, allowed the statute of limitations to expire regarding his failure to pay $124,000 in taxes on his Burisma income from 2014. Critics argue that this may have been a deliberate move to shield the Bidens from a potentially damaging legal case.
Nonetheless, legal experts emphasize that Mr. Weiss still has the option to revive the case, as Hunter Biden has not settled his outstanding tax debts. This could potentially lead to charges of conspiracy to commit tax fraud and could also shed light on allegations of President Biden's involvement in assisting Burisma in evading a corruption probe on behalf of his son.
Mike Davis, a former counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, views this as a pivotal test for Weiss and believes that he is facing intense scrutiny from lawmakers. Following a failed plea deal in July, Weiss indicted Hunter Biden on three felony gun charges related to his possession of a firearm while being addicted to drugs. Nevertheless, Weiss has yet to disclose his plans for charging Hunter Biden in relation to the unpaid taxes and other potential offenses.
There is NO Independent Counsel assigned to this matter. Weiss is NOT an Independent Counsel.
Hunter Biden vulnerable to federal charges for unpaid taxes from his $1M-a-year job in Ukraine – https://t.co/zdua73FJ78 – @washtimes— Tom Spencer (@trsmiami) September 25, 2023
During a Judiciary Committee hearing, House Republicans directed their attention to the unpaid Burisma taxes, questioning Attorney General Merrick Garland about allegations of political interference in the Hunter Biden tax fraud investigation. Testimony from one of Hunter Biden's former business associates suggested that Burisma executives sought his father's assistance in stopping a corruption probe, allegedly leading then-Vice President Biden to exert pressure on Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to dismiss the prosecutor investigating Burisma. Republicans accuse the Justice Department of obstructing tax charges to shield President Biden.
Both Mr. Garland and Mr. Weiss deny any political influence in the investigation, and President Biden refutes any involvement in his son's business affairs. A plea deal was in place for Hunter Biden to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges related to tax evasion, but it fell apart in July. Consequently, Weiss sought special counsel status from Mr. Garland to potentially charge Hunter Biden with additional crimes.
Critics of Weiss argue that he must proceed with charges against Hunter Biden to preserve the integrity of the investigation. However, Weiss allowed the statute of limitations to expire on the unpaid taxes, despite an agreement with Hunter Biden's legal team to extend the prosecution window. Critics contend that Hunter Biden has been untruthful about his taxes and that the government is allowing him to escape accountability.
The prospect of Hunter Biden facing felony charges related to the unpaid taxes remains uncertain. Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani believes that if additional charges were to be filed, they would likely have already been done so. Currently, Hunter Biden faces a potential 14-month jail term if convicted of the gun offenses, as he plans to plead not guilty. This case continues to attract intense scrutiny and speculation regarding its eventual outcome.
