Hunter Biden faces nine criminal charges in federal tax case

Hunter Biden has been indicted on nine tax charges in California, in which he is accused of failing to pay $1.4m in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle.

The new charges — three felonies and six misdemeanors — come in addition to federal firearms charges in Delaware alleging Hunter Biden broke a law against drug users having guns in 2018.

They come as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of Joe Biden’s son intensifies against the backdrop of the looming 2024 election.

He faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted on the charges.

“The Defendant engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019,” the indictment filed in the US District Court in Central California read.

It added that Mr Biden had “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills.”

The charging documents details spending on everything from drugs and girlfriends to luxury hotels and exotic cars, “in short, everything but his taxes,” prosecutor Leo Wise wrote.

Defence lawyer Abbe Lowell accused Special Counsel David Weis of “bowing to Republican pressure” in the case.

“Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter’s last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought,” Lowell said in a statement.

The White House declined to comment, referring questions to the Justice Department or Hunter Biden’s personal representatives, the Associated Press reported.

The criminal investigation led by Special Counsel David Weiss has been open since 2018.

In October Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied about his drug use while buying a handgun, in the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US president’s child.

The indictment comes as congressional Republicans pursue an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, claiming he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. The House is expected to vote next week on formally authorizing the inquiry.

No evidence has emerged so far to prove that Joe Biden, in his current or previous office, abused his role or accepted bribes, though questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business.