Updated 04.20 | Published 03.36
US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been indicted on nine counts of tax evasion, court documents show.
It is the second time this year that the son has been charged with a crime.
According to special investigator David Weiss, Hunter Biden must have deliberately avoided paying at least $1.4 million in taxes, equivalent to SEK 14.5 million. In total, there are nine new charges – of which three are of a serious nature and six are misdemeanors – which are now added to the previous charge of weapons offences, where Hunter Biden in 2018 is suspected of having violated the law that prohibits drug users from possessing weapons.
The 53-year-old president’s son “would rather spend millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle than pay his taxes,” David Weiss said in a statement.
The tax crimes must have been committed between 2016 and 2019, a period in which Hunter Biden previously stated that he struggled with addiction. The tax debt has since been paid.
If convicted, he faces up to 17 years in prison.
The allegations are denied by defense attorney Abbe Lowell, who said in a statement that the case would never have been prosecuted if Hunter had a different last name than Biden.
The White House declined to comment on Thursday’s indictment, referring questions to the Justice Department or Hunter Biden’s representatives.
Ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Hunter Biden was a constant target of then-President Donald Trump’s campaign. He was then singled out for his alcohol and drug abuse.
In addition, Hunter Biden’s board assignment in a Ukrainian gas company was a hot political issue. Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate the latter, which subsequently led to Trump being impeached.