Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor offenses in plea deal
Biden will plead guilty to federal crimes as part of a plea deal with the Justice Department to resolve tax and firearm crimes.
Biden, 53, was charged with illegally owning a firearm in 2018 after lying about his drug use when he purchased a gun.
Biden was also charged with failing to file and pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, which are misdemeanor offenses and fairly minor charges.
Documents from the Justice Department confirm that Biden will enter a pre-trial diversion agreement for the firearm offense.
But the White House has been preparing for any potential political fallout related to charges against Hunter Biden since early May, as lawyers representing Biden met with top federal prosecutors in Delaware in April.
Filings from the Justice Department describing charges against Hunter Biden Photograph: Pacer
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The White House has announced that Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff will “participate in a political event with reproductive rights groups this Friday, June 23.
Last year on Friday, June 24, the US Supreme Court ruled in the case Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a key case out of Mississippi that included the explicit urging for the court to overturn Roe v Wade, which it did.
Roe was the historic ruling by that highest court in the US in 1973 that introduced the federal right to an abortion.
So Potus, Flotus, Veep and Sgotus clearly plan to make a high-profile mark this Friday to register their support for a woman’s right to choose her own reproductive health options in the US and whether to carry a baby or seek a termination.
Pushing back against the right-wing drive to ban abortion and that pivotal decision by the conservative-dominated supreme court has been a vote winner for the Democrats ever since.
Guardian US is engaged in bringing you original stories in our special series this week, A Year Without Roe. Check it out!
Usually when the White House issues an ICYMI notice, most had not missed whatever it was. But given that yesterday was the Juneteenth holiday and there was/is a small kerfuffle about a missing submersible in the vicinity of the Titanic, folks may have missed the president’s remarks yesterday about action to tackle the climate crisis.
Joe Biden was in Palo Alto, California, yesterday. The White House reminds us that:
During his visit, the President announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is launching a first-ever $575 million Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to help coastal and Great Lakes communities, including Tribal communities in those regions, become more resilient to extreme weather and other impacts of the climate crisis.
The funding will support innovative coastal resilience and adaptation solutions, such as building natural infrastructure, planning and preparing for community-led relocation, and protecting public access to coastal natural resources, that protect communities and ecosystems from sea level rise, tidal flooding hurricanes, storm surge, among other severe climate impacts.
In addition, the President highlighted a $2.3 billion investment in states, Territories, Tribes, and the District of Columbia over the next five years to bolster grid resilience across the country. The President also announced that later this year, he will convene local, state, Tribal, and territorial leaders for a White House climate resilience summit, where leaders will develop a roadmap for ensuring we build more climate-resilient communities all across America.
The Guardian is huge on covering the climate crisis, you can dip into any of our stories on the relevant section of our site, here.
Joe Biden speaks at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, Calif., Monday, June 19, 2023. Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP
Interim summary
Hello politics live blog readers, it’s been a lively morning in US political news and there’s a lot more to come, so please do stick with us as we bring you all the developments as they happen.
Here’s where things stand:
House speaker Kevin McCarthy says DoJ should turn over the records from its investigation into Hunter Biden to the Republican-controlled House oversight committee, which has its own investigation going into the president’s son.
McCarthy has called Hunter Biden’s plea agreement with DoJ a “sweetheart deal”, adding that the latest filings should ramp up investigations into Joe Biden.
Donald Trump responded via his social media platform to the news about Hunter Biden, with characteristically blunt populist-speak: “Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN!”
A White House spokesperson said in a statement: “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to federal crimes as part of a plea agreement with the Department of Justice (DoJ) to resolve tax and firearm crimes.
Judge Aileen Cannon, presiding in Donald Trump’s federal criminal case over his keeping classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after leaving office and allegedly refusing to return them and obstructing the related investigation, has set a trial date of August 14 this year. Trump was only arraigned on dozens of charges last week.
Amid charges filed against Hunter Biden, Republicans are urging for a ramped up investigation into Biden. A May article from the Guardian’s David Smith gives context on the lack of evidence from such probe.
Comer has also said he obtained thousands of pages of financial records showing that at least nine members of the Biden family – including the president’s son, Hunter, and brother, James – allegedly exploited the Biden name in their business dealings by accepting money from foreign nationals in China and Romania.
The oversight committee chairman followed up with an eagerly hyped press conference this week, stating in an interim report that some Biden family members, associates and their companies received more than $10m from foreign entities between 2015 and 2017.
Hunter, a lawyer, received more than $1m from a company controlled by Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu, who was the subject of a criminal investigation and prosecution for corruption in Romania.
But the financial records showed no evidence that Biden himself acted improperly or took any official action because of his family’s business affairs. Nor, despite the claims of “influence peddling”, did they demonstrate actual wrongdoing by the Biden family. The press conference was widely ignored or panned.
David Brock, president of Facts First USA, a non-profit watchdog, said afterwards: “The reality is we don’t even have a scandal here, much less Watergate.”
Read the full article here.
A new CNN poll found that support for Trump has fallen slightly after his arrest on federal charges, but that the former president still leads support ahead of the Republican primary.
47% of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters said that Trump was their top candidate for the 2024 Republican primary. The figure is down from 53%, from a May CNN poll.
Trump’s favorability among Republican voters also dipped following federal indictment charges, from 77% in May to 67% in the latest poll.
The percentage of Republican voters who say they will not support Trump under any circumstances has increased, from 16% in May to 23%.
Read the full CNN article here.
Donald Trump has said that, if elected in 2024, his family would not serve in his administration.
Trump confirmed that his family would not join his administration as it would be “too painful” for them, said the former president in a Fox interview on Monday night.
“My family’s been through hell. I mean, they have — Eric, my son, who’s a fine boy. You know him very well. … We were doing beautifully. Then I decide to run for president. I don’t think anybody in the world in history has ever had more subpoenas sent to him,” said Trump said during the Fox interview, referring to criminal investigations looking into alleged the Trump Organization.
Trump added: “Nobody has been through what my family has been through. Ivanka had a really successful line of clothing, I mean, making a fortune. When I did this, she closed it up. She sort of felt she had to, but she closed it up.”
Ivanka, Trump’s daughter, and her husband Jared Kushner both served in advisory roles during Trump’s tenure.
Read the full article from the Hill here.
McCarthy says DoJ should turn over Hunter Biden records to House Oversight committee
McCarthy added that the Department of Justice should have to turn over records to the House Oversight committee for their ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden.
“The DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now, saying that because a pending investigation, they should be able to provide Chairman Comer with any information that he requires,” said McCarthy.
From CNN’s Manu Raju:
McCarthy says DOJ has to turn over records to House Oversight for Biden probe.
“The DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now, saying that because a pending investigation, they should be able to provide Chairman Comer with any information that he requires.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 20, 2023
More Republicans are condemning Hunter Biden’s plea deal.
New York representative Elise Stefanik released a statement on the plea deal, calling out “a two-tiered system of justice” that purportedly benefited Biden.
“This is the epitome of the politicization and Weaponization of Joe Biden’s Department of Justice as they give a slap on the wrist to President Biden’s son – a tax fraud and corrupt pay-to-play criminal. It’s never been more clear that we have a two-tiered system of justice when you have the son of the sitting President of the United States selling our country out to the highest bidder, laundering money, committing tax fraud, accepting bribes, illegally obtaining a firearm, and shamefully avoiding child support. House Republicans will not rest until the full illegal corruption of the Biden Crime Family is exposed. Joe Biden must and will be held accountable.”
Homeland Security deputy secretary John Tien is retiring, according to an internal announcement on Tuesday.
First reported by ABC News, Tien shared that he will be leaving the department on 20 July.
“After 26 years of combined federal service including three combat tours in Iraq and living apart from my family for the last two years, I have decided to return to Atlanta to re-join them there,” wrote Tien in an email.
“When I depart from DHS on July 20, 2023, I will most fondly remember what the Secretary and I tried to do for the workforce to vastly improve the lives of our fellow employees in terms of pay, training, facilities, and technology support, all essential to improving morale.”
Tien, a veteran who served in the military for over 24 years, was one of the highest ranking Asian-Americans in the Biden administration.
House speaker McCarthy calls Biden plea a ‘sweetheart deal’
House speaker Kevin McCarthy has called the Hunter Biden plea deal a “sweetheart deal”, adding that the latest filings should ramp up investigations into Biden.
McCarthy also suggested that Biden should face jail time over crimes he has committed.
From CNN’s Manu Raju:
Speaker McCarthy says the Hunter Biden plea deal “should enhance” GOP investigation and calls it “sweetheart deal.” He dismisses the fact that the US attorney was a Trump holdover and suggests to a group of us Hunter should have been given jail time over crimes committed
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 20, 2023
Here’s more information on a court date on Donald Trump’s federal charges for retaining classified documents and obstruction of justice, from Reuters.
US district judge Aileen Cannon has set an initial trial date of 14 August in Florida on former US president Donald Trump’s federal charges of willful retention of classified government records and obstruction of justice, according to a court order on Tuesday.
The justice department’s special counsel in the case, Jack Smith, promised a speedy trial after a 37-count indictment charging Trump with willfully retaining classified government records and obstructing justice.
But the complexities of handling highly classified evidence, the degree to which Trump’s legal team challenges the government’s pre-trial motions, and the way the judge manages the schedule could all lead to a trial that is anything but swift, legal experts say, and a lengthy delay is widely expected.
Trump’s lawyers and a US justice department spokesperson did not immediately return requests for comment.
The latest order came after a US judge on Monday ordered Trump’s defense lawyers not to release evidence in the classified documents case to the media or the public, according to a court filing.
Read the full story here.
Trump comments on Hunter Biden plea deal
Donald Trump has commented on charges filed against Hunter Biden, comparing the plea deal struck to a traffic ticket.
In a post made by Trump to social media platform Truth Social, Trump said: “Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere ‘traffic ticket.’ Our system is BROKEN!”
Make America Great Again Inc, a super pac that supports Trump, also released a statement calling the agreement a “sweetheart deal” to “make their bogus case to ‘get Trump’ appear fair.”
Republican lawmakers have publicly criticized a plea deal Hunter Biden will enter for tax and firearm charges, as investigations in Biden and his family are expected to ramp up.
In a statement, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer called Biden’s charges a “slap on the wrist when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery”.
🚨🚨🚨
Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist when growing evidence uncovered by the House Oversight Committee reveals the Bidens engaged in a pattern of corruption, influence peddling, and possibly bribery.
Read my full statement.👇 pic.twitter.com/9swtTaUUQu
— Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) June 20, 2023
Illinois representative Mary Miller called Biden’s expected plea a “sweetheart deal from the DOJ that shields “THE BIG GUY” Joe Biden from the Biden foreign bribery operation”.
🚨Hunter Biden is receiving a sweetheart deal from the DOJ that shields “THE BIG GUY” Joe Biden from the Biden foreign bribery operation. The cash & diamonds he didn’t pay taxes on came from CHINA, RUSSIA & UKRAINE. No FARA foreign agent charges? TWO SYSTEMS OF JUSTICE!
— Rep. Mary Miller (@RepMaryMiller) June 20, 2023
Joe Biden and first lady say they love and support their son, White House says
The White House issued a statement on Hunter Biden’s charges, amid Justice Department filing confirming that Biden will enter a plea deal for tax crimes and a federal gun offense.
A White House spokesperson said in a statement: “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
White House statement from @IanSams: “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) June 20, 2023
Chris Clark, the lawyer representing Hunter Biden, has released a statement following charges filed against Biden.
According to a statement shared with CNN, Clark acknowledged that Biden was charged with two misdemeanor tax crimes that were resolved in a plea agreement and one federal firearm charge, that was subject to a pre-trial diversion agreement.
Calling the five-year investigation into Biden “resolved”, Clark added: “I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
From CNN’s Manu Raju:
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor offenses in plea deal
Biden will plead guilty to federal crimes as part of a plea deal with the Justice Department to resolve tax and firearm crimes.
Biden, 53, was charged with illegally owning a firearm in 2018 after lying about his drug use when he purchased a gun.
Biden was also charged with failing to file and pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, which are misdemeanor offenses and fairly minor charges.
Documents from the Justice Department confirm that Biden will enter a pre-trial diversion agreement for the firearm offense.
But the White House has been preparing for any potential political fallout related to charges against Hunter Biden since early May, as lawyers representing Biden met with top federal prosecutors in Delaware in April.
Filings from the Justice Department describing charges against Hunter Biden Photograph: Pacer
Hunter Biden, the son of Joe Biden, will plead guilty to three federal crimes on Tuesday, according to Justice Department.
Biden is pleading guilty to two counts of wilful failure to pay income tax and a separate federal firearm offense, reports Reuters.
This story is breaking. Follow the blog for more updates.
It promises to be another very busy week in American political news and we’ll bring you all the developments as they happen.
Here’s what’s also happening:
Judge Aileen Cannon, presiding in Donald Trump’s federal criminal case over his keeping classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after leaving office and allegedly refusing to return them and obstructing the related investigation, has set a trial date of August 14 this year. Trump was only arraigned on dozens of charges last week.
Joe Biden is very much out on the 2024 election campaign trail. He’s in California, where yesterday he spoke about climate action and today he’s speaking about seizing the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI).
Special counsel John Durham, who ran “an investigation into an investigation” at the behest of the Trump administration, reviewing the Trump-Russia inquiry (and finding very little of substance) is due to testify at 3pm ET before the (Republican-controlled) House intelligence committee.
>>> Read full article>>>
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