The U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has been criminally charged after efforts to reach a plea deal failed, leading to the first ever prosecution of a sitting president’s child. The charges were laid toady September 14.
The indictment filed at the U.S. District Court in Delaware has three criminal counts related to gun possession.
According to Reuteurs, the indictment brought by recently elevated U.S. Special Counsel comes after a deal for Hunter Biden, 53, to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enroll in a program to avoid prosecution on a gun-related charge collapsed in a stunning turn in a July hearing.
The charges ensure that courtroom drama will play an outsized role in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign as Biden, 80, seeks reelection in a likely rematch with his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, 77, who faces four upcoming criminal trials.
Hunter Biden never held a position in the White House or on his father’s campaign. The president has said he has not discussed foreign business dealings with his son and has said his Justice Department would have independence in any investigation of a member of his family.