WASHINGTON (Reuters) — US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was criminally charged on Thursday, after efforts to reach a plea deal failed, leading to the first-ever prosecution of a sitting president’s child.
The indictment filed on Thursday U.S. District Court in Delaware with three criminal counts related to making false statements in connection with the purchase of a firearm and illegally possessing the firearm as a drug addict.
Prosecutors accused the younger Biden of lying about his use of narcotics when he purchased a Colt Cobra handgun in October 2018.
The indictment brought by recently elevated U.S. Special Counsel David Weiss 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.
It comes two days after House of Representatives Republicans moved to open an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden related to Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings.
An attorney for Hunter Biden could not be immediately reached for comment.
