Special Counsel David Weiss, overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden, is seeking a grand jury indictment by the end of the month. The President’s son is currently under investigation by federal authorities for owning a gun while actively using narcotics and for a failure to pay income taxes in the amount of several hundred thousand dollars in the fiscal years 2017 and 2018. Biden also allegedly lied on a federal firearm form about his relationship with narcotics, which is also a federal offense.
Biden was already formally charged in June for these alleged offenses but reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in both cases, which would have likely led to probation and avoidance of jail time with the gun charge being dismissed on the condition that Biden remains out of legal trouble for at least two years. The plea agreement, labeled by some as a “sweetheart deal” fell through when a federal judge struck it down claiming it was unconstitutional and unusual.
Before the agreement, Biden faced a year in prison on the tax charges and up to ten years on the firearms charge.
Political theorists that sit on the right side of the aisle have criticized the deal as indicative of a two-tiered justice system based on political alignment. House Republicans were quick to call out the charges against former President Trump and the fact that prosecutors in those cases are seeking decades of jail time, a rapid change of tune from the agreement that was made with Biden and his attorneys. There is rampant speculation among Republicans that this is simply because the former President is a member of the opposing party.
According to NBC, the Speedy Trial Act requires that an indictment come from a grand jury by Friday, September 29. A filing from Wednesday, September 6 states that the special counsel will seek an indictment before then. This all comes as Biden is under investigation by the House Oversight Committee for his alleged ties to foreign businesses, including potentially peddling his father’s influence as the Vice President at the time to gain advantages in business deals.
An unnamed political science student had this to add: “It appears to be a fair, nonpartisan move. It’s still far enough from the election that this possible indictment doesn’t constitute election interference and the prosecutors are just following the requirements set by the laws and justice standards. Whether or not it makes a difference in 2024 is another story, he’s not the President. Unless they claim Joe is involved, who cares?”
On the contrary, another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said “The prosecution is influenced by political actors who have been calling for this to happen for five years, and there’s no way he (Biden) can get a fair trial, so they should drop the charges and stop the investigations.”
Sophomore communications student Connor Mohr elaborated, “I feel that the possible indictment of Hunter Biden is a necessary duty of our justice system and gives me faith against the recent public belief of bias in our justice system based on connections and political affiliation.”
The White House had no comment on the matter, pointing reporters to representatives of the youngest Biden son. Both sides of the political spectrum have voiced their opinions on the issue, especially as the country approaches the 2024 election season.
