A Democratic congressman admitted it is “obvious” that First Son Hunter Biden has broken the law and should be prosecuted.
Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut said during a Friday night interview with MSNBC that “it is clear that he (Hunter) has broken the law regarding taxes and possibly possession of a gun.”
“He should be held accountable for that,” he said, while also lashing out at his Republican colleagues who “never” would have made the same admission about the Trump family during the former president’s term.
“If he (Hunter) acted on his father’s influence, he should be held accountable for it. And I’m emphasizing this because you’ve never heard a Republican say the same thing about Donald Trump or his family,” he said.
His comments come days after a federal judge rejected a plea deal between Hunter Biden and the FBI over income tax evasion and gun possession.
Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell apart in federal court in Delaware last week when a judge rejected its incredibly broad parameters. The First Son eventually pleaded not guilty to two counts of tax evasion
Himes argued that there is no evidence that President Joe Biden colluded in any way with Hunter over his crimes — but if evidence comes to light, it should be taken seriously.
“Now, on the impeachment question, there is zero evidence today, zero evidence that Joe Biden, the President of the United States, knew what his son was doing. If, if he knew about it, if he took part in it, that’s a whole different conversation,” he said.
The scandal-ridden First Son remains under federal investigation and last week pleaded not guilty to two tax returns of willful failure to pay income taxes after a plea deal with a sweetheart fell apart in real time at the courthouse.
The White House has stated that the president has and will continue to support his son during the investigation.
Hunter Biden is a private individual and this was a personal matter for him. As we said, the president, the first lady – they love their son and support him as he rebuilds his life,” said press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“This case, as you all know, was handled independently by the Justice Department under the direction of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump.”
Jean-Pierre added that the president will not pardon his son, whose guilt is still under discussion.
Last Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika set fire to parts of the agreement during a three-hour hearing in her Wilmington courtroom.
She objected to a paragraph about a potential breach of the deal that could lead to prosecution for his gun charges — and who would decide whether Hunter violated them.
Normally, the prosecutors would make the decision. But according to the language being pushed by Hunter’s team, if the government believes there has been a “knowing material breach” of the agreement, it would seek a decision from the U.S. District Judge in Delaware – Noreika.
They would seek a determination based on a “preponderance of the evidence,” and if they get one, they could be charged with perjury, obstruction of justice, or other criminal offenses.
The judge called the deal “non-standard” and said it could be unconstitutional to give her a role normally filled by prosecutors themselves, who are part of the executive branch.
“I don’t want to violate the separation of powers or do anything (un)constitutional,” the judge said. She also said she had never seen a diversion deal “so broad” as to include crimes in any other case.
President Joe Biden laughed Friday at Republicans threatening to impeach him over his alleged involvement in his son Hunter’s business deals. The White House has maintained that Biden never “did business” with his son
“I thought Hunter Biden’s lawyers made it very clear why they wanted to get the judge involved, which is to have this neutral party in the event that the Justice Department is under a different administration,” former Southern District prosecutor told me. of New York, Jessica Roth. CNN.
Adding to the Biden family’s ongoing legal troubles is Hunter’s former business partner, Devon Archer, who will testify in Congress Monday — behind closed doors — that Joe was part of phone calls as Hunter struck lucrative overseas deals.
Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee released testimony last month from an IRS whistleblower saying Hunter called out to his father when he sent a threatening WhatsApp message to a Chinese businessman.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said this week that an impeachment inquiry is possible — and his GOP colleagues have already expressed their support.
The White House has maintained that Biden never “did business” with his son.
The president actually said he never talked to Hunter about the foreign deals.
Hunter is expected to return to federal court in a few weeks to see if a judge will accept a new deal between prosecutors and his legal team.