Hunter Biden: Lawbreaker Or Political Target?

In 2025, Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, was convicted of three felonies related to the purchase of a gun in 2018. Prosecutors argued that Biden lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He was also charged with tax crimes in California. Biden was pardoned by his father, who cited unfair prosecution and selective treatment of his son. The pardon covers the period from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024, which includes his tenure on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma.

Lying on a mandatory gun-purchase form

In 2018, Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, purchased a firearm. To do so, he was required to fill out Form 4473, also known as the Firearm Transaction Record. This form asks buyers several questions, including whether they are a felon, fugitive, or convicted of domestic abuse, whether they are addicted to drugs, and whether they are the actual buyer of the firearm.

In 2024, Hunter Biden was convicted of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018. Prosecutors argued that he lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

Lying on Form 4473 is a federal violation and can lead to severe penalties and jail time. Form 4473 specifically asks about the buyer's drug use, and lying about this can be a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. However, prosecutions for lying on Form 4473 are rare. In the fiscal year 2019, for example, federal prosecutors received 478 referrals for lying on Form 4473 but filed just 298 cases.

In the case of Hunter Biden, the controversy surrounding his gun purchase prompted the Washington Post to request statistics from the Justice Department to determine the likelihood of prosecution for falsely filling out the form. The answer was that there was virtually no risk of prosecution. This controversy also highlighted the inconsistent enforcement of existing gun laws.

In his memoir, published in 2021, Hunter Biden wrote about his active use of crack cocaine in the year he bought the gun. Additionally, he had been discharged from the Navy Reserve for drug use five years prior to his gun purchase. Despite this evidence, the odds of being charged for lying on Form 4473 are slim, as there is often no paper trail for drug abusers as there is for felons.

Ultimately, Hunter Biden was convicted of all three felony charges related to his gun purchase and received a pardon from President Joe Biden before any sentencing could occur.

Violating federal gun laws

In June 2024, Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, was found guilty of violating federal gun laws by purchasing a firearm in 2018. He was charged with three felonies: two counts of making a false statement material to a firearms sale and in a firearms transaction record, and one count of violating a law that bars users of illegal drugs or drug addicts from possessing a firearm.

The specific violation of federal gun laws that Hunter Biden was accused of pertained to his purchase and possession of a Colt Cobra .38 revolver in October 2018. During the purchase, he indicated "no" when asked if he was an unlawful user of controlled substances or addicted to a controlled substance. However, prosecutors argued that he lied on the mandatory gun-purchase form, as they had videos, photographs, and messages as evidence of his drug use and addiction.

Under federal gun laws in the United States, there are several statutes and acts that regulate the manufacture, trade, possession, transfer, record-keeping, transport, and destruction of firearms. Here is an overview of some key federal gun laws and how they relate to the charges against Hunter Biden:

• National Firearms Act (NFA) (1934): This act imposes taxes and mandates the registration of specific types of weapons, such as machine guns and short-barreled rifles.
• Federal Firearms Act of 1938 (FFA): This act requires gun manufacturers, importers, and dealers to obtain a federal firearms license (FFL). It also prohibits the transfer of firearms to certain individuals, including convicted felons.
• Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA): This act focuses on regulating interstate commerce in firearms and generally prohibits transfers except among licensed manufacturers, dealers, and importers. It also prohibits the sale of firearms to specific categories of individuals, including convicted felons, drug addicts, and the mentally ill.
• Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993): This act requires background checks for most firearm purchases and establishes a criminal background check system maintained by the FBI.
• Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022): This act expands background checks for purchasers under 21, includes juvenile records in background checks, and further criminalizes arms trafficking.

In summary, Hunter Biden's violation of federal gun laws centered on making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and possessing a firearm while unlawfully using controlled substances. The charges and subsequent conviction highlighted the importance of adhering to federal gun laws and the consequences of providing false information during firearms transactions.

Tax evasion

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, has been charged with tax crimes in California. In September 2024, he pleaded guilty to all counts in a nine-count indictment, including three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanour tax offenses.

The indictment outlines a four-year scheme in which Biden chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for the tax years 2016 through 2019. It also states that he evaded tax assessment for the 2018 tax year by filing false returns.

To further this scheme, the indictment alleges that Hunter Biden:

• Subverted the payroll and tax withholding process of his own company by withdrawing millions outside of the payroll and tax withholding process
• Spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills
• Stopped paying his outstanding and overdue taxes for the 2015 tax year in 2018
• Willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to do so
• Willfully failed to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns on time
• Included false business deductions in his 2018 returns to reduce his substantial tax liability

At sentencing, Biden faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison. However, actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

In December 2024, President Biden pardoned his son, shielding him from prosecution for all offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. This pardon also covered the tax evasion charges.

Human trafficking

No sources explicitly state that Hunter Biden was involved in human trafficking. However, there are allegations that he transported prostitutes across state lines, which would be a violation of the Mann Act of 1910.

The Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department in December 2024, alleging that it failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding any records related to Hunter Biden's alleged interstate sex trafficking activity. The House Oversight Committee also accused the Justice Department of showing improper leniency to Hunter Biden and abridging the rights of his victims, who were allegedly prostitutes.

In addition to these allegations, there are several other legal issues surrounding Hunter Biden. He was convicted of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018, where he lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He was also pardoned by President Biden for tax evasion charges in California. Furthermore, an FBI informant fabricated a story about Hunter Biden accepting bribes from Ukrainian executives, which was later proven false.

Money laundering

Hunter Biden, son of former US President Joe Biden, has been the subject of several criminal investigations and charges in recent years, including allegations of money laundering. While the full extent of his legal troubles is beyond the scope of this response, here is a detailed overview of the money laundering accusations:

Hunter Biden has been accused of money laundering by several Republican lawmakers and investigators. In December 2023, an email from a bank's money laundering investigator was obtained by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The email raised concerns about funds originating in China, which were ultimately funnelled to Joe Biden through his brother James. The investigator flagged serious concerns about the source of the money and questioned whether it was related to any legitimate business dealings.

The investigation revealed that Hunter Biden received funds from China that ended up in a joint venture account. The investigator noted that Hunter's designation as a PEP (Politically Exposed Person) and his extravagant spending raised red flags, suggesting that Hunter was a "high risk" for potential money laundering. The investigator also questioned why large fees were being paid when there appeared to be no services rendered.

Republican members of the House Oversight Committee have been investigating Hunter Biden's business dealings since 2020, releasing an interim report in November 2022 that claimed to have potential evidence of money laundering. The report cited Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) filed by several American banks, indicating possible criminal activity. However, it is important to note that these reports do not prove criminal activity but rather reflect the concerns of compliance officers.

Hunter Biden has denied any wrongdoing, and the investigation into his business dealings is ongoing. While the allegations of money laundering have not been substantiated, they have sparked intense political debate and scrutiny of the Biden family's financial activities.

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