LOS ANGELES: The Department of Justice on Thursday filed new criminal charges against US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending millions of dollars on a lavish lifestyle.

Hunter Biden, 53, was hit with three felony and six misdemeanor tax offenses, according to an indictment filed in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.

He faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted. The Justice Department said its investigation into Biden is ongoing.

“The Defendant engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4m in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019,” the indictment read.

It added that he had instead spent huge sums “on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature” including over $70,000 on drug rehabilitation.

Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in statement that his client had repaid his taxes in full, accusing US Special Counsel David Weiss, who is leading the probe into Hunter Biden, of reneging on a previous agreement and political bias.

“If Hunters last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought,” Lowell said.

Weiss “bowed to Republican pressure” to file earlier gun charges against Hunter Biden, Lowell wrote, added new tax charges after the taxes were repaid, and did not respond to a request a meeting to discuss the investigation. The White House declined to comment.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2023