Hunter Biden: A look at how the saga spanning over six years unfolded
Hunter Biden was all smiles as he left an Arby’s in Santa Barbara, the first time he had been photographed since being pardoned by his father, President Joe Biden. The pardon marked the end of a saga that had lasted for over six years, with multiple investigations by the Justice Department and Congress into his conduct and business dealings.
The charges against Hunter Biden included three felony firearm offenses and federal tax crimes related to the failure to pay over $1.4 million in taxes. Facing up to 17 years behind bars, Hunter Biden entered a surprise guilty plea before his sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 16.
The federal investigation into Hunter Biden began in 2018, prompted by suspicious activity reports regarding foreign transactions. The probe was further fueled by the existence of a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden that was subpoenaed by the FBI as part of a money laundering investigation.
Despite claims of Russian disinformation, it was later confirmed that the laptop did belong to Hunter Biden and contained legitimate records. Social media companies like Twitter and Facebook faced criticism for censoring stories related to the laptop before the 2020 presidential election.
Hunter Biden’s business dealings with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings came under scrutiny during the first impeachment of then-President Donald Trump. House Republicans sought to call Hunter Biden to testify in the impeachment proceedings, alleging that his position on the board of Burisma interfered with U.S.-Ukraine relations.
President Biden had acknowledged pressuring Ukraine to fire a prosecutor investigating Burisma while he was vice president, a move that was seen as a conflict of interest given Hunter Biden’s role on the board. House Republicans later launched an impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s involvement in his son’s business dealings.
In 2023, whistleblowers from the IRS raised allegations of politicization in the federal probe of Hunter Biden, leading to the appointment of Special Counsel David Weiss to continue the investigation. House Republicans continued to investigate the Biden family’s business dealings, ultimately releasing a report accusing President Biden of engaging in “impeachable conduct” and defrauding the United States to enrich his family.
Despite the ongoing investigations and controversy surrounding his business dealings, Hunter Biden was all smiles as he left the Arby’s in Santa Barbara, perhaps relieved to have been pardoned by his father and putting an end to a tumultuous chapter in his life.
