Special counsel David Weiss has convened a grand jury in Los Angeles and issued a subpoena to first brother James Biden as part of his investigation into first son Hunter Biden.
The Delaware US attorney will seek to introduce documents and possibly witness testimony in an investigation now focused on the 53-year-old Hunter’s alleged failure to pay taxes on money he earned from overseas ventures, CNN reported Thursday.
It is unclear for which tax years Weiss’ team may consider bringing new charges against Hunter — or whether the special counsel is investigating other alleged crimes committed by President Biden’s surviving son.
In June, Hunter agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of failing to pay at least $100,000 on more than $1.5 million in earned income in both 2017 and 2018.
The plea deal, which also required Hunter to enter a diversion program on a felony federal weapons charge, fell apart in a Delaware courtroom July 26 and he was subsequently charged with felony counts of making false statements in purchasing a firearm, making false statements related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed firearms dealer, and unlawfully possessing a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance.
Hunter has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During the plea hearing, prosecutors noted to US District Judge Maryellen Noreika that the agreement did not preclude bringing charges against Hunter later on for other alleged crimes – such as possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The alleged FARA violations stem from Hunter failing to register as a foreign agent while engaged in lucrative dealings in countries such as China and Ukraine that allegedly involved his father and uncle.
The FBI, tasked with investigating aspects of Weiss’ probe related to money laundering and FARA violations, didn’t anticipate charges being brought against Hunter related to those matters, according to CNN.
Federal investigators also raised the possibility of charging Hunter for crimes related to sex trafficking over his communications with numerous alleged prostitutes in which he appeared to be coordinating their travel across state lines – a possible violation of the federal Mann Act’s prohibition on interstate prostitution – according to IRS whistleblower documents,
Federal prosecutors teased in an August court filing that Hunter could face new tax charges, in other districts, in the aftermath of the torpedoed peal deal.
“The Government, in the exercise of its prosecutorial discretion, is considering what tax charges to bring in another district and may elect to bring the same charges set forth in the instant information or different ones,” the filing said.
Before the June plea deal, Weiss declined to bring charges against Hunter for alleged tax crimes committed in southern California and Washington, DC, after US attorneys in both districts refused to partner in his investigation.
IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley claims that Hunter avoided paying taxes on $8.3 million in income he received between 2014 and 2019, a period during which the first son sat on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings and the Chinese private equity fund BHR Partners.
Earlier this month, the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee subpoenaed Hunter Biden, James Biden, and Rob Walker, an associate of the family, to sit for depositions. Republicans have claimed that James and Hunter Biden touted their access to the politically powerful Joe Biden to land lucrative business deals from which the president may have benefited.
Biden has repeatedly denied ever discussing overseas business with Hunter or any member of his family, despite ample evidence to the contraary.