Hunter Biden’s plea: House GOP leaders decry ‘two tiered’ justice system after deal
Cami Mondeaux
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House Republican leaders are denouncing the Justice Department after it announced a plea deal with Hunter Biden, accusing the Biden administration of politicizing the department to protect the president’s family from criminal charges.
House GOP Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) responded to the deal shortly after it was announced on Tuesday, calling it the “epitome of the politicization and Weaponization” of the DOJ by Democrats against Republicans. The statement comes after the DOJ revealed Biden would plead guilty to three criminal charges, with officials expected to recommend a sentence of probation in return.
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“They give a slap on the wrist to President Biden’s son — a tax fraud and corrupt pay-to-play criminal,” Stefanik said in a statement. “It’s never been more clear that we have a two tiered system of justice when you have the son of the sitting President of the United States selling our country out to the highest bidder, laundering money, committing tax fraud, accepting bribes, illegally obtaining a firearm, and shamefully avoiding child support.”
Stefanik sits on the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is tasked with investigating federal government agencies over accusations they unfairly target conservatives. The GOP chairwoman said the resolved charges would not halt Republicans’ investigations, vowing to expose “the full illegal corruption of the Biden Crime family.”
“Joe Biden must and will be held accountable,” she said.
The DOJ announced a plea deal with Biden on three criminal charges, including two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. Biden agreed to a deal that would place him under probation for two years, likely avoiding any jail time if approved by a federal judge.
The agreement comes after a yearslong investigation opened under the Trump administration that has attracted revived attention after Republicans accused President Joe Biden of hesitating to take on the case.
Several other Republican leaders accused the Biden administration of orchestrating a “sweetheart deal” with the department, claiming the president used the DOJ to soften the blow of his son’s charges.
“My first reaction is that it continues to show a two-tiered system in America,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday. “If you are the president’s leading political opponent, the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail and give you prison time. If you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal.”
The news of Hunter Biden’s plea deal comes just one week after former President Donald Trump was arraigned on 37 criminal counts in Florida for charges related to his mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. Several Republicans have pointed to that indictment as evidence the DOJ is politically motivated, citing other politicians who have not been charged for similar conduct.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to those charges.
McCarthy vowed the House would continue its investigations into the weaponization of the federal government, as well as a slew of inquiries into the president and his family members.
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“Now, this does nothing to our investigation,” McCarthy said. “It actually should enhance our investigation because the DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now [by] saying it’s a pending investigation. They should be able to provide [Oversight Chairman James] Comer with any information that he requires.”
The White House declined to comment on the plea deal, responding only to say that the president and first lady “love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.”