Hunter Biden Charges Split GOP—Some Stay Silent As Other Claim ‘Sweetheart Deal’

Topline

A coalition of Republicans attacked Hunter Biden’s plea deal announced Tuesday as a “sweetheart deal” that represented a “two-tiered system of justice” compared to the Justice Department’s indictment of former President Donald Trump, but others in the GOP gave tempered responses to Biden’s agreement or refused to comment at all—the latest issue to represent a fracture between the right-wing of the party and more moderate Republicans.

Hunter Biden walks to a motorcade vehicle after stepping off Air Force One with President Biden, … [+] Feb. 4, 2023, at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, N.Y. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Key Facts

Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday they would force votes this week on articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden in response to news of his son’s plea deal—but some Republicans, including Reps. Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Don Bacon (Neb.) and French Hill (Ark.) dismissed the idea, citing the lack of evidence to merit such an extreme measure, Axios reported.

LaLota and Bacon are among 18 vulnerable House Republicans representing districts Biden won, who the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting as they are increasingly exposed to risky votes forced by the far-right under a slim GOP majority in the House.

2024 Republican presidential candidates also lacked unity in their response to the plea deal: Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attacked the agreement as overly lenient, but former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C) and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley were notably more measured in their responses and pivoted to the GOP’s broader accusations of corruption in the Biden family.

Haley said the “deal only raises further questions about Hunter Biden’s crimes and the double standard of justice in our federal government,” while Scott said “the Big Guy has some explaining to do,” referring to President Joe Biden, and Pence said he “welcome[s] the charges and the guilty plea,” adding “we simply don’t have equal treatment under the law.”

Some GOP senators refused to comment at all, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), while Senate Minority Whip John Thune (S.D.) noted the Delaware U.S. Attorney who brought the case against Biden, David Weiss, is a Trump appointee: “The American people have to be convinced that the justice system treats everybody equally under the law,” he told reporters.

Key Background

Weiss’ office announced Tuesday Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two charges of failing to file taxes in 2017 and 2018 and to enter a diversion program to avoid a charge for possessing a gun as a drug user. The tax charges carry a maximum sentence of up to a year in prison, a $25,000 fine, or both, while the gun charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine or both. Prosecutors are expected to recommend probation for the tax charges, subject to approval by a federal judge. The case stems from the agency’s long-running investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings that expanded into a probe of his taxes and gun purchase, which he made during a turbulent period in his life when he has openly admitted to regularly using crack cocaine. Hunter Biden’s international business ventures have led to repeated attacks on the president, including allegations of bribery and using his influence to benefit his son’s business partners. The GOP-led House has an ongoing, sweeping probe into the Biden family that Republicans vowed to continue in the wake of the plea deal.

Chief Critic

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) drew a direct comparison between the Hunter Biden case and the Justice Department’s indictment of Trump on charges of mishandling classified records and obstructing its investigation, telling reporters “if you are the president’s leading political opponent, the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail and give you prison time. But if you are the president’s son, you get a sweetheart deal.”

Contra

Many legal experts said the charges against Hunter Biden are rare, if not harsh, and reserved for repeat offenders or attached to more serious crimes, while others criticized the comparison between Hunter Biden’s case and Trump’s. “It insults the intelligence of the American people to compare misdemeanor tax charges to a scheme to steal Top Secret documents and obstruct justice when the government asked for them back,” former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti tweeted.

What We Don’t Know

While Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Chris Clark, said he believes the plea deal marks an end to the Justice Department investigation, Weiss said in a statement the investigation is ongoing, indicating he could bring additional charges.