Hunter Biden Plea Gives Democrats Some Relief, Even as Republicans Pile On

Hunter Biden’s guilty plea to two federal counts won’t set off celebrations for Democrats, but there has been a distinct sigh of relief from the left that the Justice Department investigation into his personal taxes won’t be going to trial.

The plea isn’t going to end the drumbeat of allegations from the right, which was clear moments after the agreement was announced when Republicans rushed to lambast President Joe Biden and accuse the Department of Justice of a “two-tiered” justice system. 

Still, Democrats argued on Tuesday that the plea allows Biden and the White House to avoid dealing with the heat of an ongoing investigation deeper into the 2024 election cycle and that it ends at least one facet of the allegations around Hunter Biden.

“It’s a net positive for the president and his family to be able to move past some of these legal issues,” said one Democratic operative, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about the plea deal. “Obviously, no one expects Republicans to take it off the table as a political weapon.”

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel’s statement on the plea proved that it would continue to be an issue for Democrats throughout the 2024 campaign. 

“The Biden, Inc. scandal is NOT just about Hunter Biden,” McDaniel wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning. “Multiple family members were reportedly selling influence to the tune of millions and millions of dollars, and there is a mountain of evidence suggesting Joe Biden not only knew about it, but was involved.

“These are pretty serious offenses,” said Shermichael Singleton, a Republican strategist.  “People with power and access are treated differently and here is a prime example of that.” 

But Singleton added, “It showcases that accountability matters and no position of power cannot shield people from their actions.”

Awkward timing

The timing of the Hunter Biden plea – just days after former President Donald Trump was indicted by the Department of Justice for his alleged mishandling of classified documents – creates a unique challenge for the White House. Biden and other top Democrats see no upside in celebrating the Trump indictment, instead arguing that the charges showcase the importance of the rule of law. And the Democratic response to Hunter Biden’s plea will likely be similar.

The White House issued a short statement on the plea. “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” said White House spokesperson Ian Sams. “We will have no further comment.”

And the president told reporters, who asked whether the president has spoken with Hunter, that he was "very proud" of his son while he was traveling in California.

Pressed before the Trump indictment about how he would respond to the former president accusing him of any charges being politically motivated, Biden gave an unequivocal denial that he had ever interfered with the Justice Department.

“I have never once, not one single time, suggested to the Justice Department what they should do or not do relative to bringing a charge or not bringing a charge,” Biden said earlier this month. “I’m honest.”

‘It’s the best possible outcome’

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware began investigating tax issues for Hunter Biden in December 2020. The U.S. Attorney for that district, David Weiss, was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2018 and when Joe Biden came into office in 2021, the president left Weiss in the position to continue to work independently on the investigation.

The White House previously said Biden has not been involved with the case or discussed it with Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Hunter Biden will now be charged with two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and one firearm offense, according to documents filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. And he will also enter a pretrial diversion agreement on the firearms offense, according to a letter from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware. 

Weiss said on Tuesday that the investigation into Hunter Biden was “ongoing.”

This is not the only issue the president’s son has created for his father. The issues facing Hunter Biden have forced Biden to walk a tightrope on his son’s legal matters and given Republicans plenty of fodder to label Biden as corrupt and question his administration. 

For the White House and Biden campaign, the agreement does not bring finality to the drama around Hunter Biden – House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said on Tuesday that the plea would have “no impact” on the panel’s investigation into the Biden family – but the agreement provides Democrats with a cudgel to use against Republicans who will claim the Biden family is above the law.

“It’s the best possible outcome, but I think this continues to haunt Biden throughout the campaign,” said one Democratic strategist. “Republicans will continue to show that Hunter was up to no good, guaranteed.”

And David Brock, the head of Facts First USA, a group pushing back against Republican attacks on Biden, said, “notably, Hunter will not be charged with any of the unfounded and outlandish issues Republicans and right-wing media have used to smear him with for years.”

“This episode just underscores the integrity of President Biden — he kept Trump’s U.S. attorney on to investigate a matter involving his own son,” said Brock. “This president has repeatedly demonstrated his belief in the rule of law and the independence of the Justice Department.”