US politics moves to the beat of criminal bombs. This time, however, the judicial breaking news did not refer to Donald Trump's alleged coup. This time it affected the President of the United States himself, Joe Biden, because his Government has criminally charged his son Hunter.
Can anyone imagine anything similar with Trump in power?
Special prosecutor David Weiss announced his intentions days ago, but it was Thursday when he made history by indicting Hunter Biden on three counts related to the purchase of a firearm in 2018. The indictment specifies two counts of false federal statements regarding that purchase and a third count of possession while addicted and a user of cocaine.
This criminal case, an extraordinary step by the Department of Justice, means that the son of the current president could go to trial in 2024, and be sentenced to a sentence of up to 25 years, right in the middle of his father's campaign for revalidate his mandate to the executive.
Such an impeachment is unprecedented in this country and comes at a time when President Joe Biden, 80, is under enormous pressure. A significant part of the Democrats, both leaders and voters, consider in the polls that he should not opt for a second term because of his age.
In addition to this, on Monday, the Speaker of the Lower House, the Republican Kevin McCarthy, ordered to open an impeachment or political process for the alleged involvement of Biden in Hunter Biden's business, although they have not found any evidence that binds him The White House pointed out the lack of evidence and described the impeachment as "the worst expression of political extremism".
Even so, there are people in the environment who say that Biden could pay the consequences for excessive protection of his descendant, whom he always defends. "My son, like so many, has had drug problems. It is surpassing them, I am proud of it", he said at the time.
Weiss, who is still mulling whether to also charge Hunter Biden with tax fraud, made the allegation after the plea deal his lawyers struck with the special prosecutor collapsed in July. Hunter agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors, while also admitting to illegal possession of a weapon. This only meant a couple of years of supervised release.
After a far-right pressure campaign, capitalized by the Fox network, Delaware judge Maryellen Noreika showed reluctance and the agreement fell into limbo. Hunter Biden then pleaded not guilty. His lawyers replied that he could not be imputed for the issue of the weapon because that part of the pact remained in force.
Once the deal fell through, Weiss, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, required a special assignment in order to gain power, which was granted by Attorney General Merrick Garland (equivalent to Attorney General). , appointed by President Biden himself.
Garland relented in part after two U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) leakers said Weiss and his team had slowed down the investigation into Hunter for months, frustrating those agents who wanted stronger charges. That gave dynamite to conservatives, who were talking about a two-tier judicial system: one for Trump, who faces 91 charges, many of which could land him in prison for life, and one for around Biden. The Weiss decision shatters that theory. The son of a president had never been impeached. Republicans celebrated it, but indicated that "it is only the beginning" and they hope that it will not be "a cover-up" for more serious charges.
Prosecutors have spent years scrutinizing the life of the US president's son, both his businesses and his troubled private life. "Hunter Biden had an unloaded weapon for 11 days and was not a public threat," replied his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. "But the prosecutor, with unimaginable power, gives in to political pressure and represents a serious danger to our justice system", he added.
