Durbin defends Hunter Biden’s plea, acknowledges gravity of offenses.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin Defends Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) expressed his support for the plea deal reached by prosecutors with Hunter Biden on federal tax and gun charges. In an interview with the Washington Examiner, Durbin stated that he believes the deal “is defensible.”

The Justice Department revealed in a court filing that Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of “willful failure to pay” his federal income taxes. Additionally, he will enter a “pretrial diversion agreement” regarding the possession of a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

“Well, after five years of investigation by a Trump U.S. attorney, I have to believe that what they’ve come up with is defensible,” Durbin told the Washington Examiner. “In light of past sentencing procedures, I don’t practice law in that area, so I don’t know for sure, but misdemeanor tax offenses are serious. But I’m sure the people who are on the other side wish they were even more so.”

When asked about the potential impact of the plea deal on President Joe Biden’s 2024 general election, Durbin responded, “Hunter has been a challenge for his father even when he ran last time. Now that this case has been at least resolved from the prosecutor’s point of view, I think he is less of a liability.”

The charges against Hunter Biden were brought by U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware, who faced allegations of politicizing the Justice Department investigation. Despite the ongoing investigation, Weiss’s office released a statement announcing the “two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony firearm offense” faced by Hunter Biden.

Republicans have previously raised concerns about Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine and China, suggesting potential crimes related to foreign lobbying or money laundering. However, they argue that the new charges do not meet those expectations.

A number of GOP lawmakers have criticized the plea deal, claiming it exemplifies a two-tiered justice system that targets their side of the aisle. Durbin acknowledged these criticisms, stating, “I’m sure critics and skeptics are living in that space. But, you know, the fact is, it was a Trump U.S. attorney. He was left free to come to the conclusions he wished.”

Click here to read more from the Washington Examiner.