Hunter Biden Takes Plea Deal

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Hey everyone—

Today is International Yoga Day. It’s also the Summer Solstice, aka the first day of summer, in the Northern Hemisphere.

So enjoy the sunshine. And inhale the future; exhale the past.

Namaste-

Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney

🗞 HUNTER BIDEN TO PLEAD GUILTY

President Biden’s son Hunter Biden has reached a tentative plea agreement with the Justice Department that will likely keep him out of jail.

He’s expected to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes. And he also faces a separate gun possession charge that will likely be dismissed under certain conditions.

LET’S START WITH THE TAX ISSUES
They date back to 2017 and 2018. A court document says Biden failed to pay more than $100,0000 in taxes on over $1.5 million in income. These charges carry a maximum possible penalty of a year in prison. Biden’s representatives have previously said that he eventually paid the IRS what he owed.

NOW TO THE GUN CHARGE
Prosecutors had charged Hunter with possessing a firearm while using illegal drugs. That’s technically a felony. But they’ve reportedly agreed to dismiss the charge if Biden completes a two-year period of probation (it will require him to stay drug-free.)

This also happened back in 2018. According to his own autobiography, Hunter Biden was regularly abusing crack cocaine during that time, but when he filled out paperwork to buy the gun, he said he wasn’t taking drugs.

WHAT’S NEXT?
Hunter Biden’s attorney said the deal means the five year criminal investigation involving the president’s son is “resolved.”

But, the lead prosecutor on the case, Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, said the investigation “is ongoing.”

• Weiss was nominated by President Trump in 2018. The Biden Administration kept him in place to avoid conflict of interest issues: having President Biden directly appoint a US attorney who would oversee the case against his son.

REACTION TO PLEA DEAL  
Many Republicans are criticizing the deal. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says America has a “two-tier justice system.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called it “a sweetheart deal.”

Trump, who’s facing 37 federal charges related to mishandling classified documents, wrote on Truth Social that the plea deal was akin to a “mere traffic ticket” and that “Our system is BROKEN!” Notably, attorneys advised Trump to consider a deal related to the documents to avoid an indictment, but he refused.

The White House said President Biden and first lady Jill Biden “love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.” ABC News has a look at how family members have caused issues for previous presidents.

WHAT’S NEXT & WHAT ABOUT UKRAINE & CHINA?
McCarthy has promised to intensify Congressional investigations into the Bidens—including Hunter’s business dealings with China and Ukraine. House Republicans are demanding the FBI turn over a document from an informant that alleges a potential bribery scheme. Former President Trump has promised to continue investigating him if he returns to the White House, as have other Republican candidates.

BACK STORY: In 2014, Hunter sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma. (There are questions as to why he was on the board in the first place.)

At the time, Joe Biden was Vice President, and he, along with a host of European allies, pushed the Ukrainian government to oust a prosecutor named Viktor Shokin, over corruption issues. Shokin’s office was also investigating Burisma at the time. There are unsubstantiated allegations that both Hunter and Joe Biden were paid millions of dollars to push for Shokin’s ouster, but there is no evidence of any payment.

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📌 It’s official: Student loan payments will restart in October, Education Department says (CNBC)

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🗓 ON THIS DAY: JUNE 21

• 1788: The U.S. Constitution is ratified. New Hampshire became the ninth, and last necessary state to ratify the document that would become the law of the land.

• 1893: The first Ferris wheel (invented by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., a Pittsburgh-based engineer) made its debut at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was the United States’ answer to Paris’ Eiffel Tower at the previous world’s fair.

• 1982: Prince William was born to King Charles and Princess Diana. Happy 41st!

• 1997: The WNBA debuted with the playing of the league's first game, in which the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks.

• 2002: 'Minority Report' starring Tom Cruise premiered in theaters.