Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is being charged by the Justice Department with two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony gun charge, according to a court filing released Tuesday.

He will stand before a judge in Delaware next month to formally strike a plea deal.

What You Need To Know

  • Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden's son, reached a plea deal on federal tax and gun charges, according to a court filing

  • Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to the charges of failing to pay taxes; He has agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement in connection with the charge of illegally posessing a firearm "by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance"

  • A spokesperson for the White House said that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden "love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life"

  • Republicans cried foul about the charges, accusing the Justice Department of giving the president's son a "a slap on the wrist"

Per a court filing released Wednesday, Hunter Biden will appear before U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika -- a judge appointed by his father's predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in 2017. The judge must still approve the plea agreement that was reached following a lengthy federal investigation. It calls for the president's son to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes. Hunter Biden also must commit to court-imposed conditions that will spare him full prosecution on a felony gun charge.

According to Tuesday's filing, Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to the charges of failing to pay taxes. He has agreed to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement in connection with the charge of illegally posessing a firearm "by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance."

In a statement to Spectrum News, Hunter Biden's attorney Chris Clark said that "with the announcement" of the plea deals, " is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved."

"Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement," Clark continued. "A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government."

"I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life," Clark's statement concludes. "He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward."

A spokesperson for the White House said that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden "love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life."

The first couple "will have no further comment," White House spokesperson Ian Sams said.

The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks or distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.

One legal expert called it a fair compromise in an interview with Spectrum News.

"It is a very, very good deal from a defense perspective, but not an unreasonable one from the Department of Justice's perspective," said former U.S. Attorney Brian Jacobs.

The news comes as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other aspects of his finances.

Republicans cried foul about the charges, accusing the Justice Department of giving the president's son a "a slap on the wrist."

On his Truth Social platform, former President Donald Trump raged against what he called the "Hunter Biden Scam."

"Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere 'traffic ticket,'" Trump wrote in a separate post. "Our system is BROKEN!"

House Oversight Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said the charges reveal "a two-tiered system of justice."

"Hunter Biden is getting away with a slap on the wrist," Comer said, adding that the charges "have no impact" on his panel's probe. 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called it a "sweetheart deal," adding it "should enhance" the House GOP's probe into the Biden family.

"The DOJ should not be able to withhold any information now, saying there is a pending investigation. They should be able to provide Chairman Comer with any information that he requires," he said.

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican who sits on a subcommittee probing so-called weaponization of the federal government, called the charges the "epitome" of DOJ "politicization and weaponization" under the Biden administration.

"It's never been more clear that we have a two-tiered system of justice," she said in a statement, pledging that the House GOP majority's probes will continue. "Joe Biden must and will be held accountable." 

Attorney General Merrick Garland, traveling in Stockholm on Wednesday, said David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was given “full authority to decide the matter as he decided was appropriate. And that's what he's done.”

Spectrum News' Cassie Semyon and The Associated Press contributed to this report.