Hunter Biden has been charged with nine new charges – all related to tax evasion – and will appear before a Trump-appointed judge if his case goes to trial. The president's son is no stranger to scandal; Hunter has a long and complex background of legal nightmares. Ranging from gun accusations to paternity battles, and international financial fraud to sobriety lying – here's a timeline of Hunter Biden's legal history.
Hunter Biden has been charged with nine new charges – all related to tax evasion – and will face a Trump-appointed judge if his case goes to trial
1970
Hunter Biden was born on February 4 in Wilmington, Delaware, to Neilia and Joe Biden.
1972
On December 18, 1972, Hunter's mother and young sister Naomi were tragically killed in a car accident. Hunter and his older brother Beau were also in the vehicle at the time of the incident, but survived with serious injuries. Beau suffered multiple broken bones and Hunter suffered a fractured skull and severe traumatic brain injuries.
1992
In 1992, Hunter Biden graduated from Georgetown University in Washington DC with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history.
1993
Hunter Biden married Kathleen Buhle in 1993.
1996
Hunter completed a year of law school at Georgetown before transferring to Yale and Hunter graduated with a law degree in 1996.
Hunter Biden has a long and complex background of legal nightmares
According to his memoir – Beautiful Things – Hunter began drinking heavily during dinner, at parties and after work in the early 2000s
Early 2000s
According to his memoir – Beautiful Things – Hunter began drinking heavily at dinner, parties and after work in the early 2000s. He believes his substance abuse issues stem from the losses he has suffered in his life and how little his family would talk about the tragic deaths of his mother and sister.
During this time, Hunter worked at Oldaker, Biden & Belair, a law and lobbying firm where he became a partner in 2001.
2008
Joe Biden was announced as Obama's running mate for the 2008 election and in September, Obama's presidential campaign released a statement saying that Biden's son (Hunter) had retired from working as a lobbyist in Washington.
2013
Hunter Biden and two other Americans teamed up with Chinese businessmen to create a Shanghai-based investment firm: BHR Partners.
The company helped finance an Australian mining company controlled by a Chinese state-owned company.
The first anniversary of Beau's death left Hunter battling severe depression that led to crack cocaine use and addiction
In 2014, Hunter was discharged from the Navy Reserve after taking a drug test that came back positive for cocaine use
2014
In 2014, Hunter was discharged from the Navy Reserve after taking a drug test that came back positive for cocaine use.
He served less than a year less as a public affairs officer in the Navy Reserve before being discharged in February.
In a statement released by his attorney, Biden said he respected the Navy's decision and was moving forward with the love and support of his family.
In a statement released by his attorney, Biden said he respected the Navy's decision and was moving forward with the love and support of his family. He did not give a reason for his dismissal.
Later that year, Hunter joined the board of directors of Burisma, a Ukrainian gas producer, while his father simultaneously oversaw U.S. foreign policy with Ukraine. This business move was at the center of much skepticism from critics.
It was revealed that Hunter earned more than $800,000 in 2013 and more than $1.2 million in 2014 from his work at the Ukrainian energy company
The Biden family suffered another tragic loss on May 30, 2015, when Joe Biden's eldest son Beau died of brain cancer at the age of 46.
After the death of his brother, Hunter suffered a relapse of alcohol use after a period of sobriety.
Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle divorced after 24 years of marriage and three daughters. Buhle released a memoir in 2022 – If We Break – detailing her stories about the relationship
2016
The first anniversary of Beau's death left Hunter battling severe depression that led to crack cocaine use and addiction.
2017
Hunter Biden and Kathleen Buhle divorced after 24 years of marriage and three daughters. Buhle released a memoir in 2022 – If We Break – detailing her stories about the relationship.
In March of the same year, the gossip website PageSix.com reported that Hunter and his brother Beau's widow, Hallie Biden, were romantically involved.
2018
Hunter's fourth child, Navy Joan Roberts, was born in 2018 to Lunden Roberts, of Arkansas. He claims he has no memories of Roberts or their relationship – and says he had 'disasters' with a woman after his divorce. A paternity test proved that Hunter was indeed the child's father.
In October 2018, Hunter purchased a .38 caliber pistol from StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington.
About two weeks later, Hallie Biden, the widow of his lover and brother, found it “open” in his truck and threw it in the grocery store trash. The discovery led to a police investigation, although local police never filed charges.
Hunter wrote on the Firearm Transaction Record that he did not use illegal drugs, but admitted in his memoirs that he was a crack addict at the time. Lying on the federal form is a crime.
2019
Hunter left a damaged Apple computer at a repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, in April 2019. The computer was described as containing 'alarming' and 'embarrassing' material.
The company owner, John Paul Mac Isaac, said he copied the contents of the computer and alerted the FBI about what he saw.
In October 2019, Hunter announced he was stepping down from BHR as his father – who previously announced his presidential campaign – continued to face attacks over his son's company.
2020
During the final weeks of Joe Biden's presidential campaign, he falsely claimed that “my son didn't make any money” in China and that “the only guy who made any money in China is this guy,” referring to Trump.
In December 2020, Hunter announced that he was under investigation by the DOJ while being investigated for possible criminal violations of tax and money laundering laws.
In October 2019, Hunter announced he was resigning from BHR because his father – who previously announced his presidential campaign – continued to come under attack over his son's affairs.
2023
In June 2023, Hunter agreed to plead guilty to two felonies for failing to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time. He reached a deal with prosecutors under which he would plead guilty to tax crimes and waive a gun charge but likely avoid prison time, according to new Justice Department documents.
A month later, Hunter's former business partner Devon Archer told the closed-door conference that President Biden had been talking to his son's international business partners for more than a decade.
Because of Archer's disclosure, a federal judge in Delaware suspended the proposed guilty plea that would settle Hunter's tax and gun charges.
In September of this year, Special Counsel David C. Weiss said he plans to indict Hunter Biden on weapons charges before the end of that month.
That same month, Kevin McCarthy opened an impeachment inquiry against President Biden, accusing the president of giving his son “special treatment” in a criminal tax investigation.
On September 14, Hunter was charged by federal prosecutors with lying about his gun-related drug use in 2018.
On December 7, Hunter Biden faced nine new charges filed by the Justice Department.
Judge Mark Scarsi, a Trump appointee, will oversee Hunter Biden's tax evasion case alleging that Hunter was involved in a four-year, $1.4 million tax evasion scheme.
All nine charges relate to taxes, including two charges of filing a false tax return, one charge of tax evasion, four charges of non-payment and another two charges of failing to file returns. The costs cover the tax years 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
