Timeline: Hunter Biden's tax and gun cases end in a presidential pardon

WASHINGTON (TNND) — President Joe Biden’s sudden decision to pardon his son Hunter on weapons and tax charges to spare him potential prison time brings an end to a yearslong legal saga that has also been the subject of a political firestorm.

The president said in a statement Sunday night that he was pardoning his son less than two months before he leaves office, reversing months of vows otherwise. He claimed the prosecution against his son was politically motivated, pointing to congressional investigations into his family bleeding into the Department of Justice’s longstanding probe of Hunter Biden.

“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden said. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.”

A timeline of the cases:

DEC. 9, 2020: HUNTER BIDEN ACKNOWLEDGES INVESTIGATION

Hunter Biden acknowledged that he was under investigation about a month after his father won 2020 election, issuing a statement for the first time.

“I learned yesterday for the first time that the U.S. attorney’s office in Delaware advised my legal counsel, also yesterday, that they are investigating my tax affairs,” he said in a statement. “I take this matter very seriously, but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers.”

The U.S. attorney in Delaware began an investigation in 2018.

FEBRUARY 2021: WEISS KEPT BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

The Biden administration decided it would retain David Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to oversee the inquiry into the president’s son.

APRIL 2023: IRS SUPERVISOR MAKES ALLEGATIONS OF INTERFERENCE

A criminal investigations supervisor at the Internal Revenue Service said there was improper interference of the agency’s investigation of Hunter Biden.

The allegations sparked months of allegations of political interference from the Biden administration despite the DOJ’s attempts to shield it from outside influence and the retainment of Weiss. It was the subject of a House hearing with a pair of IRS whistleblowers and sparked GOP concerns about the validity of the federal prosecution.

JUNE 20, 2023: PLEA DEAL REACHED

Prosecutors and Hunter Biden’s legal team reached a plea agreement was expected to allow him to avoid serving jail time.

In exchange for pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and serving two years of probation, he was expected to avoid time behind bars. A weapons charge would also have been dropped if he stayed out of trouble.

JULY 26, 2023: PLEA DEAL COLLAPSES

Hunter Biden’splea deal with prosecutors suddenly collapsed upon facing scrutiny from a judge at a hearing scheduled to finalize the agreement.

There was a dispute between Hunter Biden’s attorneys and prosecutors over whether the deal gave him immunity from future charges, and the judge overseeing the case raised questions with the language of the deal.

Attorneys were never able to come together on another agreement, and Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the tax charges.

AUG. 11, 2023: WEISS NAMED SPECIAL COUNSEL

Weiss’ special counsel status gave him broader authority to conduct a more sweeping investigation and the ability to bring charges in any jurisdiction.

“The appointment of Mr. Weiss reinforces for the American people the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a surprise announcement. “I am confident that Mr. Weiss will carry out his responsibility in an evenhanded and urgent manner and in accordance with the highest traditions of this department.”

SEPTEMBER 2023: HUNTER BIDEN INDICTED ON GUN CHARGES

Weiss charged Hunter Biden with weapons violations in a three-count indictment over allegations he lied on a weapons form about his drug addiction and possessed a firearm illegally.

Hunter Biden would later plead not guilty to the charges in the same courthouse where the plea deal fell apart.

DEC. 7, 2023: WEISS FILES TAX CHARGES AGAINST HUNTER BIDEN

Weiss filed nine tax-related charges against Hunter Biden in California for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2020.

The indictment accused Hunter Biden of leading an “extravagant lifestyle” while failing to pay his taxes.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges.

FEB. 20, 2024: DEFENSE TEAM SEEKS TO HAVE TAX CASE TOSSED

Hunter Biden’s defense team filed a motion seeking to have the tax charges dropped, accusing prosecutors of selectively targeting him, arguing a statute of limitations had been reached and duplicative charges were filed.

In a later filing, Weiss argued that the defense team’s request was filled with “shapeshifting claims” that amounted to a “conspiracy theory.”

APRIL 1, 2024: JUDGE TOSSES EFFORT TO HAVE CASE DISMISSED

A judge ruled in favor of prosecutors, leaving the tax case against Hunter Biden intact.

"Defendant fails to present a reasonable inference, let alone clear evidence, of discriminatory effect and discriminatory purpose," the judge wrote.

JUNE 3, 2024: FIREARMS TRIAL BEGINS

A jury was seated in the federal firearms case against Hunter Biden, setting the trial to begin the next day with opening statements.

JUNE 11, 2024: CONVICTION IN GUN TRIAL

Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony counts due to lying about his drug use while making a gun purchase in 2018.

JULY 18, 2024: LEGAL TEAM SEEKS DISMISSAL OF BOTH CASES

Hunter Biden’s legal team sought to have the tax and gun cases against him thrown out using a ruling from a judge overseeing Trump’s classified documents case as justification.

The judge in Trump’s case ruled that the special counsel overseeing it was not lawfully appointed, tossing the entire case.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys argued that Weiss was appointed under similar precedent and that both cases against him should be tossed as a result.

“The Attorney General relied upon the exact same authority to appoint the Special Counsel in both the Trump and Biden matters, and both appointments are invalid for the same reason," they said in a filing.

AUG. 20, 2024: JUDGE REJECTS DISMISSAL REQUEST IN TAX CASE

A federal judge denied the request to dismiss the tax charges against him, saying he had already rejected a previous dismissal attempt and there is "no valid basis for reconsideration" of that decision.

The judge said Weiss had not been named a special counsel yet when he charged Hunter Biden and accused his attorneys of making false statements to the court.

SEPT. 5, 2024: HUNTER BIDEN'S SURPRISE PLEA OFFER

Hunter Biden's lawyer surprised prosecutors by suggesting the rare plea deal as jury selection was set to get started in his tax case. Prosecutors have urged the judge to reject the deal, which would allow him to maintain his innocence while accepting punishment from the judge.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge that the evidence against Hunter Biden is “overwhelming” and that his client wanted to resolve the case with an Alford plea, whereas defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction.

“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty,” prosecutor Leo Wise said, adding that he is not entitled to plead guilty on special terms that apply only to him.”

SEPT. 5, 2024: HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS GUILTY

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to the federal tax charges against him as jury selection was set to begin in the trial.

"Hunter decided to enter his plea to protect those he loves from unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation. This plea prevents that kind of show trial that would have not provided all the facts or served any real point in justice,” his attorney said outside the courthouse.

SETP. 19, 2024: GUN CASE SENTENCING DELAYED

A judge delayed his sentencing date to December over his three felony convictions for lying on a federal form to purchase a firearm. He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, but the judge grated a request to delay the hearing until Dec. 4 from Biden’s legal team.

DEC. 1, 2024: PRESIDENT PARDONS HIS SON

After months of promising not to pardon his son, Biden reversed his decision and made an announcement arguing that the prosecution had been tainted by politics.

The decision will allow his son to avoid serving jail time in either case. He was facing up to 25 years in prison for the weapons charges but was expected to receive a far lesser sentence or serve no jail time at all as a first-time offender who did not use the gun for a violent crime.

“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden said in his statement.