Hunter Biden Hit with 9 New Tax Charges as House GOP Continues Looking for Evidence to Incriminate Joe Biden

Hunter's legal issues — though unrelated to his father — put the president in a tough position ahead of 2024 as he continues to express love for his only surviving son

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden was indicted Thursday on nine new charges, including three felony counts, in relation to a sprawling investigation into his taxes.

The latest charges add to a growing number for Hunter, 53, who back in June was hit with federal misdemeanor charges of failing to pay federal income tax and a felony charge of illegally possessing a weapon.

On Thursday, a new, 56-page filing included allegations that the president’s son failed to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes, instead spending "millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle" — allegedly including drugs, escorts, luxury hotels and exotic cars. Hunter faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted of the charges.

In a statement, Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell insinuated that the investigation was politically motivated, saying, "if Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges ... would not have been brought." Lowell further claimed that Hunter had "paid his taxes in full" more than two years ago.

Related: Hunter Biden Charged by Justice Department Following Investigation into His Taxes, Firearm Possession

At the time that the initial charges against Hunter were unveiled in June, a White House spokesperson said: "The President and First Lady love their son and support [Hunter] as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment."

A probe into Hunter began in 2018 and initially focused on his business dealings with foreign interests — a topic that was much-discussed in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, particularly by former President Donald Trump.

But the investigation evolved with time, focusing also on Hunter's income taxes and paperwork he used to purchase a firearm in 2018, on which he denied being "an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug or any other controlled substance" despite publicly admitting to struggles with addiction.

The new charges come as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives is also ramping up its own probe of Hunter as part of an impeachment inquiry into the president. Republicans have asked that Hunter sit for a closed deposition, threatening to file contempt charges if he does not, though he has said he will only testify publicly.

Related: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Announces Impeachment Inquiry into President Joe Biden

In a podcast with the musician Moby last week, Hunter said of House Republicans: “What they’re trying to do is they’re trying to kill me, knowing that it will be a pain greater than my father could be able to handle, and so therefore destroying a presidency in that way."

Hunter revealed that federal prosecutors in Delaware were investigating his "tax affairs" about a month after his father was elected president, later telling CBS News that he was "being completely cooperative" in the investigation.

Hunter has no official involvement in the White House and did not work on his father's presidential campaign, but was nonetheless a major character in the 2020 face-off between his dad and Trump, who often brought up Hunter's addiction issues in debates.

Hunter has spoken openly about his struggle with addiction, which bubbled up into public view during his 2017 divorce from his first wife, who alleged in legal filings that he had spent money on drugs, alcohol, prostitutes and strip clubs.

In his 2021 memoir Beautiful Things, Hunter delved into his life as an addict, writing that he at one point was drinking a quart of vodka a day; at another, he lived with a homeless woman who was also his dealer. He has since spoken about finding new peace and stability while living on the West Coast, where he also works as a painter.

Related: President Biden Speaks Out on Hunter’s Daughter, 4, with Ark. Woman: ‘Jill and I Only Want What’s Best’ (Exclusive)

In a series of interviews with CBS News about his book, the younger Biden said he was convinced that "trauma" stemming from the 1972 car crash that killed his mother, Neilia, and his infant sister, Naomi — as well as the death of his brother Beau in 2015 — was at the center of his addictions.

Hunter and Beau were in the car during the accident and were both injured.

Hunter has five children, including daughters Naomi, Finnegan and Maisy with his first wife Kathleen, a son Beau with his current wife Melissa Cohen, and a child he had with a woman in Arkansas that spawned a paternity suit.

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