Federal authorities reportedly captured Hunter Biden’s mugshot in July, but the photo apparently remains concealed due to the Justice Department’s policy.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, noted during the July court appearance that President Joe Biden’s son was processed at a Delaware courthouse by the U.S. Marshals Service by “the usual procedures (e.g., submitted to multiple sets of fingerprints, had his photograph taken, and filled out the required forms for release).”
Authorities fingerprinted and took Hunter Biden’s mugshot when he appeared in court for his “sweetheart” plea deal that collapsed, CNN reported Tuesday.
The mugshot remains concealed because the Department of Justice policy “prohibits my office from providing photographs of defendants prosecuted in federal court,” Kim Reeves, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware, told Newsweek.
Fox News’s Jesse Watters said Tuesday he submitted a Freedom of Information request to release the mugshot. He also raised questions about why the photo is not public.
“It turns out Hunter Biden has a mugshot,” Watters said. “So what is so special about a mugshot that they don’t want us to see? Did he smile? Did he look defiant? In light of transparency, this mugshot must be released.”
“Sources tell us that federal inmates rarely have their mugshots released to the public — only in cases where the federal inmate escapes, and a leak would be very unlikely,” he said.
Special Counsel David Weiss withdrew Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal in August after it broke down upon scrutiny from the judge.
The agreement originally afforded Hunter Biden the ability to plead guilty for not paying taxes on more than $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018, receiving probation rather than jail time. In addition, Weiss devised a separate diversion agreement that gave Hunter Biden immunity from potential future charges, including a provision to essentially wipe a felony gun violation from his record.
Weiss charged Hunter Biden in September with three gun violations. Hunter is expected to plead not guilty, his lawyer told the judge Tuesday.
Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. His lawyers claim the charges against him will be dismissed before trial.
The president’s son could face additional charges in California for tax crimes, the Washington Post reported Monday.
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Matthew Perdie / Breitbart News, Jack Knudsen / Breitbart NewsFollow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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