Hunter Biden to plead not guilty to gun charges

STORY: U.S President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to federal gun charges, his attorney said in a court filing on Tuesday.

The 53-year-old was criminally charged last Thursday for allegedly making false statements when he purchased a gun and possessing a firearm while using illegal drugs at the time.

The new charges came following a collapsed deal between the prosecutors and Hunter Biden in July, in which he would have pled guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enroll in a program to avoid prosecution on the gun charge.

Hunter Biden is the first child of a sitting U.S. president to have been criminally indicted.

The indictment came as he sits at the center of a political maelstrom.

Last week, House Republicans have launched an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, related to Hunter’s foreign business dealings during his father’s tenure in office under the Obama administration.

They have so far presented no evidence showing that the elder Biden profited from his son's businesses.

The White House has denied any wrongdoing.

Hunter has long been the focus of unrelenting attacks by former president Donald Trump and his Republican allies.

Trump will likely go against Joe Biden in a rematch in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.