US authorities file second criminal case against Hunter Biden

Federal prosecutors in the US have filed a a second criminal case against the US president's son Hunter Biden.

The nine-count indictment says he schemed to evade at least $1.4m in federal taxes from 2016-19.

The three felonies and six misdemeanours include failure to file and pay taxes, false tax return and evasion of assessment.

Hunter Biden was indicted in September on federal firearm charges in Delaware.

The 53-year-old son of President Joe Biden has already pleaded not guilty in the gun case.

The White House did not comment on the new charges on Thursday night. It comes as congressional Republicans place Hunter Biden's business dealings at the centre of an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, who is seeking re-election next year.

If convicted in the tax case, Hunter Biden could face up to 17 years in prison.

US Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss has been investigating the Yale-educated lawyer and recovering crack cocaine addict since 2019.

In a 56-page indictment filed in California, prosecutors allege he spent his money on "drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes".

They say the president's son "individually received more than $7 million in total gross income" between 2016 and 2020, but "willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes".