Has Joe Biden ever been indicted or convicted of a crime?
Executive summary
Joe Biden has not been indicted or convicted of a crime in the reporting provided; recent criminal cases and convictions in the news involve his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted on three federal gun charges on June 11, 2024 (multiple outlets) and later faced separate tax-related charges [1] [2] [3]. House Republican investigations and impeachment inquiries have alleged wrongdoing by President Biden but are political actions and committee reports, not criminal indictments or convictions of Joe Biden himself [4] [5] [6].
1. No criminal indictment or conviction of Joe Biden in available reporting
Available sources do not report any federal or state indictment or criminal conviction of President Joe Biden; instead they document political probes, impeachment resolutions and committee reports that allege impeachable conduct or recommend criminal referrals but do not equate to criminal charges or convictions against the president [4] [5] [6] [7].
2. What the House GOP has produced: reports, referrals and impeachment papers
House Republican committees have issued a detailed impeachment inquiry report alleging influence‑peddling and abuse of office, and they have sent criminal referrals for members of the Biden family to the Department of Justice; these are investigative and political instruments, not indictments of Joe Biden himself [4] [6]. The House has also circulated articles and resolutions pursuing impeachment [7] [8].
3. The most visible criminal cases connected to the Bidens involve Hunter Biden
The high‑profile criminal developments in the reporting center on Hunter Biden: a federal jury convicted him on three felony gun charges in June 2024, making him the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a federal crime; he has also faced separate tax-related indictments and convictions that have been reported [1] [2] [3]. Major news organizations (AP, BBC, Reuters, USA Today, The Hindu, NBC) covered these outcomes [1] [2] [9] [10] [11] [12].
4. Why some narratives conflate investigations with criminal charges against the president
Political actors and partisan messaging often use committee reports, criminal referrals, or allegations by confidential sources to suggest criminality; for example, Republican investigations cite bank records and witness statements as evidence of improper conduct, while prosecutors or other court actions may not have produced charges against Joe Biden [5] [4]. A central FBI confidential source tied to GOP bribery claims was later indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI, which undercuts that particular allegation in some reporting [13].
5. The difference between political processes and criminal prosecutions
Impeachment (a political process) and congressional referrals are distinct from grand‑jury indictments or criminal convictions. The House can adopt articles of impeachment based on committee findings [7] [8]. Criminal indictments require prosecutorial decisions and court filings; none of the provided sources show prosecutors indicting Joe Biden on criminal charges (available sources do not mention an indictment of Joe Biden).
6. Conflicting interpretations and the role of the DOJ
Republican committee chairs have publicly asserted that evidence supports criminality and have sent referrals to the Department of Justice [6]. At the same time, the Justice Department and special counsel actions — including prosecutions of others and handling of confidential‑source credibility — shape whether allegations become charges; the sources show referrals and political pressure but not a DOJ indictment of Joe Biden [13] [6].
7. What to watch next and limitations of current reporting
Key things to monitor: whether the DOJ opens or announces any formal charges stemming from committee referrals; outcomes of ongoing or related investigations; and appeals or sentencing developments in Hunter Biden’s cases [6] [1]. Reported materials are time‑bound: committee reports and media accounts document allegations and convictions of associates, but available sources do not document any criminal indictment or conviction of Joe Biden himself [4] [1].
Conclusion — plain reading of the record
Based on the reporting provided, Joe Biden has not been criminally indicted or convicted; the criminal convictions reported concern his son Hunter Biden, while Republican congressional investigations and reports allege impeachable conduct and have produced referrals but are not criminal indictments or convictions of the president [1] [4] [6].