Washington – On Thursday, September 5, 2024, Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to nine charges in a federal tax evasion case. The move came as a surprise to federal prosecutors, who were already preparing for the start of his trial.
Hunter Biden had previously denied allegations that he intentionally failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. However, this has now been proven in court. The 54-year-old had initially sought a plea deal while maintaining his innocence, but prosecutors opposed it. Eventually, Hunter chose to plead guilty. This follows his conviction in a separate case involving illegal gun possession and drug use, making him the first criminally convicted son of a sitting US president. The tax evasion charges were announced unexpectedly in a Los Angeles court just as the jury selection was set to begin.
Hunter’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, stated that his client had been trying to avoid a trial to spare his family and friends from testifying about incidents that occurred during his drug addiction. In a statement to the media, Hunter expressed his desire to protect his family from further pain and embarrassment. Judge Mark Scarsi noted that Biden could face a maximum prison sentence of 17 years and fines ranging from $500,000 to $1 million if convicted. Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, just a month after the White House election and a month before President Biden leaves office.
President Joe Biden has made it clear that he will not use executive power to pardon his son. Prosecutors also stated that Hunter Biden did not deserve special treatment and had appeared in court to face his charges. Earlier, Hunter sought to have the case dismissed, arguing that the Justice Department’s investigation was politically motivated, claiming he was targeted as Republican senators aimed to impeach his father.
Hunter also challenged the appointment of Special Counsel David Weiss to the case, but the judge dismissed his objection. He now faces three felony tax charges and six misdemeanors, including failure to file taxes, tax evasion, and submitting fraudulent returns. The charges allege that Hunter earned $7 million from overseas business deals between 2016 and 2019 and spent nearly $5 million on drugs, escorts, luxury hotels, expensive cars, and clothing, which he falsely labeled as business expenses.
President Biden has refrained from commenting on the case. This marks Hunter Biden's second federal criminal case this year. In June, he was convicted on three felony counts for purchasing a revolver while addicted to drugs and lying on a federal form.
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