Hunter Biden pleads guilty to all nine charges in tax case, judge accepts plea
Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleads guilty to all nine charges in his federal tax case. Sentencing is set for December 16.
Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, on Thursday pleaded guilty to all nine charges in his federal tax case, and the judge accepted his plea, CNN reported.
Sentencing is set for December 16, notably after the presidential election in November. The prosecution did not object to this date, which the judge proposed.
Biden had initially tried to resolve his federal tax evasion case in California with an “Alford plea,” allowing him to maintain his innocence while accepting punishment. However, in an unexpected move on Thursday afternoon, Biden’s legal team decided to change direction, announcing he would enter an “open plea” and admit that his conduct satisfied the elements of the tax offenses he was charged with.
Under oath in federal court in Los Angeles, Biden stated that nobody had made him any promises or pressured him to plead guilty in his tax case. The president’s son testified that his decision was his own, according to CNN.
The tax case reached a potential resolution just before a trial was set to begin in Los Angeles. It would have been Biden’s second criminal trial this year, following his June conviction on three federal gun charges in Delaware.
Biden was indicted on nine tax charges, including three felonies. Prosecutors allege he failed to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes and avoided taxes through fraudulent business deductions.
After learning of the investigation, Biden paid approximately $2 million in back taxes and penalties. This payment came after years of struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism. However, the judge blocked Biden’s lawyers from discussing the belated payment or his addiction during the trial, which was a significant blow to his defense.
The complex and drawn-out plea proceedings in Los Angeles were reminiscent of a similar situation in Delaware last summer. In that case, the parties also attempted to finalize a plea agreement, but it fell apart in court due to disagreements over the terms and the judge’s concerns over constitutional issues.
President Biden has consistently stated that he will not pardon his son. While it’s unclear if his position has changed since suspending his reelection campaign, the president retains the authority to pardon or commute his son’s sentence.
