Hunter Biden proposes a deal in tax proceedings
Hunter Biden proposes a deal in his tax case. He is the first child of a sitting US president to face criminal charges.
In a surprise move, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to all nine federal tax charges against him, avoiding a trial lasting several weeks as jury selection was set to begin.
US District Judge Mark Scarsi scheduled sentencing for December 16. Scarsi had previously rejected an offer from Biden to plead guilty under what is known as an Alford plea. In an Alford plea, a defendant accepts the verdict by acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to convict him, even if he does not admit wrongdoing.
The team of Justice Department special counsel David Weiss refused to accept an Alford plea on the grounds that Biden must be forced to admit his guilt.
But Biden ultimately pleaded guilty to three felony counts and six misdemeanor counts, accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019.
The tax offenses carry a maximum sentence of 17 years, although Biden’s sentence would likely be less. Biden was convicted in June on three gun-related counts for lying about drug use when purchasing a handgun in 2018. The gun offenses carry a maximum sentence of 25 years.
A confession would derail a trial designed to revisit a time in Biden’s life when he admitted to a crack cocaine addiction. His ex-wife and other domestic partners gave harrowing testimony during the gun trial about their concerns about his drug use.
Prosecutors argued on the tax charges that Biden spent lavishly on travel, drugs and escorts while ignoring his taxes. Biden paid the back taxes and penalties in 2021, and his lawyers attributed the missed payments to his chaotic lifestyle while using drugs.
The possible confession comes more than a year after a previous agreement that could have resolved the tax and gun charges against him fell through. Biden offered to plead guilty to two tax offenses and enter into a pretrial hearing on the gun charges that could spare him a prison sentence.
However, Republicans criticized the previous deal as a “favor deal” for the president’s son. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected it because there was disagreement between prosecutors and defense attorneys about whether it covered possible future charges.
President Joe Biden, who did not seek re-election while his son fought the charges, has said he will not pardon him. “It’s still a no,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday.
Contributors: Reuters
