After an eleventh-hour plea followed by hours of legal wrangling on Thursday, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine tax-related charges, avoiding a lengthy and potentially embarrassing trial for President Joe Biden’s son.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi accepted Hunter Biden’s guilty plea on all the tax-related charges he faced after being indicted in December. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Judge Scarsi said Hunter Biden faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison and a fine of up to $1.35 million.
“Do you agree that you committed every element of every crime alleged in the indictment?” Judge Scarsi asked.
“Yes,” Hunter Biden replied before pleading guilty to each count.
This development raised the possibility of a presidential pardon, despite President Biden’s previous assurance that he would not grant his son clemency.
Prosecutors had accused Hunter Biden in December of a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes while spending large sums on luxury items such as cars, clothing, and hotels.
Hunter Biden initially pleaded not guilty to a nine-count indictment, including six misdemeanor charges of failure to pay, one felony tax evasion charge, and two felony charges of filing false returns. However, on Thursday, just before jury selection was to begin, Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, announced his intention to submit an “Alford plea.” This plea would allow Hunter Biden to plead guilty without acknowledging guilt for the underlying conduct, but prosecutors opposed this. Consequently, Hunter Biden entered a traditional guilty plea.
In pleading guilty, Hunter Biden avoided what could have been a grueling trial, during which his personal struggles and business ventures would have been scrutinized. Special counsel David Weiss’ office had planned to call over two dozen witnesses, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wife.
Hunter Biden, dressed in a dark suit, expressed understanding of the consequences of his plea in court. His attorney, Lowell, stated that Hunter Biden decided to plead guilty to protect his loved ones from unnecessary pain and humiliation. Lowell criticized the government’s case, likening it to issues faced by many Americans who file taxes late. He also suggested Hunter Biden was keeping his options for appeal open.
Hunter Biden’s 56-page indictment detailed his avoidance of paying taxes, with claims that he spent his money on drugs, escorts, luxury items, and failed to pay taxes despite having the means to do so. Though Hunter Biden eventually paid his back taxes with help from a third party, Judge Scarsi ruled this information irrelevant to the case.
Hunter Biden issued a statement following the hearing, expressing regret for the pain he caused his family and acknowledging that he had been clean and sober for more than five years.
Last June, Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor offenses for failing to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018, but that deal fell apart during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. Later, Hunter Biden was convicted on three felony charges related to a firearm purchase while allegedly addicted to drugs. His sentencing for those charges is scheduled for Nov. 13.
