On September 6, AP reported that Hunter Biden - President Joe Biden's son - admitted to 9 charges related to tax evasion on September 5. Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to avoid his family having to attend court and hear about the events that happened during his time of drug addiction.
The surprise move came as the trial, which has been going on for weeks, was expected to begin. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi accepted the guilty plea after a daylong, dramatic and complicated hearing in Los Angeles.
The judge set a sentencing date of December 16. President Joe Biden’s son now faces up to 17 years in prison on charges including tax evasion, filing fraudulent tax returns and failure to pay taxes. The judge also said he could impose a large fine of up to $1.3 million.
Hunter Biden’s guilty plea was a unilateral one. It is called an “open plea” because it was made without a prearranged leniency agreement with prosecutors. “We were shocked in the courtroom this morning,” Leo Wise, the lead prosecutor in the case, told the judge.
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the president’s son “put his family first and this was a serious and loving move” rather than subject them to another public trial. He added that his client would plead guilty even if there was no deal to reduce his sentence.
“I will not subject my family to any more pain, invasion of privacy, or unnecessary embarrassment,” Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement.
President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race has lessened the potential political fallout from the tax case, but the trial is expected to take a heavy emotional toll on President Joe Biden in the final days of his political career.
