Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses Thursday in federal court, according to the U.S. Justice Department. Here’s what you need to know.
This is one of two recent federal cases filed against Biden, 54. While this one was related to taxes, the other was related to his purchase of a firearm in 2018. He was indicted on the gun charges last September and, after a week-long trial this June, a federal jury in the District of Delaware found him guilty of three felonies connected with his illegal purchase of a firearm.
Last June, the United States Attorney for the District of Delaware filed tax-related charges against Biden. A plea deal fell through the following month “when the judge began asking questions about the terms of the plea agreement,” Audacy reported.
Then, a federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment related to tax changes last December.
“According to the indictment, Hunter Biden engaged in a four-year scheme in which he chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019 and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns,” said the Justice Department.
As alleged in the indictment, Hunter Biden: subverted the payroll and tax withholding process of his own company by withdrawing millions outside of the payroll and tax withholding process; stopped paying overdue taxes for tax year 2015 in 2018; “willfully” failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 taxes on time despite having funds to pay for them; failed to file his 2016, 2017 and 2018 tax returns on time; included false business deductions in some of his filings, and through all this “spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle.”
In a Thursday press release, the department said Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all nine counts with no plea agreement. Judge Mark C. Scarsi accepted the guilty plea and has scheduled sentencing for Dec. 16.
During his December sentencing, Hunter Biden will face a sentence of up to 17 years in prison. However, the DOJ notes that “actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.”
According to ABC News, President Biden – who at age 81 ended his bid for a second term in the White House this summer – has said that he does not plan to pardon his son. However, Republicans have speculated that the Democratic president will eventually pardon him.
Per ABC, Hunter Biden’s plea will allow him to avoid a “lengthy and potentially embarrassing trial,” and it is “perhaps the most stunning twist in a legal drama that has for years been defined by unexpected turns.” His firearm trial included family drama and it was linked to violent threats made by a Texas man against Federal Bureau of Investigation agents.