Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on Thursday to federal tax charges, a surprising maneuver that allows the family of U.S. President Joe Biden to avoid enduring another painful and embarrassing criminal trial for their son.
The shocking decision by Hunter Biden to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits of a plea deal occurred hours after jury selection was supposed to begin in the case, in which he is accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.
The president’s son was already facing a possible prison sentence after being convicted in June in a trial for felony gun charges, where unfavorable and salacious details about his crack cocaine addiction were revealed. The tax trial was expected to showcase more potentially scandalous evidence, as well as details about Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings, which Republicans have exploited to try to portray the Biden family as corrupt.
Although Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 election nullified any potential political implications of the tax case, the trial was expected to carry a heavy emotional burden for the president in the final months of his five-decade political career.
“Enough is enough,” said defense attorney Abbe Lowell to the judge before Hunter Biden made his plea. “Mr. Biden is ready, in the interest of public and private good, to proceed today and put this to rest.”
Hunter Biden quickly responded “guilty” as the judge read aloud each of the nine charges, which carry penalties of up to 17 years in prison, although federal sentencing guidelines are likely to suggest a much shorter sentence. Sentencing is set for December 16.
More than 100 potential jurors had been summoned on Thursday to the Los Angeles court to begin the selection process for the case, in which it was claimed that Hunter Biden was involved in a four-year scheme to evade tax payments while lavishly spending on strippers, luxury hotels, and exotic vehicles.
Hunter Biden’s attorney caught prosecutors off guard when he told the judge on Thursday morning that his client wished to make what is known as an Alford plea, under which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a guilty plea.
Prosecutors indicated that they opposed such a plea and told the judge that Hunter Biden “should not be allowed to plead guilty under special conditions that only apply to him.”
“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty,” said prosecutor Leo Wise.
Hunter Biden entered the courtroom hand-in-hand with his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, and flanked by Secret Service agents. Initially, he had pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his taxes from 2016 to 2019. His attorneys had indicated that they would argue that he did not act “willfully” or with the intent to break the law, in part due to his well-documented issues with alcoholism and drug addiction.
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Lauer reported from Philadelphia. AP journalist Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.