Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has pleaded guilty to federal tax charges, thus avoiding a trial that could have posed complications for the administration ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Initially set to face trial in Los Angeles for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes amidst significant personal expenditures, Biden admitted to all nine charges against him.
During the court session, Judge Mark Scarsi pointed out that Biden could receive up to 17 years in prison and face penalties of $450,000. The sentence is set for December 16.
In criminal cases, guilty pleas are generally part of a deal with prosecutors to obtain a lighter sentence by avoiding trial. However, Biden submitted his plea without such a deal. He initially tried to make an Alford plea, which involves pleading guilty without admitting the act, but prosecutors did not accept this. Following a court recess, Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, confirmed his client would make a straightforward guilty plea.
Biden explained that his plea aimed to spare his family the ordeal of a trial, acknowledging his previous struggles with addiction and his desire to prevent further distress for his family. He also confirmed he had repaid the back taxes.
Lowell suggested that an appeal against the sentence might be forthcoming but did not explain the delay in entering the guilty plea until the trial started.
Read: Hunter Biden Offers Guilty Plea in Tax Evasion Case Amid Jury Selection
This plea concludes what would have been a trial coinciding with intense election campaigning. With President Joe Biden not seeking re-election, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will face off on November 5.
The trial might also have shed light on Hunter Biden’s business dealings with the Ukrainian gas company Burisma and other enterprises during his father’s vice presidency. These dealings have drawn criticism from political opponents but have not substantiated any misconduct involving President Biden.
Furthermore, Hunter Biden is appealing a separate conviction in Delaware for illegally purchasing a firearm while using drugs, which could affect his sentencing in the tax case as a repeat offender. President Biden has announced he will not pardon his son.
