Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax evasion
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Hunter Biden's lawyer has stated that the president's son aims to submit an Alford plea, pleading guilty while maintaining he did nothing wrong.
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Hunter Biden arrives in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges in Los Angeles on September 5, 2024. (AP)
Hunter Biden is prepared to plead guilty to tax evasion charges, the president's son's lawyers told a federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday, eliminating the need for a potential trial.
US President Joe Biden's son is facing nine counts of tax evasion for spending millions of dollars "on an extravagant lifestyle" including drugs, "escorts and girlfriends," exotic vehicles, and other personal expenses. He initially pleaded not guilty when he was indicted last December.
“Mr. Biden intends to change his plea this morning,” Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell told the federal judge, just as jury selection was set to commence.
The lawyer told the court that Biden aimed to submit an Alford plea, pleading guilty while asserting he did nothing wrong. Prosecutors responded by stating it was the first time hearing of this legal doctrine, putting the court into recess.
Biden facing nine counts of tax evasion, additional charges
The defendant is facing nine charges of tax evasion, including three felonies and six misdemeanors for failure to pay, failure to file, and filing a false return.
Biden was “engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019,” spending “millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills," prosecutors stated.
During this three-year period, the president's son served on the boards of Ukrainian energy company Burisma and Chinese company CEFC China Energy Co Ltd., potentially facing a 17-year prison sentence.
In another case, Biden was found guilty of lying on a firearms purchase form concerning his cocaine addiction, while convicted on gun charges in Delaware. His hearing is scheduled after the presidential elections in November, where he could be sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Hunter Biden received 'millions' from Romania to influence US gov.
Court documents have disclosed that Hunter Biden received millions of dollars from a Romanian businessman with the intention of influencing the US government while his father was vice president.
Biden accepted "substantial" payments from foreign companies and people in exchange for serving as a lobbyist, consultant, or legal advisor, according to the US Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss' office.
The filing stated, "With respect to his first topic, 'allegations that Mr. Biden (1) acted on behalf of a foreign principal to influence U.S. policy and public opinion,' the defendant did receive compensation from a foreign principal to attempt to influence U.S. policy and public opinion, as alleged in the indictment, and this evidence is relevant and not unfairly prejudicial."
Weiss' office also revealed that Hunter Biden assisted Gabriel Popoviciu, a Romanian businessman (referred to as G.P. in the letter), in evading bribery accusations in Romania.
The filing continued to note that proof of what Hunter Biden "agreed to do and did do for G.P. demonstrates the defendant's state of mind and intent during the relevant tax years charged in the indictment."
It added that his "actions do not reflect someone with a diminished capacity, given that he agreed to attempt to influence U.S. public policy and receive millions of dollars."
