Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal tax charges, surprising many as it occurred just before jury selection was set to begin in his Los Angeles trial. The 54-year-old Biden admitted to failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. Prosecutors allege he spent millions on what they termed an “extravagant lifestyle,” which included escorts, luxury hotels, and drugs.
Judge Mark Scarsi of the US District Court for the Central District of California accepted Biden’s open guilty plea to nine counts, including felony tax evasion. Biden is set to be sentenced on December 16.
This last-minute plea change averted a trial that would have spotlighted difficult aspects of Hunter Biden’s life, especially his struggles with addiction. Biden has been outspoken about his battles with substance abuse, detailed in his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things.”
The plea comes three months after Biden was convicted on federal gun charges in Delaware, with sentencing in that case scheduled for November. In light of these legal challenges, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden does not intend to use his presidential pardon authority to influence his son’s sentence.
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