Hunter Biden Enters Not Guilty Plea in Tax Case

(RepublicanPress.org) – In October 2023, a grand jury at the United States District Court for the Central District of California filed tax evasion charges against Hunter Biden. According to Axios, Special Counsel David Weiss alleged in the indictment that the first son “engaged in a four-year scheme” to avoid paying his taxes. Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said the charges were purely based on the defendant’s last name.

On January 11, ABC News reported that Mr. Biden pleaded not guilty to all nine felony and misdemeanor charges. The president’s son previously cut a plea deal over the summer of 2023 on the tax charges in California and some gun charges in Delaware. Upon an uproar from former President Donald Trump (R) and his fellow Republicans claiming Biden got a “sweetheart deal,” the agreement fell apart, and prosecutors formally withdrew it.

Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal tax charges after plea deal fell apart https://t.co/BU4QXij8uW

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) January 12, 2024

The charging document accuses Hunter Biden of failing to pay his taxes from 2016 through 2019 and didn’t follow the proper process to pay his company payroll tax and tax withholdings. According to Axios, Lowell commented on the tax charges levied against her client, saying, “After five years of investigating with no new evidence and two years after Hunter paid his taxes in full,” the US attorney decided to suddenly pile on charges.

According to the BBC, the court allowed Biden to stay out of prison while awaiting trial on a few conditions, including that he cannot drink, consume drugs, hold a job, or buy guns. The judge warned if he violated any of those conditions, there would be a warrant out for his arrest.

If found guilty, the 53-year-old faces up to 17 years in prison. In July, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told journalists that President Joe Biden wouldn’t pardon his son to keep him out of jail. However, the Commander-in-Chief retains the power to issue a Presidential Pardon if he chooses to change his mind.