Hunter Biden intends to plead guilty in federal court

6/9/2024 6:09

        Hunter Biden, the son of U.S.
        President Joe Biden, intends to plead guilty to federal
        tax-related charges, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing his
        attorney.
        
        Hunter Biden had previously pleaded not guilty in the
        criminal case, which accuses him of failing to pay $1.4 million
        in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and
        luxury items. His trial in Los Angeles federal court was due to
        start on Thursday.
        
        His lawyers and the Justice Department did not immediately
        respond to a request for comment.
        
        The younger Biden was charged in December as part of a
        wide-ranging probe of his finances and business dealings,
        becoming the first child of a sitting president to face criminal
        charges.
        
        He was convicted in June in a separate case in Delaware for
        illegally buying a gun while using drugs, which he is appealing.
        
        That conviction means he could face a stiffer sentence if
        convicted in the tax case because he would be a repeat offender.
        
        A guilty plea would avoid a weeks-long trial that likely
        would have aired embarrassing details of Hunter Biden's life
        shortly before the
        
        Nov. 5 election
        
        between Democrat
        
        Kamala Harris
        
        and Republican
        
        Donald Trump
        
        . Joe Biden dropped his re-election bid in July under
        pressure from his fellow Democrats.
        
        Hunter Biden, who has been open about his struggles with
        drug and alcohol addiction, is accused of failing to pay taxes
        from 2016 to 2019 while spending huge sums "on drugs, escorts
        and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic
        cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature,” according
        to an indictment.
        
        The trial could also have shed light on Hunter Biden’s
        work with a Ukrainian natural gas company and his other business
        dealings while his father was vice president. The president's
        Republican foes have claimed those activities by his son were
        corrupt.
        
        Hunter Biden has denied any improper business dealings
        and Republican-led investigations in Congress have not directly
        implicated his father in any wrongdoing.