Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, unexpectedly entered a guilty plea to nine tax charges on Thursday, just as jury selection was set to begin for his trial in California. The plea allows him to avoid a high-profile trial that could have further embarrassed the Biden family.
The charges stem from Hunter Biden’s failure to pay taxes between 2015 and 2019, a period during which he earned millions from foreign business ventures but neglected to pay more than $1.4 million in taxes.
In a dramatic courtroom moment, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi informed Biden that he could face up to 17 years in prison along with $1.3 million in fines.
Hunter Biden’s decision to enter an “open plea”—a guilty plea without any agreement with prosecutors—means that the judge will have full discretion over his sentence, which is scheduled for December 16.
The charges brought against Biden by special counsel David Weiss, laid out in a detailed 56-page indictment, paint a damning picture of the first son’s lavish spending on drugs, prostitutes, and luxury items while avoiding his tax obligations.
According to court filings, instead of paying the millions he owed in taxes, Biden funneled over $683,000 to various women and spent $72,000 to fuel a drug and alcohol addiction.
“I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy, and needless embarrassment,” Hunter Biden said in a statement following his guilty plea. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this.”
Biden’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, characterized the guilty plea as a way for Biden to protect his family from further humiliation. “This plea prevents that kind of show trial that would’ve not provided all the facts or served any real point in justice,” Lowell told reporters outside the courthouse.
Thursday’s plea marks the latest chapter in Hunter Biden’s legal troubles. Earlier this year, Biden was convicted on three gun charges related to an illegal firearm purchase while he was addicted to drugs. He faces up to 25 years in prison for those charges and is set to be sentenced in November.
Special counsel David Weiss’s team had been prepared to call witnesses, including Biden’s ex-girlfriends, to testify about his behavior during the years in question.
The trial, had it proceeded, was expected to delve deeply into Biden’s personal life, exposing further details about his involvement with foreign businesses, including the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings, where he made millions.
Notably, President Joe Biden has remained silent on his son’s legal issues, and the White House confirmed that the president will not pardon his son.
Hunter Biden’s plea may have allowed him to avoid a public spectacle, but he still faces the possibility of significant prison time.
Judge Scarsi will consider the recommendations from both the defense and the prosecution before delivering Hunter Biden’s sentence in December.