What to know about Hunter Biden’s tax trial
CNN
Hunter Biden is set to go on trial Thursday for alleged tax crimes, in a case that was once seen as a potential political liability for President Joe Biden, but is now a sordid closing chapter to his presidency.
Hunter Biden is set to go on trial Thursday for alleged tax crimes, in a case that was once seen as a potential political liability for President Joe Biden, but is now a sordid closing chapter to his presidency. Special counsel David Weiss, who has investigated Hunter Biden’s finances and foreign deals since 2018, filed the nine-count indictment in December, accusing the president’s son of failing to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes and executing a tax-evasion scheme. Hunter Biden, 54, pleaded not guilty and says he belatedly paid all of his tax debts after regaining his sobriety in 2019, amid a lifelong struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Thursday at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles, the trial could last about one month. The trial will feature salacious details about Hunter Biden’s extravagant partying and spending during the peak of his addiction, including money for strippers, escorts and luxury cars – all while he allegedly didn’t pay taxes. The stakes are high for Hunter Biden, who was convicted of three gun felonies in June and will be sentenced for those crimes after the election. Most federal cases are revolved with a guilty plea, and it’s always possible Hunter Biden opts for a last-minute deal instead of rolling the dice with another trial. Joe Biden has unfettered power to pardon his son or wipe away his sentence if he’s convicted in the tax case. The president has repeatedly ruled that out in his public comments, though that was before he dropped out of the 2024 race.
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