Los Angeles/Washington (dpa) – With a surprising legal move, US President’s son Hunter Biden tried at the last minute to avert a trial against him for tax offenses. The son of US President Joe Biden appeared before the relevant court in Los Angeles, where the trial was due to begin on Thursday with the selection of the jury. Immediately before the start of the proceedings, however, the 54-year-old offered an unusual agreement with the judiciary through his lawyers, with which he could possibly still avoid the trial. Several US media outlets, including CNN and the “Washington Post”, reported this from the court.
Specifically, it is a judicial deal in which the defendant does not plead guilty in the classic sense, but at the same time acknowledges that the evidence in the case would probably lead to a guilty verdict. After the move, the session was initially adjourned for deliberations. The responsible judge would have to approve such an agreement. Hunter Biden had previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
Luxury life instead of paying taxes
In December, he was charged with several tax offenses. The 54-year-old is accused of failing to pay federal taxes properly for several years. He is accused of spending millions on an extravagant lifestyle instead of paying his tax bills. Hunter Biden only paid his taxes retroactively.
Specifically, it concerns the years 2016 to mid-October 2020 – shortly before Joe Biden was elected president. During this time, Hunter Biden recorded more than seven million US dollars in income, the indictment said. However, he decided at the time not to pay taxes, but to spend the money on other things: “on drugs, hostesses and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing and other things of a personal nature, in short: on everything except his taxes.” The meticulous listing of delicate expenses in the indictment, such as for sex clubs and “adult entertainment”, caused a great stir. Hunter Biden is likely very keen that such details are not further disclosed publicly in a trial.
In another criminal case, Hunter Biden was found guilty of illegal possession of weapons in June. He was accused of making false statements when purchasing a weapon in October 2018 and of concealing his drug addiction at the time. He denied the charges. The sentence is to be announced on November 13.
Hunter Biden’s negative headlines and legal problems had also placed political strain on his father Joe Biden.
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