Hunter Biden enters last-minute guilty plea on tax charges

As jury selection began in his federal trial on tax fraud charges, Hunter Biden changed his plea to guilty on Thursday. The president’s son initially pleaded not guilty, but then asked for a new way out, surprising both prosecutors and his own defense counsel.

What happened? Biden arrived at a courtroom in Los Angeles this morning while U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi began jury selection. It was supposed to be Hunter’s second criminal trial this year after he was convicted on three federal gun charges in June. But instead of allowing the trial to proceed, he asked to file what’s called an Alford plea in which he would accept punishment without admitting guilt. Later in the afternoon, his attorneys changed course and filed an open plea. That means Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all nine charges and the judge will sentence him, but prosecutors may not offer recommendations.

What is this process? An Alford plea allows a defendant to acknowledge that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict, but allows that defendant to still maintain his innocence. It is also sometimes called the “best interests plea.” Prosecutor Leo Wise opposed the switch, arguing that, “Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty. He is not permitted to plead guilty on special terms.” With the new open plea, Biden will still be sentenced, but avoids a drawn-out trial.

What are the charges? In December, Weiss issued an indictment accusing Biden of failing to pay roughly $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. He was charged with nine felony and misdemeanor counts. According to the indictment, Hunter spent millions on luxury trips and expenses while supporting his drug habit and lied on his tax forms. His attorneys argued that he paid back $2 million after getting clean, but Scarsi denied their requests to bring this evidence to the jury as part of their defense strategy. Combined, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 17 years.