Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to tax evasion to “save” his family the “unnecessary humiliation” of having to face a second trial and further evidence of his sordid drug behavior.
The twice-convicted eldest son shocked a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday with a sudden confession to a tax evasion scheme that could lead to up to 17 years in prison, as jury selection was about to begin.
“I have no intention of subjecting my family to any further pain, invasion of privacy or unnecessary humiliation,” President Biden's son said in a statement Thursday. “After all that I have put my family through over the years, I can spare them any further pain. That is why I have decided to plead guilty.”
Prosecutors planned to call several Biden family members to testify about Biden's crack cocaine addiction and his alleged payment of tens of thousands of dollars to strippers and pornography while evading $1.4 million in taxes.
Evidence of Biden's tainted past was made public in June during his firearms trial in Delaware, where his former lovers testified about his raging crack cocaine addiction.
The prominent political family has already been in hot water after a Delaware trial in June saw Biden, 54, convicted of illegally possessing a gun while high on drugs. More disturbing details emerged from his divorce from Katherine Buhl, in which his eldest son was allegedly squandering money on booze, strip clubs, luxury cars and luxury hotels.
“This has been a difficult moment for him and especially for his family,” Biden's lawyer, Abe Lowell, told federal Judge Mark Scarci of the sudden change in charges. “He and his family do not want to spend another day remembering his drug addiction.”
“Hunter decided to plead guilty to protect his loved ones from unnecessary pain and cruel humiliation,” Judge Rowell said outside court late Thursday.
Biden was indicted on charges of paying $1.4 million in back taxes from 2016 to 2019. The federal government alleges Hunter used the money for wild parties and wrote off expenses he spent on porn and strippers.
Hunter ended up paying off the bill to the U.S. government after learning he was under investigation.
But Lowell tried to argue that the matter was simply a late payment of taxes.
“Like millions of Americans, Hunter was late in filing and paying his tax returns,” Lowell told reporters after court Thursday. “Unlike millions of Americans, he was criminally charged for mistakes that occurred at the depths of his drug and alcohol addiction, but he corrected them by paying his past due taxes in full, including interest and penalties, years before he was charged.”
“In fact, Hunter overpaid taxes the year he was charged with tax evasion. Today, Hunter puts his family first, which was a brave and loving act on his part.”
Hunter faces a maximum sentence of 25 years on the firearms case on November 13 and an additional 17 years on the tax case on December 16, but is expected to receive much less than the maximum sentence.
Sources told The Post that President Biden is expected to pardon his troubled son.
