President Biden’s son is to stand trial for allegedly failing to pay more than a million dollars in federal taxes. Commentators note that Hunter Biden’s history of drug addiction will once again play a significant role. Biden Jr. is accused of withholding $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 when his addiction crisis was at its peak. The accused has pleaded not guilty and will go on trial in Los Angeles, with opening statements on September 9.
Attorney Mark Geragos, representing Mr. Biden, said prosecuting lawyers will attempt to conduct a “character assassination” of his client. Evidence against the President’s son is expected to include details of his lifestyle over the relevant period, including his visits to strip clubs and his heavy use of alcohol and drugs. At a recent LA hearing, prosecutor Leo Wise revealed evidence of Biden’s payments to adult websites and tax deductions on personal expenditures. Wise said Biden deducted payments to strippers as business expenses.
Last month, Hunter Biden’s attorneys made a last-ditch attempt to have the three felony and six misdemeanor tax charges against their client thrown out, but LA judge Mark Scarsi rejected their arguments. Biden’s legal team argued that prosecutor Special Counsel David Weiss did not have jurisdiction to pursue California charges as a Delaware US Attorney. The lawyers further claimed that a ruling by Judge Aileen Cannon, where she determined that Smith’s appointment to investigate former President Trump was unconstitutional due to lack of Senate approval, also applied to their client. Judge Scarsi disagreed and said the Hunter Biden trial would go ahead in September.
It is Mr. Biden’s second significant trial this year. In June, a jury convicted the President’s son on charges of lying on federal documents when he purchased a revolver in 2018. Hunter Biden was found guilty for declaring that he was not using drugs at the time, when even his own autobiography contradicted the claim.
President Biden issued a statement saying he accepted the jury’s decision and would not intervene or issue a pardon to his son. Sentencing has not yet been passed, but legal experts suggest Hunter Biden is unlikely to be sent to prison.
