Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, faces trial in California on Thursday, charged with tax evasion. This case has been a source of considerable embarrassment and distraction for the president, as it delves into the younger Biden’s past struggles with addiction and extravagant lifestyle.
The 54-year-old is accused of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes over the past decade, allegedly spending money freely on luxury living, sex workers, and a drug habit. This trial comes on the heels of a Delaware conviction for lying about his drug use when purchasing a gun – a felony. That case, which featured testimony about Biden’s lavish spending, marital breakdown, and heavy crack cocaine use, provided a glimpse into the personal turmoil that has plagued him.
The upcoming trial in Los Angeles is expected to delve into more lurid details of Biden’s life, details his family, including the president, have openly acknowledged as a period of significant personal turmoil. Biden’s defense team has argued that the non-payment of taxes was an oversight during a period marked by a spiraling drug addiction and the trauma of losing his older brother, Beau, to a brain tumor in 2015.
Biden has paid the back taxes, including penalties, and had previously entered a plea deal that would have kept him out of jail. However, that agreement fell apart at the last minute. Since then, Biden has been attempting to reach another agreement, but prosecutors have faced intense scrutiny from Republicans, who have accused them of treating Biden leniently due to his father’s position.
Hunter Biden has been a target for his father’s political opponents for years, who have tried, without evidence, to portray the Biden family as a group of criminals who have accumulated wealth and power through Joe Biden’s career. While President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race in favor of Kamala Harris has somewhat lessened the Republican fervor for making an example out of his son, the special counsel, David Weiss, is pressing forward.
Weiss is seeking convictions on one count of tax evasion and two counts of filing a false return. Guilty verdicts could lead to a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison for Biden. He also faces a maximum 25-year sentence for the gun felony, for which he is yet to be sentenced.
The trial begins Thursday in downtown Los Angeles with jury selection from a pool of approximately 100 candidates. Opening arguments are expected on Monday. Hunter Biden, a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist who resides in Malibu, has stated that he has been drug-free since 2019.
This trial is likely to attract considerable media attention, as it underscores the ongoing political battles surrounding the Biden family and the public scrutiny they face. The outcome of the trial will have significant implications for Hunter Biden, as well as potential ramifications for his father’s political career.
