Hunter Biden Signals Surprise Plea in Bid to Avoid Trial on Tax Charges

By Zachary Stieber

Hunter Biden plans to change his not guilty plea in his federal tax case, his defense attorney said on Sept. 5 just as jury selection was set to begin.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the judge that “there is overwhelming evidence of the defendant’s guilt” and that the president’s son wants to resolve the case, which involves charges of intentionally failing to pay taxes across multiple years, with a plea instead of going to trial.

Hunter Biden is proposing to enter what’s referred to as an Alford plea, an unusual plea under which a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction, Mark Geragos, another Hunter Biden attorney, said in a text message.

A last-minute plea would allow Hunter Biden to avoid a trial that was expected to put a spotlight on his foreign business deals, a number of which were carried out while his father was vice president.

Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes between 2016 and 2019, a period of time during which he owed at least $1.4 million, according to special counsel David Weiss. Instead of paying his taxes, Hunter Biden “spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes,” the indictment states.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all nine counts in January.

The younger Biden arrived at federal court in Los Angeles on Thursday with his wife, Melissa Biden, followed by U.S. Secret Service agents. He is the president’s oldest surviving child.

Hunter Biden was previously convicted of gun charges in Delaware. He faces up to 25 years in prison and is set to be sentenced in November.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.