Hunter Biden changes plea to guilty to avoid trial in tax case
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Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen leave court after his guilty plea in his federal tax evasion case on Sept. 5. Photo: Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty Images
In a reversal, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all nine charges in his federal tax evasion case on Thursday as the trial was set to begin, according to the Department of Justice.
The big picture: The judge overseeing the case accepted Biden's altered plea, averting a potentially prolonged trial that was expected to delve into the president's son's business dealings and history of drug use as well as attract Republican attacks.
- There was no plea agreement, per the DOJ.
- The president's son was separately convicted in June on federal gun charges and is awaiting sentencing in that case.
- His legal woes had been a focal point of the 2024 presidential election prior to Joe Biden's decision to withdraw from the race.
What's next: Hunter Biden's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16.
Driving the news: Biden originally intended to submit an "Alford plea," where he'd accept the guilty verdict while maintaining his innocence, CBS News reported.
- His legal team changed course, prompting him to enter an "open plea," allowing the judge to sentence him after admitting the conduct he was charged with, CNN reported.
What they're saying: "I went to trial in Delaware not realizing the anguish it would cause my family, and I will not put them through it again...I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment," Biden said in a statement Thursday.
- His attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that the plea "prevents a show trial that would not have provided all the facts or served any justice."
The big picture: Biden was indicted on nine tax charges last December, including evasion of assessment, failure to file and pay taxes and false or fraudulent tax returns.
- Federal prosecutors accused the president's son of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes between 2016 through 2019.
- He pleaded not guilty in January to all the charges.
- The court has rejected multiple requests from his legal team to have the case dismissed.
State of play: Biden faces a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted on all charges in the case.
- Jury selection was set to begin Thursday before Biden altered his plea.
- "The president and first lady, they love their son. They're proud of his resilience and his strength," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing Wednesday.
- The president has said he would not issue a pardon to his son before leaving office.
Go deeper: GOP's Biden corruption crusade goes up in smoke
Editor's note: This story and headline have been updated to reflect Hunter Biden changed his plea to guilty and to include a statement from Biden and his lawyer.
