Hunter Biden, the president’s son, pleaded guilty today to nine federal tax charges in Los Angeles. He told his lawyers that he did not want to subject his family to another round of humiliation after his wrenching gun trial in Delaware nearly three months ago.
The dramatic development signaled the final stages of a five-plus-year investigation into the period in which Biden was bankrolling his uncontrollable drug and alcohol addiction through lucrative overseas consulting contracts — while not paying his taxes.
The plea exposes Biden, 54, to an outcome that seemed unthinkable last year, when his lawyers were on the cusp of no-prison plea agreement: significant time behind bars. He now faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 17 years or a fine of up to $1.3 million, on top of the possible sentence of 25 years for federal gun charges on which a jury convicted him in June.
President Biden has the power to pardon people convicted of federal crimes. But as his son appeared in court today, the White House press secretary said that the president did not plan to pardon him.
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The presidential election is 61 days away. Here’s the latest from the campaign trail.