Hunter Biden’s Trial

By Jack Queen

(Reuters) – President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is set to stand trial in Los Angeles on Thursday for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers, and luxury items.

Biden has pleaded not guilty. He was charged in December as part of a comprehensive investigation into his finances and business dealings, marking the first time a child of a sitting president has faced criminal charges.

The trial in Los Angeles federal court follows Hunter Biden’s June conviction in Delaware for illegally purchasing a gun while under the influence of drugs, a matter he is currently appealing.

Due to his prior conviction, he could face a harsher sentence if found guilty in the tax case as he would be classified as a repeat offender.

Trial Overview
The tax evasion trial, presided over by Judge Mark Scarsi, will commence with jury selection on Thursday and is anticipated to last two to three weeks.

Hunter Biden faces three felony and six misdemeanor counts for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. During this period, he reportedly lavishly spent on drugs, escorts, luxury hotels, rental properties, exotic cars, and clothing, as detailed in the indictment.

The trial may reveal more about Biden’s association with a Ukrainian natural gas company and his various business dealings while his father served as vice president, which Republican opponents have claimed were corrupt.

The indictment states that Hunter Biden “earned handsomely” while serving on the boards of Burisma, a Ukrainian conglomerate, and a Chinese private equity firm.

Hunter denies any wrongdoing in his business dealings, and Republican-led congressional investigations have not conclusively implicated his father in any illegality.

Biden is also scheduled to be sentenced in the gun case on November 13. President Biden has expressed that he will not grant his son a pardon.