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Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, flanked by Kevin Morris (left) and Abby Lowell (right), attends a House Oversight Committee meeting in Washington, DC, January 10, 2024. Mr. The committee is meeting today to consider charging him with contempt of Congress.
CNN
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Hunter Biden on Thursday pleaded not guilty to federal charges in California for allegedly failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes.
The embattled president’s son made his first appearance Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles in a case brought by special counsel David Weiss.
Hunter Biden was indicted on nine charges related to a tax evasion conspiracy he carried out over several years while enjoying a lavish and sometimes sordid lifestyle. Hunter Biden’s lawyers argued they were nothing more than a political hit job.
Republicans have focused on the president’s son’s overseas business dealings with Ukrainian and Chinese companies, accusing Joe Biden himself of profiting financially from Hunter Biden’s dealings. Claims not yet proven.
The charges against Hunter Biden stem from a years-long investigation by Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, who was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August.
According to an indictment filed in California, where Hunter Biden lives, the president’s son “failed to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes owed for tax years 2016 through 2019.” He was involved in the annual planning.”
“The defendant spent the money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other personal items – everything except taxes,” the indictment states.
Prosecutors allege that Hunter Biden falsely claimed some of those expenses, including payments to bodyguards, as tax deductions. He has since repaid his outstanding taxes and penalties to the IRS.
Hunter Biden detailed his struggles with addiction, including crack cocaine, in his 2021 autobiography cited in the indictment, which spanned a period covered in the indictment. It overlaps with the department.
The Justice Department previously announced that Hunter could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted on the tax charges.
In July, the president’s son was set to enter into an agreement with prosecutors on two federal tax charges that would also resolve felony firearms charges.
But the deal, which could have ended Hunter Biden’s current legal troubles, quickly fell apart during a hearing in Delaware.
During the hearing, the presiding federal judge asked prosecutors and defense attorneys to explain not only the deal itself, but also the scope of the deal and how it protects Hunter Biden from potential future prosecution. We pressed on the understanding of those involved.
Prosecutors told the judge that the agreement does not limit future charges against the president’s son under the Foreign Lobbying Act, but Hunter Biden’s lawyers disagreed. Ta.
“As far as I can tell, the plea deal is invalid,” Hunter Biden’s attorney Christopher Clark told the judge after fundamental disagreements over the scope of the deal became clear.
Despite Mr. Clark’s attempts to repair the agreement in a subsequent hearing, the judge questioned the constitutionality of the agreement he made with prosecutors to resolve firearm felonies and refused to accept the amended agreement.
Two months after the deal broke down, Hunter Biden was indicted on three firearms charges in Delaware for allegedly purchasing a firearm while using illegal drugs several years ago.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers are moving to have the gun charges dismissed, arguing that his original agreement with prosecutors remains in effect.
Congressional Republicans could vote to hold Hunter Biden in contempt as early as next week after he failed to appear before the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee for a private deposition after being subpoenaed by Congress. There is sex.
Lawyers for Hunter Biden say their client is willing to attend hearings before the committee, and the president’s son made a surprise visit to the Capitol on Wednesday to preside over House Oversight Committee hearings. He claimed that he had interrupted her and insulted him.
Several Republican committee members who subpoenaed Hunter Biden as part of the presidential investigation criticized him for failing to appear for a deposition, and one Republican lawmaker said he should be immediately arrested and jailed. suggested.
As reported by CNN, the stunt by Hunter Biden comes at a time when the president is aware that getting the Justice Department to take up the contempt charges against Hunter Biden that he already faces is a significant challenge for Republicans in Congress. This represents an aggressive legal strategy by the son and his lawyer. Charges by authorities in two states.
