Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

1 hour ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

2 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

2 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

2 hours ago

Poll: 41% in US ‘Extremely Proud’ to Be American, Near Historic Low

3 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

1 day ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

1 day ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

1 day ago
Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Tax Charges After Plea Deal Collapses
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 1 year ago on
January 12, 2024

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

LOS ANGELES — President Joe Biden’s son pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal tax charges filed after the collapse of a plea deal that could have spared him the spectacle of a criminal trial during the 2024 campaign.

Hunter Biden has been accused of nine felony and misdemeanor tax offenses. The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to skip out on paying the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS and instead use the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle that by his own admission included drugs and alcohol.

“We’re here today because you’ve been accused by the United States of a criminal offense,” Judge Mark Scarsi said to Biden, who entered the not-guilty plea himself.

The judge set a tentative trial date of June 20 during the half-hour-long hearing.

Judge Threw Out Biden’s Plea Deal

Meanwhile, Hunter Biden has also been charged in Delaware with lying in October 2018 on a federal form for gun purchasers when he swore he wasn’t using or addicted to illegal drugs. He was addicted to crack cocaine at the time. He’s also accused of possessing the gun illegally and has pleaded not guilty in that case.

The accusations all come from a yearslong federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax and business dealings that had been expected to wind down over the summer with a plea deal in which he would have gotten two years’ probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges. He also would have avoided prosecution on the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble.

The deal unraveled when a federal judge who had been expected to approve the deal instead began to question it. Now, the tax and gun cases are moving ahead as part of an unprecedented confluence of political and legal drama: As the 2024 election draws closer, the Justice Department is actively prosecuting both the president’s son and Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner.

Hunter Biden’s original proposed plea deal with prosecutors had been pilloried as a “sweetheart deal” by Republicans, including Trump. The former president is facing his own criminal problems — 91 charges across four separate cases, including that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Biden, a Democrat. He too appeared in court Thursday, in New York for closing arguments in his civil fraud trial.

Attorney Says Plea Deal Collapse Because of ‘Republican Pressure’

Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell referenced the failed deal to the judge on Thursday, suggesting there had been Congressional interference. Lowell had previously accused special counsel David Weiss of “bowing to Republican pressure.”

“We had a resolution of this case in the summer of 2023, and then things happened,” Lowell told the judge.

Prosecutor Leo Wise told the judge there was no need for additional hearings on the failed deal.

“Pleas fall apart all the time,” Wise said, adding that high-profile people face prosecutions often.

The judge also asked Biden to verify his full name on the indictment. Biden stood and said, “Robert Hunter Biden.”

Republicans Still Looking for Link Between Hunter and Joe

Hunter Biden’s criminal proceedings are also happening in parallel to so far unsuccessful efforts by congressional Republicans to link his business dealings to his father. Republicans are pursuing an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, claiming he was engaged in an influence-peddling scheme with his son. Hunter Biden defied a congressional subpoena to appear for closed-door testimony, insisting he wanted to testify in public. He made a surprise appearance at a congressional hearing Wednesday as House Republicans took steps to file contempt of Congress charges.

No evidence has emerged so far to prove that Joe Biden, in his current or previous office, abused his role or accepted bribes, though questions have arisen about the ethics surrounding the Biden family’s international business dealings.

In an interview that aired Thursday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” first lady Jill Biden said she thought the GOP’s treatment of her son was “cruel.”

“And I’m really proud of how Hunter has rebuilt his life after addiction. You know, I love my son,” she said. “And it’s had — it’s hurt my grandchildren. And that’s what I’m so concerned about, that it’s affecting their lives as well.”

If convicted of the tax charges, Hunter Biden, 53, could receive a maximum of 17 years in prison. Following the collapse of the plea deal, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to handle the matter. A special counsel is tapped to handle cases in which the Justice Department perceives itself as having a conflict or where it’s deemed to be in the public interest to have someone outside the government step in.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

UP NEXT

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

UP NEXT

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

UP NEXT

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

UP NEXT

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

UP NEXT

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

UP NEXT

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

UP NEXT

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

UP NEXT

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

US Paves Way to Resume Ethane Exports to China Amid Trade Truce

1 hour ago

US Supreme Court Won’t Consider Reviving Montana Abortion Parental Consent Law

2 hours ago

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

2 hours ago

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

2 hours ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

2 hours ago

US Supreme Court to Decide Legality of Transgender School Sports Bans

2 hours ago

Supreme Court’s Conservatives Leaned Into US Culture Wars With Transgender Cases

2 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 35,000 Acres, More Evacuations Ordered

2 hours ago

Nvidia Set to Become the World’s Most Valuable Company in History

2 hours ago

There Are Fresno Area Fireworks Shows Galore Through Sunday

3 hours ago

Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million

President Donald Trump this week in a last-minute decision chose to withhold approximately $1 billion in federal funds to California schools...

2 minutes ago

2 minutes ago

Trump Impounds Billions in Education Funding. For Fresno Unified, It’s $7.1 Million

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference following a weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 24, 2025. (Reuters)
41 minutes ago

Trump Administration Will Focus on Fed Chair Replacement in Fall, Bessent Says

1 hour ago

Americans Celebrate Their Independence With Record-Breaking Travel Numbers

U.S. and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken March 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
1 hour ago

US Paves Way to Resume Ethane Exports to China Amid Trade Truce

A general view of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., June 1, 2024. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US Supreme Court Won’t Consider Reviving Montana Abortion Parental Consent Law

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump?s sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 27, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US Imposes New Sanctions Targeting Iran Oil Trade, Hezbollah, Treasury Dept Says

2 hours ago

Keep Pets Safe on 4th of July: Fresno County Animal Shelter Offers Tips

A view shows the dome of the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 3, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US House Republicans Head Toward Final Vote on Trump’s Sweeping Tax-Cut Bill

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend