Attorneys for Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, offered to settle a range of federal tax charges against him with an “Alford plea” during a court appearance Thursday in Los Angeles. ABC News reported that the surprise offer came as proceedings began on Day 2 of Hunter Biden’s trial on nine felony and misdemeanor charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi temporarily adjourned the trial (which is in the pre-jury selection phase) after Biden’s attorneys surprised prosecutors with the offer of an Alford plea. Under such a plea, defendants can admit that prosecutors have enough evidence for a conviction yet maintain they are innocent of the charges (per The Washington Post.) Prosecutors said they were not informed in advance after Biden attorney Abbe Lowell announced the plea deal offer.
The latest legal move comes after Biden’s attorneys unsuccessfully sought to dismiss the tax case by citing a recent decision by a federal judge in Florida who throw out the classified documents case against Trump on the grounds that the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith was unconstitutional. Last month, Scarsi shot down that argument for being untimely and an attempt to re-litigate an earlier decision quashing a previous attempt by Biden to have the case dismissed. Biden last year was poised to plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses, but the deal fell apart in July when the two sides could not agree on a separate gun offense.
Biden is also awaiting sentencing on three gun-related charges. He found guilty in June on charges stemming from his purchase of a handgun in 2018 when he was allegedly struggling with drug addiction. He faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment and hefty fines when sentenced.
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