Hunter Biden, the son of United States President, Joe Biden, is set to stand trial in Los Angeles on Thursday, September 5, 2024, facing criminal charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending large sums on drugs, sex workers, and luxury items.
Biden has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include three felony counts and six misdemeanor counts for failing to pay taxes from 2016 to 2019. According to the indictment, Biden spent extensively on “drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature.”
The tax evasion trial, overseen by Judge Mark Scarsi, begins with jury selection and is expected to last two to three weeks. The trial could potentially reveal further details about Biden’s business dealings, including his work with Burisma, a Ukrainian natural gas company, and a Chinese private equity fund, during his father’s vice presidency—a subject that has been heavily scrutinized by President Biden’s Republican opponents.
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles extend beyond the tax charges. Earlier this year, he was convicted in Delaware for illegally purchasing a firearm while using drugs, a conviction he is currently appealing. If found guilty in the tax case, he could face a harsher sentence as a repeat offender. He is scheduled to be sentenced in the gun case on November 13.
Despite Republican-led investigations, there has been no direct evidence implicating President Biden in any wrongdoing related to his son’s business dealings. President Biden has stated he will not pardon his son.
The trial, which has drawn considerable public and political attention, will continue to unfold over the next few weeks.
