Hunter Biden, the only remaining son of President Joe Biden, is set to go on trial on June 20 in a federal court in Los Angeles for charges of tax crimes.
Hunter is being accused of nine tax-related charges – three felonies and six misdemeanors – for allegedly failing to file taxes, evading a tax assessment and filing a fraudulent tax form. If convicted, Hunter could face a maximum of 17 years in prison.
On Thursday, Jan. 11, Hunter appeared before Judge Mark Scarsi of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles to enter a not-guilty plea. Scarsi then set a June 20 trial date, which neither the defendants nor the prosecution opposed.
However, Hunter's legal team was "not quite as certain" regarding the timing of the trial because Hunter is also being indicted in Delaware on felony gun charges.
During the approximately 30-minute hearing, an attorney representing Hunter expressed frustration with the trial because of the failure to agree on a plea deal, saying: "We had a resolution of this case in 2023 and then things happened." Prosecutors argued that pleas fail all the time.
Hunter's next hearing is set for March 27. Motions are due on Feb. 20. Hunter was released on the condition that he not possess any firearms, alcohol or drugs. He must also submit to drug or alcohol tests if necessary.
Hunter accused of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes
The president's son was indicted last month on nine tax-related charges accusing him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019.
The indictment on tax charges from December stems from a years-long federal investigation into Hunter's tax and business dealings that were expected to wind down following a plea deal that fell apart last summer.
Following this investigation, federal prosecutors published their allegations that Hunter earned millions of dollars from foreign entities in China, Romania and Ukraine and "spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle at the same time he chose not to pay his taxes," including on luxury hotel stays, luxury car rentals and expensive escort services. The back taxes were eventually paid in 2020 by a third party.
In response to the tax charges, Abbe Lowell, an attorney on Hunter's team, claimed in December following the tax indictment that it included no new evidence. "Based on the facts and the law, if Hunter's last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought," he said.
Following the end of the hearing in Los Angeles, Lowell accused the Republican Party – who has been pushing for charges against the president's son – of caring "little about the truth" and trying to "hold someone in contempt, who has offered to publicly answer all their proper questions."
"Hunter Biden was and is a private citizen," said Lowell. "Despite this, Republicans have sought to use him as a surrogate to attack his father."
Watch this clip from Fox News discussing in more detail Hunter's not guilty plea to nine tax charges in California.