Although Hunter Biden is not the political football that he was when his father, Joe Biden, was still running for re-election as president, he will be under a bright spotlight as he faces multiple counts of tax fraud and tax evasion in Los Angeles this week. If he is found guilty, he faces the possibility of spending as much as 22 years in prison.
It is highly probable that the case will delve into all of the lurid details of the younger Biden’s life, including the millions of dollars he earned from lucrative foreign consultancies, his string of broken relationships and high-living Hollywood lifestyle, his addiction to crack cocaine, and the tens of thousands of dollars he spent on online pornography. Not too long ago, partisan Republicans were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to inflict political damage on the incumbent in the Oval Office.
Now, however, the political optics may be quite different because this trial, which comes on top of an earlier one in June in which Hunter Biden was found guilty on a federal gun charge, will probably undermine the argument that the Biden administration has politicised and “weaponised” the justice department to go after its enemies. Former President Donald Trump and a few other people pushed for this argument.
The sentencing of Donald Trump in his inaugural criminal prosecution in New York State may coincide with the Hunter Biden trial. The former president was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying records to conceal a sexual encounter with adult film star Stormy Daniels in May. The Hunter Biden trial is concurrent with the scheduled sentencing date of September 18, which could potentially undermine Trump’s assertion that he is a victim of a corrupt system led by Joe Biden.
“So much for weaponization,” stated retired federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin to CNN following Hunter Biden’s final trial. “This is a testament to the fact that the justice department… is trying its very best to steer straight down the middle.”
For a period of four years, Hunter Biden will be the subject of nine charges in Los Angeles for neglecting to file his taxes on time. These include one felony offence of tax evasion and two felony counts of submitting a false return.
The allegations of federal prosecutors are unsettling for any defendant, let alone the son of a reigning president. Despite earning millions of dollars from consulting work with the Ukrainian industrial company Burisma and a Chinese private equity firm, prosecutors suspect that Biden failed to submit his taxes on time from 2016 to 2019.
The indictment alleges that he misrepresented personal expenses as company deductions when he eventually filed his 2018 tax return. This included more than $27,000 spent on online pornography and college tuition for his children.
Prosecutors contend that Biden is unable to legitimately claim financial hardship because he was earning more than enough to satisfy his tax obligations and because a well-connected Hollywood entertainment lawyer named Kevin Morris, who is referred to as a “personal friend” in the indictment, lent him $1.2 million. Biden subsequently spent the money on a luxurious rental property near Venice Beach, a Porsche, and other items.
“Between 2016 and October 15, 2020,” according to the charging document, “the defendant spent [his] money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes.”
Biden’s defence team has not contested the facts of the documentation he submitted or the dates on which payments were made during pre-trial hearings. Rather, they seem to be preparing to present an argument about diminished culpability, citing his drug addiction during the years under investigation and attempting to elucidate it as the result of trauma that dates back to Hunter Biden’s childhood, when his mother and sister were killed in a car accident.
Last month, Biden’s primary counsel, celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos, expressed his dissatisfaction with the prosecution’s portrayal of him as a carefree individual who proceeded to party and use cocaine in West Hollywood. Geragos contended that it was “a form of character assassination” and a premeditated attempt by the prosecution to make his client “look bad” when the depiction was taken out of context.
The judge, Mark Scarsi, rejected Geragos’ attempt to present evidence of his client’s immaturity while also warning him that disobeying this ruling could result in “six-figure sanctions.” Scarsi informed the audience, “I am uncertain whether there is any reliable evidence regarding the causes of addiction.” “Why is the cause of Mr. Biden’s addiction relevant?”
The prosecution also made a comparable argument. “You do not abruptly forget that when you earn $11 million, you are required to pay taxes,” stated assistant US attorney Leo Wise, regardless of the number of drugs you consume.”
Hunter Biden’s business connections, which contribute to his high salary, are expected to reignite debate in this case, in contrast to the firearms trial in Delaware in June. Republicans have long questioned whether Biden’s connections were influenced by his family’s name.
Hunter Biden was accused by Republican House representatives of exploiting his father’s role as vice president under Barack Obama to secure favourable outcomes in foreign business transactions and legal proceedings. This led to an abortive impeachment attempt against Joe Biden.
The claim regarding foreign business dealings may continue to be painful, despite the fact that its significance has diminished since Biden has emerged as the Democratic nominee in preference of Kamala Harris. In the interim, the assertion regarding legal actions may be short-lived if the jury determines that Hunter Biden has been convicted of a second offence within the past four months.
On September 9, opening arguments should start, and on September 11, jury selection should start. The trial is expected to last for approximately two weeks, according to the attorneys for both parties.