The president's son, Hunter Biden, appeared this Thursday before a court in Los Angeles, California, and pleaded not guilty to nine charges related to the non-payment of more than a million dollars in taxes.
Hunter Biden appeared before Judge Mark Scarsi, appointed by former President Donald Trump, after being accused of not paying at least $1.4 million in taxes between 2017 and 2020 and of filing false tax reports.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss filed the indictment in December, based on three felony counts and six misdemeanors, alleging that Hunter “willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time (…) despite having access to funds to pay some or all of these taxes.”
The accusation details that the former president's son spent on women, clothes, luxury cars and hotels and drugs, among other extravagances, and that he falsely recorded some of those expenses to deduct taxes. “[He] engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes,” the document reads.
BREAKING: Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to tax charges brought by Special Counsel David Weisshttps://t.co/XflAahjA3M
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 11, 2024
Hunter Biden's release conditions
Scarsi imposed standard pretrial release conditions, including a ban on drug or alcohol use as well a ban on gun possession, and a requirement to seek employment. Additionally, the judge ordered Hunter to file his state and federal taxes, itemize his income and notify of any travel plans.
The next motions hearing is scheduled for March 27, and the trial is expected to begin June 20.
Hunter's lawyer criticized the charges
According to Abbe Lowell, Hunter's defense attorney, the attorney general filed the indictment because of “pressure” supposedly exerted by the Republican Party.
“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.
