Hunter Biden’s Trial Scheduled for June 20
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, has pleaded not guilty to all nine federal tax charges brought against him by special counsel Weiss. The charges stem from a four-year scheme in which Hunter allegedly failed to pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020, while also filing false tax reports.
Weiss filed the charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and Hunter’s trial is set to begin on June 20. The charges include three felonies and six misdemeanors, all of which have since been paid.
In the indictment, Weiss alleges that Hunter engaged in a scheme to evade paying at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes for tax years 2016 through 2019. Weiss also claims that Hunter filed false returns in February 2020 to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018.
According to Weiss, Hunter “subverted the payroll and tax withholding process” of his own company, Owasco, PC, by withdrawing millions outside of the proper channels. The special counsel further alleges that Hunter spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle instead of fulfilling his tax obligations.
Despite having access to funds to pay his taxes, Hunter willfully failed to pay his 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 taxes on time, and also failed to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns on time, as stated by Weiss in the indictment.
Judge Sets Release Conditions
Judge Scarsi has set the same release conditions for Hunter in California as those set in Delaware, where he previously pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges. These conditions include seeking employment, communicating all international travel plans, abstaining from possessing firearms and using alcohol and drugs, random drug testing, and participation in a substance abuse counseling program.
The next motions hearing is scheduled for March 27 in Los Angeles.
Defense Attorney Accuses Special Counsel of Bias
Hunter’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, has attacked Weiss over the charges, accusing the special counsel of bowing to Republican pressure. Lowell believes that if Hunter’s last name were anything other than Biden, the charges would not have been brought.
Contempt Resolution Passed Against Hunter
On the same day as Hunter’s court appearance in California, the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee passed resolutions to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena. This action is part of the House impeachment inquiry against President Biden.
Hunter had made a surprise appearance on Capitol Hill, offering to testify publicly. However, Republicans rejected the request, citing the setting of other witness interviews. The committees have vowed to release a full transcript of his deposition and schedule a subsequent public hearing.
The full vote on the contempt resolution will soon take place on the House floor, recommending Hunter for prosecution.
Hunter’s appearance in court and the ongoing political proceedings against him have raised questions about potential bias and political motivations surrounding the case.
This report contains information from Fox News’ Lee Ross.
