BREAKING: Hunter Biden Arrives To Court For First Day In Tax Evasion Trial In California

On Thursday, Hunter Biden, the 54-year-old son of the sitting president, traveled to California to begin jury selection on the first day of trial in the case brought by special counsel David Weiss for alleged tax crimes. The trial, which is being presided over by United States District Court for the Central District of California Judge Mark Scarsi, will determine if Hunter is found guilty of three felonies and six misdemeanors, including tax evasion, filing a false tax return, and failing to pay taxes between 2016 and 2019.

The president's son, who pleaded not guilty, is facing potentially serious jail time after failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. The indictment against him alleges that Hunter failed to pay owed taxes beginning in 2015 and instead lived an "extravagant" lifestyle. Special counsel David Weiss alleged in his indictment that Hunter "engaged in a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from in or about January 2017 through in or about October 15, 2020, and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns in or about February 2020."

The trial against the president's son is the second high-profile case against him in the past year. In June, Biden was found guilty by a Delaware jury for making false statements on ATF Form 4473 while purchasing his Cobra Colt .38 in October 2018, claiming that he wasn't addicted to drugs. The 12 Delaware residents also found him guilty of possessing a firearm while addicted to an illegal substance.

After being found guilty, Hunter is facing up to 25 years in prison, and the judge could make him pay upwards of a $250,000 fine per offense. However, Hunter's sentence will be up to U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. While the charges carry significant weight, the president's son isn't expected to be sent to prison, given that he is a first offender. The court ordered Biden to appear for sentencing on November 13, just days after the presidential election on November 5.

Following the verdict, President Biden said he was "proud" of his son for overcoming his addiction. "As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad," Biden began. "Jill and I love our son, and we are proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery. As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of the family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that."

President Biden has committed to not pardoning his son nor commuting his sentence in either the gun case or the tax case. However, those promises were made when President Biden was still on the campaign trail.

WATCH:

🚨Hunter Biden has arrived at court pic.twitter.com/Y9jOUVfh3V

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 5, 2024

You can follow Sterling on X/Twitter here.