Hunter Biden entered a not guilty plea to nine tax-related charges during his arraignment in federal court in Los Angeles. The proceedings took place before U.S. District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, appointed by former President Donald Trump, who himself appeared in court this week regarding charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
The approximately 30-minute hearing saw Scarsi acknowledging Hunter Biden’s compliance with previous release conditions, noting it for the record. The judge proposed a potential trial date of June 20, just months before the 2024 presidential general election. Hunter Biden’s arraignment occurred a month after his indictment in the Central District of California, alleging failure to pay taxes. Prosecutors claimed that from 2016 to October 2020, Biden, who has openly discussed his addiction, used funds for “drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature.”
The indictment was brought forth by David Weiss, appointed U.S. attorney for Delaware by Trump, later named special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August. Previous plea deals for Biden in Delaware fell apart in July due to concerns raised by a judge about two separate deals—one involving tax charges and the other a rarely used gun charge related to firearm possession by an “unlawful user” of “any controlled substance.”
Biden unexpectedly appeared at a hearing on the day Republicans recommended holding him in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena for testimony. Despite Biden’s willingness to testify publicly, House Republicans insisted on a closed-door deposition. Attorney Abbe Lowell, representing Biden, criticized the request, deeming it a tactic misused by Republicans for political purposes, emphasizing selective leaks and mischaracterization of witness statements.
