As jury selection was set to begin in Hunter Biden’s criminal tax evasion trial on Thursday, his legal team informed a California federal judge that Biden plans to enter an Alford plea—a legal maneuver that allows a defendant to maintain innocence while accepting punishment. This unexpected development caught prosecutors off guard.
Hunter Biden Alford Plea : Biden’s Legal Strategy
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe David Lowell of Winston & Strawn LLP, surprised the courtroom by announcing that Biden intends to seek an Alford plea. This type of plea permits a defendant to plead guilty while asserting innocence, requiring the court to find a factual basis for the plea without a confession from the defendant.
Lowell emphasized that “the court must find the factual basis from material other than the defendant’s own mouth” and offered to supply relevant case law to assist the court in its evaluation. Judge Mark C. Scarsi briefly paused the proceedings to allow both parties to discuss the plea change. The government, represented by Leo J. Wise and Derek Hines of the special counsel’s office, was unprepared for the plea shift, with one prosecutor noting that this was the first time they had heard of the plan.
Tax Evasion Charges and Background
In December, federal prosecutors charged Biden with multiple counts of tax evasion, accusing him of filing false returns, claiming illegitimate deductions, and failing to pay approximately $1.4 million in income taxes from 2016 to 2019. The charges allege that Biden funneled company payroll through a different operation to avoid tax obligations, while continuing to spend millions on personal luxuries.
