(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Hunter Biden, the embattled son of President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to nine federal tax crimes—a move that some suggest could be laying the groundwork for a pardon from his father.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi accepted the plea and set sentencing for December 16, just over a month after the presidential election, the New York Post reported Thursday.
Pleading guilty spares both Hunter and his father from the intense media scrutiny around what could have been a second trial brought by Special Counsel David Weiss.
But critics questioned the timing of the guilty plea, with best-seller author and journalist Jerry Dunleavy IV calling it a “bait-and-switch stunt” and a “total joke.”
“A defendant would never do this without the knowledge that he had a commutation or pardon in his back pocket,” Dunleavy commented on X. “And any normal prosecutor would just laugh, reject it, and proceed to trial.”
Hunter Biden attempting a bait-and-switch stunt like this via an Alford plea is a total joke. A defendant would never do this without the knowledge that he had a commutation or pardon in his back pocket. And any normal prosecutor would just laugh, reject it, and proceed to trial.
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) September 5, 2024
Echoing these concerns, journalist Katie Pavlich added, “Hunter to plead guilty to tax charges. How long until the pardon.”
Weiss claimed that Hunter failed to pay $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019. These accusations followed Hunter’s conviction of lying about his drug use on a federal form when purchasing a gun.
Hunter’s defense attorney Abbe Lowell offered a vague explanation for the guilty plea, claiming that it allowed the first son to avoid his family from facing “unnecessary hurt and cruel humiliation.”
He added, “This plea prevents that kind of show trial that would not have provided all the facts or served any real point in justice. He will now move on to the sentencing phase, while keeping open the options to raise the many clear issues with this case on appeal.”
By pleading guilty before the trial, Hunter acknowledged that the evidence presented by prosecutors was enough to convict him while continuing to assert his innocence.
This made little sense to prosecutors. “We were as shocked as anyone in the courtroom this morning,” federal prosecutor Leo Wise said. “I don’t know how the defendant could maintain his innocence and agree the facts are true.”
During the hearing, Scarsi asked Hunter if he agreed he had committed “every element of every crime in the indictment.”
“Yes,” Hunter replied, according to the Post. Moments later, he formally entered his guilty plea.
🚨 #BREAKING: Hunter Biden will be pleading GUILTY to federal tax crimes today, including multiple felonies
He faces up to 17 years in prison.
BUT he knows daddy will pardon him on his way out the door, so what’s it matter? 🙄 pic.twitter.com/XJLihyWc3X
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 5, 2024
It remains unclear if anything beyond the looming media frenzy pushed Hunter to end the case. But Pavlich suggested this was part of an effort to avoid incriminating Biden.
“A guilty plea avoids a messy trial that would inevitably connect Joe Biden to Hunter’s overseas business dealings,” Pavlich commented.
Attorney and political commentator Rogan O’Handley, known as DC Draino, said that going to trial would have delayed the sentencing into 2025, during a potential Trump administration.
“Want to know why he pled guilty to all 9 felony charges? Because if he went to trial and got convicted on even 1 charge, it would have delayed his sentencing date possibly into Trump’s term,” he wrote on X. “No pardon from Trump. Now he is guaranteed to be sentenced before Joe is out and can get a clean pardon from daddy.”
Hunter Biden’s sentencing has been scheduled for 12/16
Want to know why he pled guilty to all 9 felony charges?
Because if he went to trial and got convicted on even 1 charge, it would have delayed his sentencing date possibly into Trump’s term
No pardon from Trump
Now he is…
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) September 5, 2024
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, also hinted at a potential pardon.
“An open plea without a plea agreement is usually not a good deal,” Rahmani declared. “Hunter’s lawyer is experienced and Hunter is a lawyer himself, so I’m thinking Hunter already has a pardon lined up, most likely after the election.”
Others have speculated that Biden could soon offer a pardon, especially now that he’s no longer a candidate for re-election.
A pardon for his son during a second term would have triggered a scandal, but the political landscape has changed.
“His father stepping down pretty much cleared the path for a full pardon of all Federal charges,” said trial attorney Rich Schoenstein. “Hunter can thank Nancy Pelosi and George Clooney for the assist.”
His father stepping down pretty much cleared the path for a full pardon of all Federal charges. Hunter can thank Nancy Pelosi and George Clooney for the assist.
— Rich Schoenstein (@LawfulRiches) September 5, 2024
