Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, is confronting a fresh legal challenge in California, where he faces a total of nine charges related to a purported “four-year scheme.”
The allegations revolve around accusations that he neglected to pay federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020, coupled with the filing of false tax reports.
These charges include three felonies and six misdemeanors, totaling approximately $1.4 million in owed taxes, which have since been settled.
Special Counsel David Weiss claims that Hunter engaged in a deliberate effort to evade paying his self-assessed federal taxes during the specified period. Weiss further asserts that Hunter manipulated the payroll and tax withholding process of his company, Owasco, PC, withdrawing substantial sums outside the intended procedures.
The special counsel alleges that Hunter indulged in an extravagant lifestyle, diverting funds meant for tax payments. It is also claimed that Hunter ceased paying overdue taxes for the year 2015 in 2018.
Weiss contends that Hunter willfully neglected to pay taxes for the years 2016 to 2019 on time, despite having the means to do so. The indictment accuses him of delaying the filing of his 2017 and 2018 tax returns.
When he eventually filed his 2018 returns, the allegation is that false business deductions were included to evade taxes. Counts in the indictment correspond to specific tax years, with additional charges related to evasion of assessment and filing false and fraudulent forms.
Hunter Biden previously pleaded not guilty to federal gun charges in October, stemming from Weiss’ ongoing investigation. The recent charges come amid political tension, with House Republican leaders considering a vote on initiating an impeachment inquiry into President Biden’s possible connections to his son’s business dealings.
Hunter’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, criticizes Weiss, claiming that the charges are a result of political pressure and asserting that, were it not for Hunter’s last name, the legal actions would not have been pursued.
