Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Federal Tax Charges
The Facts
Hunter Biden, son of Democratic US Pres. Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty to nine federal charges Thursday, including failure to pay at least $1.4M in taxes from 2016 to 2019, filing fraudulent tax returns in 2018, and tax evasion.
In a California federal court, Biden responded "not guilty" when US District Judge Mark Scarsi asked how he would plead to each of the nine charges. Scarsi set a trial date of June 20.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
The Republicans’ impeachment probe and the high publicity of this trial are a distraction from former Pres. Donald Trump's multiple criminal and civil charges, including his failed attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Hunter Biden has paid off all his tax debts —including penalties and interest — so it's clear these charges are meant to ensure his plight remains in the news while his father campaigns to defeat Trump again. Biden is innocent until proven guilty; the GOP must stop using him as a surrogate to attack his father.
Republican narrative
The Biden administration is impeding criminal probes into the president's son by intentionally slow-walking investigative steps. As there's ample evidence the Bidens were partners in a corrupt family enterprise, and the president has been involved in his son's finances, the Justice Department must pursue the case aggressively. Hunter Biden must face the consequences of his actions, while there must be more investigation into what else the president is hiding.
