Hunter Biden enters surprise guilty plea to avoid tax trial months after his gun conviction

LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal tax charges, a surprise move meant to spare his family another painful and embarrassing criminal trial after his gun case conviction just months ago.

Hunter Biden’s decision to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits of a deal with prosecutors caps a long-running saga over his legal woes that have cast a shadow over his father’s political career. It came hours after jury selection was supposed to begin in the case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.

The president’s son was already facing potential prison time after his June conviction on felony gun charges in a trial that aired unflattering and salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction. The tax trial was expected to showcase more potentially lurid evidence as well as details about Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings, which Republicans have seized on to try to paint the Biden family as corrupt.

“I will not subject my family to more pain, more invasions of privacy and needless embarrassment,” Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement after he entered his plea. “For all I have put them through over the years, I can spare them this, and so I have decided to plead guilty.”

Although President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential election muted the potential political implications of the tax case, the trial was expected to carry a heavy emotional toll for the president in the final months of his five-decade political career.

“Hunter put his family first today, and it was a brave and loving thing for him to do," defense attorney Abbe Lowell told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.

Hunter Biden, 54, quickly responded “guilty” as the judge read out each of the nine counts. He showed no emotion as he walked out the courthouse holding his wife’s hand. He ignored questions shouted at him by reporters before climbing into an SUV and driving off.

The charges carry up to 17 years behind bars, but federal sentencing guidelines are likely to call for a much shorter sentence. He faces up to $1.35 million in fines. Sentencing is set for Dec. 16 in front of U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, who was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump.

He faces sentencing in the Delaware case on Nov. 13 — the week after the general election. Those charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though he is likely to get far less time or avoid prison entirely.

More than 100 potential jurors had been brought to the courthouse Thursday to begin the process of picking the panel to hear the case alleging a four-year scheme to avoid paying taxes while spending wildly on things like strippers, luxury hotels and exotic cars.

Prosecutors were caught off guard when Hunter Biden’s lawyer told the judge Thursday morning that Hunter wanted to enter what’s known as an Alford plea, under which a defendant maintains their innocence but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction.

Special counsel David Weiss' team objected to such a plea, telling the judge that Hunter Biden “is not entitled to plead guilty on special terms that apply only to him.”

“Hunter Biden is not innocent. Hunter Biden is guilty,” prosecutor Leo Wise said.

After a break in the hearing, Hunter Biden's lawyers said he had decided to plead guilty to all nine charges.

Last year, it had looked like he was going to be spared prison time under a deal with prosecutors that would have allowed him to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. Prosecutors would have recommended two years of probation and he would have escaped prosecution on a felony gun charge as long he stayed out of trouble for two years.

But the agreement imploded after a judge questioned unusual aspects of it, and Hunter Biden was subsequently indicted in the two cases. The defense has accused special counsel Weiss of caving to political pressure to indict the president’s son after Trump and other Republicans blasted what they described as a “sweetheart deal.”

The indictment brought last year grew out of an investigation into Hunter Biden's taxes that began in 2018 under the Trump administration. Hunter Biden confirmed the existence of the investigation in December 2020 — the month after his father won the election — saying he learned about it for the first time the previous day.

Prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden lived lavishly while flouting the tax law, spending his cash on things like strippers and luxury hotels — “in short, everything but his taxes.”

The charges in both the gun and tax cases stemmed from a period in Hunter Biden's life in which he struggled with drug and alcohol abuse before becoming sober in 2019. His lawyers had been expected to argue that his substance abuse struggles affected his decision-making and judgment, so he could not have acted “willfully,” or with intention to break the tax law.

“As I have stated, addiction is not an excuse, but it is an explanation for some of my failures at issue in this case," Hunter Biden said in a statement. “When I was addicted, I wasn’t thinking about my taxes, I was thinking about surviving. But the jury would never have heard that or know that I had paid every penny of my back taxes including penalties.”

His decision to plead guilty came after the judge issued some unfavorable pre-trial rulings for the defense, including rejecting a proposed defense expert lined up to testify about addiction. Scarsi had also placed some restrictions on what jurors would be allowed to hear about the traumatic events that Hunter Biden’s family, friends and attorneys say led to his drug addiction.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys had asked Scarsi to also limit prosecutors from highlighting details of his expenses that they say amount to a “character assassination,” including payments made to strippers or pornographic websites.

Prosecutors had also planned to introduce evidence about Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings, including his work for a Romanian businessman who prosecutors said in court papers sought to “influence U.S. government policy” while Joe Biden was vice president.

Lauer reported from Philadelphia. AP writer Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.

Hunter Biden steps into a vehicle as he leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Abbe Lowell, left, an attorney for Hunter Biden, makes a statement after Biden pled guilty to federal tax charges, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

Hunter Biden leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after he pled guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

In this courtroom sketch, judge Mark C. Scarsi presides during a hearing in federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, where Hunter Biden pled guilty to federal tax charges. (William T. Robles via AP)

In this courtroom sketch, Hunter Biden, left, talks to attorney Mark Geragos, during a hearing in federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, where he pled guilty to federal tax charges. (William T. Robles via AP)

Hunter Biden, center, leaves federal court after pleading guilty in his felony federal tax case, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden leaves federal court with his wife Melissa Cohen Biden after pleading guilty in his felony federal tax case, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

In this courtroom sketch, Hunter Biden, right, appears for a hearing in federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, where he pled guilty to federal tax charges. (William T. Robles via AP)

Hunter Biden steps into a vehicle as he leaves federal court, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles, after pleading guilty to federal tax charges. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

A police officer inspects the exterior of a federal courthouse with the aid of a canine at the start of Hunter Biden's trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

This courtroom sketch shows Hunter Biden entering a federal courtroom for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (William T. Robles via AP)

Hunter Biden arrives in federal court under police and secret service protection for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden arrives in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden, right, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden arrives in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden, right, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden, right, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Hunter Biden, center, and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrive in federal court for jury selection for his trial on felony tax charges Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

FILE - Hunter Biden departs from federal court June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

NEW YORK (AP) — A second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump — this time as he played golf in Florida — has rocked a presidential campaign already marred by unprecedented violence and raised questions about how such a thing could have happened for the second time in as many months.

U.S. Secret Service agents opened fire Sunday afternoon on a man who was spotted pointing an AK-style rifle through a fence while hiding in the bushes as Trump golfed at his club in West Palm Beach. The FBI described it as an apparent attempted assassination on the GOP nominee.

At a Pennsylvania rally in July, Trump was grazed in the ear by a bullet when a gunman was able to gain access to an unsecured roof, unleashing a hail of bullets that left one of Trump's supporters dead and two others badly injured.

While the Secret Service has grappled with how to keep Trump safe as he campaigns across the country, holding rallies that often draw thousands, less attention has focused on his protection when he is off the trail, often at his own clubs and properties.

The fact that there are places along the perimeter of the property where golfers — including Trump — are visible to those standing behind the fence has long been known to law enforcement. While Trump was president, news photographers were often able to capture images of him on the greens by finding gaps in the shrubbery.

While Trump’s plans to golf Sunday were not part of any public schedule, on days he is not campaigning, he can often be found golfing at one of his courses. Trump International Golf Club, West Palm Beach, about a 10-minute drive from his Mar-a-Lago residence, is a favorite. One of three golf clubs he owns in Florida, it boasts 27 holes of championship golf, as well as event spaces. Trump often eats lunch and holds meetings in the clubhouse between rounds.

Trump had just returned from a West Coast swing that included stops in Las Vegas and Utah, and had announced on social media that he would be delivering remarks Monday from Mar-a-Lago about cryptocurrency as he launches a new crypto platform.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw noted at a briefing that because Trump is no longer in office, security protocols around the course had loosened.

“He's not the sitting president. If he was, we would have had this entire golf course surrounded. But because he's not, his security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible," he told reporters.

Law enforcement officials praised the work of the agents assigned to protect Trump. One agent, tasked with jumping one hole ahead of the former president to scope out potential threats, managed to spot the gunman's rifle barrel sticking out of the fence that surrounds the golf club and “immediately engaged that individual,” Bradshaw said.

In an email to campaign staff Sunday night, senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles credited the Secret Service for saving Trump, who has praised the agents in his own protective detail for their bravery as they rushed on stage to protect him in Butler, Pennsylvania.

"President Trump and everyone accompanying him are safe thanks to the great work of the United States Secret Service,” they wrote.

Unlike other past presidents and typical VIPs who live in private residences with tall fences or in gated communities, Trump has his official residence at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. The club is open to dues-paying members, who mingle with the former president at meals and at events and can invite their own guests to the property.

Many nights, Trump holds court on the club's patio, playing DJ with his iPad. While president, he once plotted a response to a North Korean missile launch from the candlelit terrace, the meeting captured and posted on social media by a club member.

The club is also a popular Palm Beach venue and hosts a constant stream of fundraisers, weddings and other events that sometimes see Trump drop by unannounced.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a social media post that the agency is working closely with the FBI, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement to investigate what happened.

Trump will be briefed in person Monday by acting Secret Service director Ronald Rowe about the investigation, according to a person familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly.

The incident sparked immediate finger-pointing and calls for answers on Capitol Hill.

New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the House Republican Conference chair and a close ally of the former president, said she was grateful Trump was safe. “However, we must ask ourselves how an assassin was allowed to get this close to President Trump again?” she asked in a statement.

The leaders of the bipartisan task force that has been investigating the security failures in Pennsylvania said they were monitoring the situation and had requested a briefing from the Secret Service.

“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” said Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., in a joint statement.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump's rivals in the GOP primary, said his state will conduct its own investigation.

“The people deserve the truth about the would be assassin and how he was able to get within 500 yards of the former president and current GOP nominee,” he wrote in a social media post.

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna echoed that message. “Two assassination attempts in 60 days on a former President & the Republican nominee is unacceptable," he wrote. "The Secret Service must come to Congress tomorrow, tell us what resources are needed to expand the protective perimeter, & lets allocate it in a bipartisan vote the same day.”

President Joe Biden said in a statement that he was “relieved” that Trump was unharmed and said “there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country.” He said he had directed his staff “to continue to ensure that Secret Service has every resource, capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former President’s continued safety.”

Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report.

Photos that show an AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, are displayed during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library, Sunday. Sept. 15, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)

This photo provided by the Martin County Sheriff's Office shows Sheriff's vehicles surrounding an SUV on the northbound I-95 in Martin County on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Martin County Sheriff's Office via AP)

The main entrance of Trump International Golf Club is seen after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at the World Market Center, Friday, Sept.13, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)