Hunter Biden could face 17 years in prison as jury selection begins in tax evasion case

Published: Sep 04, 2024 Duration: 00:04:15 Category: News & Politics

Tags : CBS News U.S. politics donald trump joe biden republicans democrats hunter biden tax evasion

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THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE PRESENT SINUS PLED NOT GUILTY TO CHARGES OF FAILING TO PAY TAXES. HE FACES 17 YEARS IN PRISON IF HE IS CONVICTED. FOR MORE ON THIS CASE I AM JOINED BY JOSEPH PERINO WHO IS A FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR. REMIND US HOW WE GOT HERE? HUNTER HAS PAID TAXES OF THE GOVERNMENT SAYS HE OWES. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU ARE OFF THE HOOK? >> THAT IS CORRECT. IN THE EYES OF THE IRS IS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. PAYING YOUR TAXES LATE ESPECIALLY IN THESE AMOUNTS MAY HELP ON SENTENCING IF YOU ARE FOUND GUILTY TO SAY GO EASY ON ME BECAUSE ULTIMATELY I MADE IT RIGHT. BUT IN THE GOVERNMENT SIZE IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU DID NOT PAY IT ON TIME IN THE FIRST PLACE. AND A JUDGE IS ACTUALLY RULED THAT THE DEFENSE IS NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO BRING UP IN THE TRIAL. SO THEY CANNOT EVEN TELL THE JURY THAT THEY'VE PAID TAX AND INTEREST AND PENALTIES. IF HE IS FOUND GUILTY, THEY CAN WAIVE SENTENCING AND SAY GIVE HIM A BREAK. BUT IT WILL NOT COME UP DURING THE TRIAL. >> THE THING ABOUT TAXES IS YOU CAN'T JUST SHRUG AND SAY I DIDN'T KNOW. THAT'S NOT A GOOD ARGUMENT. WHAT WILL WE HEAR FROM PROSECUTORS AND HOW THEY BUILD THEIR CASE? >> TAX CASES ARE COMPLICATED. THIS WILL BE WEEKS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO ITEM BY ITEM. WE ARE TALKING 2016 TO 2020. EVERY ITEM THEY SAY WAS FRAUDULENT WAS A PERSONAL EXPENSE THAT WAS DECLARED AS A BUSINESS EXPENSE THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND PROVE WHY THE CLAIMANT WAS NOT A LEGITIMATE BUSINESS EXPENSE. THAT MEANS DOCUMENTATION AND WITNESSES. ONE TACTIC THEY THROW AROUND BIG NUMBERS. THEY SAY THAT HUNTER BIDEN EARNED $7 MILLION DURING THESE TAX YEARS. THIS IS A YALE EDUCATED LAWYER AND HE CAN MAKE ALL OF THIS MONEY. HE SURELY KNEW HOW TO PAY HIS TAXES. AND THESE ARE HUGE NUMBERS TO AMERICANS. SO THE 12 JURORS SEE THESE NUMBERS WITH MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN UNPAID TAXES AND THAT'S WHAT THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TO DO TO GET THEIR EYES POPPING. >> COULD THERE BE INTERESTING WITNESSES ON THE STAND OR WILL IT BE A BUNCH OF ACCOUNTANTS? >> I THINK IT WILL BE BOTH. I DON'T THINK THIS IS A TYPICAL WHITE-COLLAR KIND OF CRIME. THERE ARE LOT OF VERY OSTENTATIOUS BEHAVIORS THAT HUNTER BIDEN IS ACCUSED OF AND THAT HE WAS SUPPOSEDLY DOING IN LIEU OF LEGITIMATE EXPENSES. SO IF THERE ARE ALLEGATIONS THAT HE WAS SPENDING THIS ON RECREATIONAL HOTEL STAYS OR PROSTITUTES OR DRUGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAN THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO PROVE IT. AND THAT MEANS CALLING FAMILY MEMBERS AND WITNESSES. THAT MEANS CALLING PEOPLE WHO CAN SAY I KNEW WHAT HUNTER BIDEN WAS DOING IN THIS IS WHAT IT WAS. IT COULD END UP BEING QUITE SALACIOUS. >> THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES, I KNOW THAT HE COULD BE FACING DOUBLE DIGIT YEARS BEHIND BARS. BUT DO PIP PEOPLE TYPICALLY END UP WITH JAIL TIME FOR THINGS LIKE THIS? >> STATUTORY IS 25 YEARS. FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS IF THEY MANAGE TO PROVE ALL THE CHARGES THERE IS A POSSIBILITY HE COULD SEE JAIL TIME. PARTICULARLY IF YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HIS CONVICTION ON THE STUN GUN CHARGES FROM A FEW MONTHS AGO. BUT HE WILL NOT BE A FIRST-TIME CONVICTED FELON NOW. IT IS STILL A WHITE-COLLAR NONVIOLENT OFFENSE BUT WHO MAY VERY WELL BE LOOKING AT INCARCERATION. >> THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WOULD NOT PARDON HIS SON SHOULD HE BE CONVICTED. HE SAID THAT WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND NOTHING ABOUT COMMUTING A SENTENCE. BUT WE

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