Hunter Biden offers guilty plea on tax charges without admitting wrongdoing

Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, offered on Thursday to plead guilty to federal tax charges but avoid admitting any wrongdoing, in an unusual legal maneuver that federal prosecutors quickly opposed.

It was not immediately clear whether the judge overseeing the case would accept the offer or move ahead with a trial that could air embarrassing details of the younger Biden's life shortly before the November 5 presidential election.

He had previously pleaded not guilty in the criminal case, which accuses him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items.

He was charged in December as part of a wide-ranging probe of his finances and business dealings, becoming the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges.

In the Los Angeles federal court where his trial was due to take place, Biden sought to enter what is known as an "Alford plea," an usual type of guilty plea where a defendant does not admit to the allegations against them.

US Justice Department prosecutors in the courtroom said they would not accept that plea. Federal prosecutors generally only agree to Alford pleas in rare circumstances, where they have approval from high-level officials.