After facing addiction battles, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to avoid the "humiliation" of a trial for his family.

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges and released a statement saying he did so to spare his family from being publicly humiliated by a trial.

"I went to trial in Delaware without realizing the anguish it would cause my family, and I will not put them through it again," Biden said. "When I realized that the same prosecutors were focused not on justice but on dehumanizing me for my actions during my addiction, I had no choice but to take a different path."

He decided to plead guilty to sparing his family from more pain, invasions of privacy, and embarrassment.

"As I have stated, addiction is not an excuse, but it is an explanation for some of my failures at issue in this case. When I was addicted, I wasn’t thinking about my taxes, I was thinking about surviving," Biden continued.

Although the jury would never have been aware of my payment of back taxes, including penalties, I have been clean and sober for more than five years due to the love and support of my family. I am forever grateful for their unwavering support, but I cannot repay them for their help. However, I can protect them from being publicly humiliated for my mistakes.

In his memoir, Beautiful Things, Biden stated that he had battled addiction and encouraged those currently struggling with addiction to know that there is hope. He shared his own experience, saying, "I was where you are now. Don't quit right before the miracle."

Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden's attorney, stated in a separate statement that "the plea prevents a show trial that would not have provided all the facts or served any justice."

Unlike many Americans, Hunter was charged with felonies for his mistakes while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which he has since corrected by paying his outstanding taxes in full with interest and penalties before being accused. In fact, he even overpaid his taxes in the year he is being accused of tax evasion.

Special Counsel David Weiss accused Hunter Biden of three felonies and six misdemeanors related to $1.4 million in unpaid federal income taxes, which have since been settled. Weiss claimed that Hunter engaged in a pattern of not paying his taxes and filing false tax returns.

In the indictment, Weiss claimed that Hunter had engaged in a four-year scheme to evade paying at least $1.4 million in federal taxes owed for tax years 2016 through 2019, from January 2017 to October 15, 2020, and had filed false returns for tax year 2018.

Hunter remains free on bond until the sentencing date on Dec. 16.

The Justice Department announced that Biden could face a maximum of 17 years in prison for his federal crimes, but actual sentences are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.