This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

In a move that assured some of the most scandalous details about Joe Biden's years-long influence-peddling operations will not be publicized during a trial, First Son Hunter Biden pleaded guilty Thursday to a series of tax charges.

His lawyers first had insisted on an "Alford" plea, in which Biden would plead guilty but still maintain his innocence, a plan to which prosecutors objected. Then Hunter Biden submitted an ordinary guilty plea.

A former federal prosecutor, who asked not to be named, told the DailyMail.com publication a possible reason for the sudden change, from not guilty to guilty, was to "get a quick verdict without a salacious trial, followed by a pardon or commutation from Hunter's father, President Joe Biden."

Hunter Biden still could be given that pardon by his father, even though Joe Biden has said that's something he would not do.

"As long as he is president, through January 2025, he has the power to reduce or forgive any sentence his son receives," the report said.

The report said another lawyer, Samuel Dewey, a former congressional chief counsel, told DailyMail.com "he also suspected the change of plea was part of a political pact to protect damaging information about Joe Biden from being aired in public."

"We know the trial was going to involve detailed evidence of foreign influence peddling that likely would involve the broader Biden family and the president," Dewey said.

He was referring to prosecutors' evidence that Hunter "earned $1 million from allegedly lobbying U.S. State Department officials on behalf of a Romanian real estate magnate charged with bribery – a scandal first revealed by DailyMail.com two years ago."

Dewey explained, "A plausible theory for why this odd turn happened now, is that Hunter has run out the clock and will not be required to report to prison until after November 4, when he will be pardoned without massive political damage to the Democratic nominee in the 2024 general election."

A congressional investigation already has revealed the Biden family collected some $27 million from the family's influence peddling, largely to overseas interests and unfriendly nations.

There were nine tax evasion charges, including three felonies, to which Hunter Biden admitted responsibility.

The "Alford" stunt failed after what the Mail described as a "fiery exchange between prosecutors and the defense."

Judge Mark Scarsi then explained the penalties in the case could be 15 years and a $1 million fine.

Prosecutor Leo Wise read the indictment to put all the allegations on the record.

The report said, "The indictment includes details of Hunter's shady overseas deals with Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu who has been convicted of bribery, and with Chinese oil giant CEFC, which has been linked to a Chinese government influence operation."

Also included were allegations about Hunter Biden paying prostitutes and drug dealers instead of his taxes.

Scarsi ordered that the probation and pretrial services officials should meet and assemble a sentencing recommendation.

The Mail itself suggested Hunter Biden's change of plea "was an apparent Hail Mary strategy by the defense to try to stop damaging and embarrassing evidence being presented to the jury."