A federal judge in Los Angeles has agreed to postpone Hunter Biden’s federal criminal trial on tax fraud charges until September. Originally scheduled to go to trial on June 20th, Biden’s legal team requested the delay due to scheduling conflicts and pending appeals that would overlap with his criminal case in Delaware, where he faces three felony gun charges. Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any wrongdoing. The prosecutor argued against the delay, stating that justice delayed is justice denied.
Special counsel David Weiss, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump and named special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Hunter Biden probe, alleged that Biden engaged in a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. In December, Biden was charged with three felony and six misdemeanor counts related to his alleged failure to file and pay taxes, evasion of assessment, and filing a false tax return. The Justice Department claims that Biden funded an extravagant lifestyle and dodged taxes by classifying personal expenditures as business deductions.
Hunter Biden was not present for the continuation hearing, which was announced by U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi. The delay comes weeks before Biden is set to stand trial in Delaware federal court on felony gun charges. The special counsel plans to call numerous witnesses, including Biden’s ex-wife and former girlfriends. Prosecutors also disclosed their intention to show the jury photos from Biden’s Apple iCloud account and laptop, as well as messages he sent, during the upcoming felony gun trial. The laptop was provided to the FBI by a computer repair shop owner, who claims it was left by Biden in 2019.
The laptop data was also provided to former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who Hunter Biden has sued for hacking data from the laptop. Giuliani has publicly displayed the laptop and maintained that it belongs to Hunter Biden, but his spokesman denies any manipulation of the drive containing the data. Hunter Biden’s legal team is seeking to limit the evidence from the laptop that prosecutors can use at trial. The cases against Biden, which include misdemeanor tax charges and a diversion agreement related to the firearms charge, unravelled in court in July 2023 when the judge questioned the agreement’s potential to shield him from future charges, as well as the tax-related charges.
Hunter Biden’s legal team argues that the agreement from last summer that would have avoided the trials is still in effect and has urged judges to dismiss the charges. So far, these arguments have been unsuccessful. The ongoing legal battles against Biden come at a time when he faces multiple charges related to tax fraud and gun ownership. The delay in his federal criminal trial on tax fraud charges provides him with more time to prepare for the legal proceedings and address the allegations against him. Despite these challenges, Biden continues to maintain his innocence and plead not guilty to all charges.
