A federal judge denied Hunter Biden’s request to dismiss a gun case against him that he argues is politically motivated. The judge rejected all motions from Biden’s lawyers, including those citing vindictive and selective prosecution, and the case will now move forward to trial. Biden is accused of lying about his drug use on a federal form when he bought a firearm in 2018, a time he has said he was struggling with addiction. He has pleaded not guilty. Despite acknowledging his substance abuse issues during that period, Biden’s lawyers maintain that he did not break the law and that another nonviolent, first-time offender would not have been charged. They argue that political pressure led to the case against him after an immunity provision from an original plea fell apart and was criticized by Republicans, including former President Trump, as a “sweetheart deal.” Prosecutors deny that the case is motivated by politics and the trial is set for the week of June 3.
In addition to the gun case, Biden is also facing a trial on tax charges in California, set for June 20. His legal team plans to appeal a judge’s denial of a motion to dismiss the charges. The court document giving notice of the interlocutory appeal states that Biden appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Biden is accused of participating in a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes while living an extravagant lifestyle. The trial in this case is scheduled to take place from late June to mid-July. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Overall, Hunter Biden is facing legal challenges on multiple fronts, including both gun and tax charges. The gun case accuses him of lying on a federal form about his drug use when purchasing a firearm in 2018, while the tax case alleges that he participated in a scheme to evade paying $1.4 million in taxes over a four-year period. Despite Biden’s acknowledgment of his struggles with substance abuse during the gun case period, his lawyers argue that he did not break the law and that the case is politically motivated due to pressure from Republicans. Both cases are scheduled to go to trial in the coming months, with the gun case trial set for June 3 and the tax case trial set for late June to mid-July.
The decision to deny Hunter Biden’s request to dismiss the gun case means that the trial will proceed as planned, with jury selection expected to take place the week of June 3. Despite his plea of not guilty, Biden is accused of lying on the federal form about his drug use during a time when he has admitted to struggling with addiction. His lawyers argue that the charges are politically motivated and that prosecutors caved to pressure after an immunity provision from an original plea deal was criticized as a “sweetheart deal” by Republicans. Prosecutors deny that the case is politically motivated but have yet to rule on the constitutionality of the gun charges.
In the tax case, Hunter Biden is scheduled to go to trial on June 20 on charges of participating in a scheme to evade paying $1.4 million in taxes. His legal team plans to appeal a judge’s denial of a motion to dismiss the charges, with the appeal directed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The trial in this case is set to take place from late June to mid-July. Despite facing legal challenges on multiple fronts, Hunter Biden maintains his innocence in both cases and continues to fight the charges against him. The Associated Press contributed to this report and provided additional context on the legal proceedings involving Hunter Biden.
