Judge declines to dismiss tax case against Hunter Biden

A judge has declined to dismiss a tax case against Hunter Biden, bringing the case closer to a potential trial while his father runs for re-election as president.

District Judge Mark Scarsi has rejected eight motions to dismiss the indictment accusing President Joe Biden’s son of trying to evade paying $1.4 million in taxes while living a lavish lifestyle.

Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to the nine felony and misdemeanor tax offenses filed in Los Angeles. His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argued that the prosecution is politically motivated, among other points, but Scarsi found little merit in those claims.

“Defendant fails to present a reasonable inference, let alone clear evidence, of discriminatory effect and discriminatory purpose,” he stated.

Hunter Biden’s legal team asserted that the handling of the case was unusual.

“We strongly disagree with the court’s decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden’s challenges,” Lowell said in a statement.

The judge’s ruling follows a three-hour hearing last week where Scarsi, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, appeared doubtful of the defense. Prosecutors, on their part, portrayed the claims as implausible.

Scarsi also dismissed assertions related to the timing of the charges, leaks from IRS agents who testified before Congress, and the appointment of the special counsel overseeing the case.

In addition to the tax charges, Hunter Biden faces accusations in Delaware of lying on a federal form to purchase a gun in 2018. He claimed he was not using or addicted to illegal drugs, despite acknowledging a crack cocaine addiction at the time. He has pleaded not guilty in that case, which also alleges illegal possession of the firearm.

Both cases are under the supervision of special counsel David Weiss and currently have tentative trial dates set for June, though defense attorneys are also seeking to have the Delaware gun charges dismissed.

The charges stem from a lengthy federal investigation that was anticipated to conclude last summer with a plea deal in which Hunter Biden would have received two years of probation after admitting to misdemeanor tax charges. The president’s son, who has since repaid the back taxes through a loan, would have also avoided prosecution for the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble.

However, the deal that could have prevented a criminal trial for Hunter Biden during the 2024 presidential campaign fell apart after a federal judge in Delaware raised concerns about it.

Defense attorneys contended that the immunity provisions in the deal were signed by a prosecutor and are still valid, but Scarsi sided with prosecutors who argued that it never obtained the required approval of a probation officer.

Republicans, including Trump, criticized Hunter Biden’s original proposed plea deal with prosecutors as a “sweetheart deal.” Trump himself is currently facing multiple criminal charges, including alleged involvement in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden.

If convicted of the tax charges, Hunter Biden, 53, could face a maximum of 17 years in prison.