Hunter Biden Loses Bid to Dismiss Federal Tax Case

The president’s son, Hunter Biden, had his bid to dismiss federal tax charges rejected by a federal court on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi of Los Angeles rejected the defendant’s claims that prosecutors were pursuing the charges of over $1.4 million in tax avoidance in response to political pressure from Republicans. Mr. Biden’s attorneys also argued that he had immunity from a plea deal he had previously negotiated.

Mr. Biden, 54, in January pleaded not guilty to the three felony and six misdemeanor charges related to his business dealings and for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. At the time, he was allegedly spending millions of dollars on drugs, escorts, exotic cars, and other big-ticket items.

During the years in question, Mr. Biden reported making about $7 million from work for Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian firm, and other companies, including the Chinese firm CEFC China Energy.

He allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on “various women,” another $190,000 on adult entertainment, and about $400,000 on clothes, according to financial information by Mr. Weiss’s team. In total, he spent nearly $5 million while failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes, according to the indictment.

Abbe Lowell, one of Mr. Biden’s attorneys, has said in media interviews that Mr. Biden ultimately paid the taxes and is only being prosecuted because he is part of the Biden family.

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However, Judge Scarsi said he doesn’t see factual evidence to back claims that the charges are politically motivated.

The trial is due to start in June, a few months before Americans vote in a November presidential election that looks set to be a close and deeply divisive contest between Joe Biden, himself the subject of an impeachment probe, and Donald Trump, who faces four criminal trials.

The trial is tentatively scheduled to begin June 20 with jury selection. Mr. Biden faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

He also faces separate criminal charges in a federal court in Delaware over his alleged purchase of a handgun while he was using illegal drugs. He has pleaded not guilty and made similar arguments to dismiss the charges in that case.

He has pleaded not guilty and made similar arguments to dismiss the charges in that case. That trial could begin as soon as June 3.

Jill McLaughlin and Reuters contributed to this report.