Hunter Biden’s attorneys are arguing for the dismissal of federal tax charges he is facing in California, claiming that the prosecution is politically motivated. The lead counsel for Biden, Abbe Lowell, described the case as an unusual prosecution with irregularities in how it was initiated and investigated. However, federal prosecutors have refuted these claims, stating that politics played no role in the case and dismissing the assertion as “conspiratorial.”
The U.S District Judge Mark Scarsi expressed skepticism during the hearing, citing a lack of evidence to support the claim that politics influenced the charges against Biden. Biden pleaded not guilty to nine federal tax charges in January, with prosecutors alleging that he engaged in a four-year scheme to avoid paying $1.4 million in federal taxes. The charges include failure to file and pay taxes, tax evasion, and filing a false tax return, but Biden did not appear for the hearing.
Biden’s attorneys also argued that the tax charges violated a diversion agreement reached with federal prosecutors last year. However, the plea agreement on two misdemeanor tax charges and a diversion agreement tied to a firearms charge fell apart in court in July 2023. Federal prosecutors stated that the proposed agreement had not been approved by the U.S. Office of Probation and Pretrial Services. Judge Scarsi is set to issue a decision on April 17 regarding the motion to dismiss.
The motion to dismiss hearing coincides with the conclusion of a Republican-led congressional inquiry into President Biden, which focused on whether he benefited from Hunter Biden’s business ventures. Hunter Biden has dismissed the inquiry as a baseless political charade, denying any involvement by his father in his business dealings. Rep. James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, and chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, indicated that criminal referrals might be prepared at the end of the investigation.
Critics of the inquiry argue that the GOP-led congressional committees have not produced any evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden. The investigation also looked into allegations that senior officials in the Biden administration obstructed criminal probes into the president’s son. Despite the ongoing legal battles and political scrutiny, Hunter Biden continues to maintain his innocence and assert that the charges against him are politically motivated.
