A federal judge on Monday denied Hunter Biden’s legal team’s request to dismiss tax charges, paving the way for a criminal trial.
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The son of President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, is currently facing prosecution by the Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss on charges related to tax evasion and felony gun possession. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi of the Central District of California, who was appointed by former President Trump, has rejected all of Hunter’s arguments to dismiss the charges.
The judge stated that the government’s case has significant merit to proceed with a trial.
Hunter’s legal team argued that the prosecution was motivated by political reasons and violated his due process rights and the constitutional separation of powers, but Scarci dismissed these arguments in an 82-page ruling, the Daily Caller reported.
“Defendant asserts he is situated similarly to individuals who did not timely pay income tax for tax year 2019 but received leniency due to COVID-19 relief programs…The Government alleges Defendant’s nonpayment extended well before the emergence of COVID-19 and leniency programs thereunder, providing a legitimate prosecutorial reason to pursue the charge in Count 9 against him and not other individuals who failed to timely pay their 2019 taxes,” the judge wrote.
Biden is facing nine federal charges, encompassing accusations of tax evasion, tax fraud, and failure to file taxes spanning from 2016 to 2019. The indictment asserts that instead of fulfilling the reported tax liability of $1.4 million, Hunter Biden redirected the funds towards payments to numerous women, adult entertainment, and pornography.
Hunter Biden is also facing a federal indictment in Delaware, accused of possessing a firearm while under the influence of narcotics. Moreover, he is under scrutiny in an ongoing impeachment inquiry by the House of Representatives concerning his father’s actions during Joe Biden’s vice presidency, particularly regarding Hunter’s business engagements in Ukraine and China, as reported by the Caller.