The federal criminal trial on tax fraud charges against Hunter Biden has been postponed until September, as a federal judge in Los Angeles granted the request on Wednesday.
Biden’s legal team requested a delay, and as a result, the trial, which was initially set for June 20, was rescheduled.
In his court filings, his attorneys made the argument that his criminal case in Delaware, where he is facing three felony gun charges and is scheduled to go to trial on June 3, would coincide with a series of scheduling conflicts and pending appeals. Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains his innocence.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Biden’s attorneys made the argument that the challenges they faced in securing expert witnesses justified a delay. In response, Prosecutor Leo Wise dismissed their claims, stating, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Special counsel David Weiss, who was appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware by former President Donald Trump and later named special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Hunter Biden probe, has presented a 56-page indictment. The document alleges that President Joe Biden’s son was involved in a “four-year scheme” to evade paying a minimum of $1.4 million in federal taxes. Hunter Biden has been charged with three felony and six misdemeanor counts related to his alleged failure to file and pay taxes, as well as evasion of assessment and filing of a false or fraudulent tax return.
According to the Justice Department, Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes on over $7 million in gross income. They have also accused him of funding an “extravagant lifestyle” and evading taxes by categorizing personal expenses, such as luxury hotel stays, luxury vehicle rentals, and escort services, as business deductions.
He did not attend the hearing on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi has announced in court that the trial of President Biden’s son, which is set to take place in Delaware federal court, will be continued. The trial involves felony gun charges, which have been brought against Biden’s son by Weiss’ office. The accusations state that he illegally owned a firearm while using illicit drugs. Despite the efforts of his attorneys to delay the trial, they have been unsuccessful thus far.
On Tuesday, the special counsel announced his intention to summon several witnesses in the gun case, which will include Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and former girlfriends.
During the upcoming felony gun trial, prosecutors announced their intention to present the jury with the photographs from his Apple iCloud account and laptop, as well as the messages he sent.
A laptop was provided to the FBI by the owner of a computer repair shop, who claims that it was left behind by Hunter Biden in 2019. Additionally, a copy of the laptop data was given to former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani. In September of last year, Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit against Giuliani, accusing him of hacking data from his laptop.
During a February 2, 2023, episode of “America’s Mayor Live,” Giuliani proudly displayed the laptop, declaring, “This belongs to Hunter Biden.” However, his spokesman denied the allegations of drive manipulation when the lawsuit was filed. As of now, the lawsuit remains unresolved.
Hunter Biden’s legal team is attempting to restrict the admissible evidence from the laptop that can be presented by prosecutors during the trial.
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, found himself facing two separate cases. It all began when a plea agreement on two misdemeanor tax charges and a diversion agreement tied to a firearms charge fell apart in court in July 2023. The judge raised concerns about whether the agreements would shield Hunter Biden from potential future charges, including those related to his taxes.
Hunter Biden’s legal team has made the argument that the agreement reached last summer, which aimed to avoid trials, is still valid and should result in the dismissal of the charges. However, these arguments have not yet been successful in court.
