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Judge rules Hunter Biden's tax trial to continue next month

Hunter Biden's trial on tax evasion charges in federal court will resume next month – after a California judge rejected the First Son's latest attempt to dismiss the lawsuit.

The trial of President Biden's son, who is already considered a felon, begins on September 9 in a Los Angeles court. He is accused of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019.

Hunter's legal team asked Los Angeles Judge Mark Scarsi to dismiss the three felony and six lesser felonies charges against him on the grounds that the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel was unconstitutional and that Weiss – a U.S. attorney from Delaware – did not have jurisdiction to handle the case in California.

Judge Mark Scarsi has denied Hunter Biden's request to dismiss his tax evasion case, clearing the way for trial next month. AP
Hunter Biden will appear in court on September 9 for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019. AP

The motion prompted Scarsi to threaten Biden's son's lawyers with sanctions for lying about Weiss's involvement in the Hunter investigation.

Hunter's lawyers responded that they had not intentionally lied, but had simply used a single word incorrectly twice.

Scarsi, who had already rejected three previous motions by Hunter to dismiss the case, including over Weiss's appointment, denied the latest motion to dismiss the case on Monday. He said Hunter's team had raised no new legal issues and the latest motion came too late.

Hunter's team moved to dismiss the case on the grounds that the appointment of David Weiss as special counsel was unconstitutional. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Last month, Hunter's team again made a fuss about Weiss' appointment, arguing that a high-profile ruling dismissing the document lawsuit against former President Donald Trump related to the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith should also apply to Hunter's case.

However, Scarsi described Trump's ruling as “non-binding,” meaning it does not apply to the case at hand.

President Biden's son was separately convicted of illegal possession of weapons while addicted to drugs; he is expected to be sentenced in that case in November. AP

Hunter has pleaded not guilty in the case.

Hunter was also convicted in June of illegally possessing a firearm while under the influence of drugs. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13. In the Delaware case, which Weiss is also prosecuting, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

A spokesman for Weiss' office declined to comment. Hunter's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

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