Hunter Biden's lawyers tell judge that special counsel will turn tax case into 'character assassination campaign'

CNN
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Hunter Biden's lawyers on Wednesday accused federal prosecutors of trying to turn his upcoming tax evasion trial into a public “character assassination campaign.”

At a hearing in Los Angeles, lawyers for President Joe Biden's son sharply criticized special counsel David Weiss and his team, who successfully prosecuted Hunter Biden for weapons offenses this summer and are now seeking another victory in his tax trial next month.

“They want to drag him through the mud,” said Mark Geragos, Hunter Biden's lawyer, arguing that Weiss was trying to push a “slippery, independent counsel-style prosecution” and was making him “look bad” by cherry-picking the facts to pressure the jury to convict.

“It’s actually a form of smear campaign,” Geragos said.

The conflict came as District Judge Mark Scarsi made rulings on key evidentiary issues, largely siding with prosecutors and making life more difficult for Biden's defense. He has pleaded not guilty to nine counts, including three tax offenses.

Scarsi ruled that Biden's team could not tell jurors that the president's son was late in paying his entire $2 million tax debt. The judge also excluded an expert witness the defense hoped could explain how addiction affected Biden's decision-making ability.

Geragos called the addiction aspect “the centerpiece of the defense,” saying they wanted to explain how his childhood car accident that killed his mother and his brother's subsequent death from brain cancer fueled his descent into alcoholism and drug abuse.

The defense's goal is to prove to the jury that “there is a connection between the torments of addiction and the alleged tax evasion,” Geragos said.

Prosecutors, however, countered that the origin of Biden's addiction was irrelevant.

“No matter how many drugs you take, you don't suddenly forget that when you make $11 million you have to pay taxes,” said Special Counsel Leo Wise.

Prosecutors accuse Biden of evading $1.4 million in taxes for years while spending lavishly on strippers, luxury cars and fancy hotels.

Wise argued Wednesday that the jury needs to see those salacious details to prove that Biden fraudulently claimed they were business expenses — to reduce his tax liability. For example, one witness will testify that she met Biden at a strip club and later received $1,400 for “artwork” even though she didn't sell him any, Wise said.

“You can spend $30,000 on a porn website if you want – it's not illegal,” Wise said of Biden's alleged spending, “but you can't claim it as a business expense.”

Geragos added: “You're painting a picture for the jury of someone who just settled in West Hollywood and decided to do cocaine… and not pay his taxes, like he didn't have a care in the world… that's actually a form of character assassination.”