The federal judge in Hunter Biden’s tax case in California last Monday rejected all eight motions to dismiss the indictment, CBS News reported.
At a hearing in late March, Hunter Biden’s attorney argued that the indictment was politically motivated and a partisan-fueled prosecution.
The defense also alleged that the investigation had been tainted by public revelations made by the two IRS investigators who accused the Justice Department of mishandling the yearslong investigation into the president’s son.
Prosecutors from special counsel David Weiss’ office disputed the claims, calling them “far-fetched” and telling the judge that politics played no role in the decision to indict Hunter.
During the hearing, US District Judge Mark Scarsi appeared skeptical of the defense’s arguments.
Hunter’s attorney also argued that the indictment violated the terms of the plea agreement made with the Justice Department last year.
In his April 1 decision, Judge Scarsi concluded that the defense provided only “conjecture” while offering neither “a reasonable inference” nor “clear evidence” that the case against Hunter was “discriminatory.” The judge also concluded that the indictment did not violate the diversion agreement made in 2023, saying that the agreement did not give Hunter immunity from prosecution.
In a statement to CBS News, Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell said the defense “strongly” disagreed with Judge Scarsi’s decision. He vowed to “vigorously pursue” the defense’s challenges to what he described as “the abnormal way” the investigation and charges were handled by the Special Counsel.
In the December indictment, prosecutors accused Hunter of engaging in a “four-year scheme” to avoid paying $1.4 million in taxes. Hunter was charged with three felony and six misdemeanor tax charges, including filing a false tax return, evasion of assessment, and failure to file and pay taxes.
Hunter pleaded not guilty to the charges.
If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 17 years behind bars.
