A federal judge in Los Angeles has granted a request to delay Hunter Biden’s federal criminal trial on tax fraud charges until September.
Biden’s legal team requested a delay for the trial, which was initially set for June 20.
According to court documents, his lawyers have stated that there are several scheduling conflicts and pending appeals that will coincide with his criminal case in Delaware. The trial for the three felony gun charges is set to begin on June 3, and Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining his innocence.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Biden’s attorneys made the argument that the challenges they faced in securing expert witnesses justified a delay. However, Prosecutor Leo Wise dismissed their claims by stating, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Special counsel David Weiss, who was appointed as the U.S. attorney in Delaware by former President Donald Trump, and later named as the special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the investigation into Hunter Biden, has presented a 56-page indictment. The indictment accuses President Joe Biden’s son of being involved in a “four-year scheme” aimed at evading payment of at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. In December, Hunter Biden was charged with three felony and six misdemeanor counts, which include failure to file and pay taxes, evasion of assessment, and filing a false or fraudulent tax return.
According to the Justice Department, Hunter Biden reportedly earned over $7 million in gross income but failed to pay taxes. They also alleged that he used some personal expenses, such as luxury hotel stays, luxury vehicle rentals, and escort services, as business deductions to evade taxes and fund his “extravagant lifestyle.”
He did not attend the hearing on Wednesday.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi has recently announced in court that the trial of President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, will continue as scheduled. This development comes just weeks before Hunter Biden is set to stand trial in Delaware federal court on felony gun charges, which were also filed by Weiss’ office. The allegations against him involve the illegal possession of a firearm while using illicit drugs. Despite multiple attempts by his attorneys to delay the trial, their efforts have been unsuccessful thus far.
The special counsel announced on Tuesday that he intends to summon several witnesses, including Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and former girlfriends, as part of the gun case.
During the upcoming felony gun trial, prosecutors have announced their intention to present the jury with photographs obtained from the defendant’s Apple iCloud account and laptop, as well as messages he sent.
In 2019, Hunter Biden allegedly left his laptop at a computer repair shop, which was later provided to the FBI by the shop owner. Additionally, a copy of the laptop data was given to Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer for President Trump. In response, last September, Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit against Giuliani, accusing him of hacking the data from his laptop.
Giuliani publicly displayed the laptop, stating, “This belongs to Hunter Biden,” as he showcased it during an episode of “America’s Mayor Live” on February 2, 2023. However, a spokesperson for him dismissed the allegation of drive manipulation as false. The lawsuit remains unresolved.
Hunter Biden’s legal team has made efforts to restrict the admissible evidence from the laptop that can be utilized by prosecutors during the trial.
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, faced two dueling cases following the unraveling of a plea agreement on misdemeanor tax charges and a diversion agreement on a firearms charge in July 2023. The judge raised concerns about whether the agreements would enable Hunter Biden to evade potential future charges, including those pertaining to his taxes.
Hunter Biden’s legal team has been unsuccessful in their attempts to argue that the agreement from last summer, which aimed to avoid trials, is still in effect. They have urged the judges to dismiss the counts but have not been successful so far.
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