Federal prosecutors have accused Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, of attempting to delay his tax fraud trial in California by filing a frivolous appeal. The younger Biden is appealing the court’s decision to proceed with the case, which accuses him of failing to pay over $1.4 million in federal income taxes for the years 2016 through 2019. Prosecutors from special counsel David Weiss’ office filed court papers on Tuesday, claiming that Biden’s appeal was a “stunt” aimed at pushing back his trial date scheduled for June 20.
According to the prosecutors, Biden’s filing of the notice of appeal is an attempt to disregard the court’s schedule. They further allege that even if the appeals court swiftly rejects Biden’s appeal, he will likely request more time to prepare, leading to further delays in the trial. Prosecutors have urged the judge to enforce all pretrial deadlines and reject Biden’s attempt to manipulate the legal process.
In April, US District Judge Mark Scarci dismissed Biden’s argument that the charges against him should be dropped due to “selective and vindictive” prosecution. Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, criticized the special counsel’s handling of the investigation, calling it abnormal. The tax fraud charges were brought against Biden in California after a plea deal in Delaware fell through unexpectedly last year.
Biden faces six misdemeanor and three felony counts in the tax case. Prosecutors allege that he used funds intended for tax payments to finance an extravagant lifestyle, including expenses related to drugs, escorts, luxury hotels, rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other personal items. Additionally, Biden is separately charged in Delaware with three counts related to illegal possession of a firearm while being addicted to drugs. The trial for the Delaware case is scheduled to begin on June 3.
