Hunter Biden’s lawyers say prosecutors are inappropriately trying to insert “politically-charged” allegations about his foreign business dealings into the upcoming federal tax trial against the president’s son. Special counsel David Weiss’ team told the judge last week that they plan to call to the witness stand a business associate of Hunter Biden’s to testify about an arrangement with a Romanian businessman who was trying to “influence U.S. government policy” during Joe Biden’s term as vice president.
Quick Read
- Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Argue Against Inserting Foreign Business Allegations in Tax Trial: Hunter Biden’s legal team contends that prosecutors are improperly trying to introduce “politically-charged” claims about his foreign business dealings into his upcoming federal tax trial.
- Defense Claims Foreign Business Dealings Are Irrelevant: The defense argues that these allegations have no relevance to the trial, which focuses on Hunter Biden’s failure to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019, and would only serve to confuse jurors.
- Prosecutors Aim to Rebut Defense’s Drug Use Argument: Special counsel David Weiss’ team plans to use evidence of Hunter Biden’s business arrangement with a Romanian businessman to counter the defense’s argument that Biden’s drug use during the relevant period affected his decision-making.
- Hunter Biden’s Lawyers Call Allegations Baseless: Biden’s legal team criticizes the prosecution’s attempt to introduce these allegations, accusing them of echoing “baseless and false” claims promoted by House Republicans to undermine Biden and his father.
- Business Arrangement with Romanian Businessman Scrutinized: Prosecutors allege that Hunter Biden agreed to assist Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu in his efforts to influence U.S. government agencies to investigate a bribery case in Romania, structuring the deal to avoid political repercussions for Joe Biden.
- Defense Argues Allegations Are Politically Motivated: The defense claims that the introduction of these matters is a last-minute change in tactic by the prosecution, aimed at aligning with politically motivated attacks against Hunter Biden and his father.
- Tax Trial Set Against Backdrop of Previous Conviction: The tax trial follows Hunter Biden’s recent conviction on three felony gun charges, stemming from his purchase of a firearm in 2018 while allegedly using and addicted to drugs.
The Associated Press has the story:
Hunter Biden’s lawyers say claims about foreign business dealing have no place in upcoming tax trial
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Hunter Biden’s lawyers say prosecutors are inappropriately trying to insert “politically-charged” allegations about his foreign business dealings into the upcoming federal tax trial against the president’s son. Special counsel David Weiss’ team told the judge last week that they plan to call to the witness stand a business associate of Hunter Biden’s to testify about an arrangement with a Romanian businessman who was trying to “influence U.S. government policy” during Joe Biden’s term as vice president.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers responded in court papers filed Sunday that such matters are irrelevant in the case headed for trial next month in Los Angeles over at least $1.4 million in taxes he owed between 2016 and 2019. Furthermore, defense lawyers allowing such testimony would confuse jurors, and slammed prosecutors for showcasing “these matters on the eve of Mr. Biden’s trial—when there is no mention of political influence in the 56-page Indictment.”
“The Special Counsel’s unnecessary change of tactic merely echoes the baseless and false allegations of foreign wrongdoing which have been touted by House Republicans to use Mr. Biden’s proper business activities in Romania and elsewhere to attack him and his father,” the defense wrote. Prosecutors said they want to bring in evidence of the arrangement with the Romanian businessman to rebut arguments from the defense that Hunter Biden’s drug use during the years in which he’s accused of failing to pay his taxes affected his decision-making and judgement.
The evidence shows his actions “do not reflect someone with a diminished capacity, given that he agreed to attempt to influence U.S. public policy and receive millions of dollars” as part of the arrangement, prosecutors wrote. The Romanian businessman, Gabriel Popoviciu, wanted U.S. government agencies to probe a bribery investigation he was facing in his home country in the hopes that would end his legal trouble, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors say Hunter Biden agreed with his business associate to help Popoviciu fight the criminal charges against him. But prosecutors say they were concerned that “lobbying work might cause political ramifications” for Joe Biden, so the arrangement was structured in a way that “concealed the true nature of the work” for Popoviciu, prosecutors alleged. Hunter Biden’s business associate and Popoviciu signed an agreement to make it look like Popoviciu’s payments were for “management services to real estate prosperities in Romania.”
In fact, Popoviciu and Hunter’s business associate agreed that they would be paid for their work to “attempt to influence U.S. government agencies to investigate the Romanian investigation,” prosecutors said. Hunter Biden’s business associate was paid more than $3 million, which was split with Hunter and another business partner, prosecutors say. The tax trial comes months after Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony gun charges over the purchase of a gun in 2018. He was found guilty of lying on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
