Federal prosecutors filed their opposition on Friday to the attempts made by Hunter Biden’s legal team to dismiss tax-related charges brought against the president’s son last year.
Representatives from special counsel David Weiss’ office vehemently refuted Biden’s claim that the case against him was politically motivated. They also rejected the notion that prosecutors were aiming to please congressional Republicans by adding more charges after a previous plea deal fell through.
In a set of documents submitted to federal court in California, Weiss’ team countered various motions seeking to dismiss the indictment. They dismissed Biden’s argument that the additional charges were a response to pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Weiss’ team pointed out that prosecutors had signed proposed agreements for Biden’s plea “weeks after politicians had criticized them,” and emphasized their efforts to urge the court to accept the proposed agreements.
The prosecutors addressed Biden’s assertion that the prosecution was influenced by former President Trump and Congressional Republicans, stating unequivocally that neither Trump nor current Republican lawmakers had any sway over the prosecution.
Hunter Biden (Credits: Newsweek)
They emphasized that President Biden, the Attorney General, the Special Counsel, and the prosecuting team were not acting under the direction of former President Trump or Congressional Republicans.
Biden’s legal representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the filings. The special counsel’s office also declined to comment.
The judge overseeing the case instructed Biden’s attorneys to respond to the special counsel’s filings later this month.
Last month, Biden’s attorneys argued that Weiss’ appointment as special counsel was unlawful. Prosecutors rebutted these claims, asserting that Weiss’ appointment was in full compliance with the law.
Biden pleaded not guilty to nine tax-related charges during his arraignment in January. Additionally, he faces federal gun charges, including an allegation of possessing a firearm while using a narcotic. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges as well.
House Republicans have focused on Biden in their impeachment inquiry into his father. However, the probe faced setbacks when former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, a key figure in sparking the investigation, was indicted last month for allegedly providing false information to the FBI about Joe Biden and his son during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Hunter Biden recently testified in a closed-door session with the House Oversight and Judiciary committees as part of the impeachment inquiry. He criticized the probe as a “baseless and destructive political charade” based on “MAGA-motivated conspiracies.”
His testimony, which lasted more than six hours and did not invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, reportedly weakened support for impeachment among House Republicans. Republicans have invited Hunter Biden to testify publicly on March 20, but he has not confirmed whether he will attend.
