U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi on Monday denied all eight of Hunter Biden's motions to dismiss the nine federal tax charges he faces in California.
During a recent hearing, Hunter Biden's lawyer argued that the charges were politically motivated. Special counsel David Weiss' office countered this claim, emphasizing that politics did not influence the case's factual basis.
Judge Scarsi expressed doubts about Biden's arguments. In his ruling on Monday, Scarsi stated that Biden did not present "clear evidence" of discriminatory intent and relied on "speculation" regarding prosecutorial decisions.
"We strongly disagree with the Court's decision and will continue to vigorously challenge the unusual handling of this investigation and prosecution by the Special Counsel," said Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, in a statement to CBS News.
Biden maintains his plea of not guilty to all charges.
A recent investigation by federal prosecutors has revealed that President Biden's son is suspected of participating in a complex tax evasion scheme over a period of four years. The allegations suggest that he intentionally avoided paying a minimum of $1.4 million in federal taxes. In December, he was formally charged with a series of felonies and misdemeanors related to his failure to file and pay taxes, evasion of assessment, and submission of a false or fraudulent tax return.
According to the prosecutors, Hunter Biden reportedly earned over $7 million in gross income during the time when he neglected to fulfill his tax obligations. They claim that he used some personal expenses, such as luxury hotel stays, luxury vehicle rentals, and escort services, as business deductions in an attempt to evade taxes and sustain a lavish lifestyle.
If found guilty, he could potentially face a sentence of up to 17 years in prison.
Furthermore, Hunter Biden's legal team argued that the tax charges violated a diversion agreement that was agreed upon last year. However, prosecutors countered this by stating that the agreement had not been officially sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Probation and therefore had not come into effect. The court ruled that Hunter Biden was not immune from the charges brought against him.
