Federal prosecutors opposed the effort Friday Hunter Bidenlawyers should be dismissed tax related payments filed a lawsuit against the president’s son last year.
Attorneys for special counsel David Weiss’ office have strongly rejected Biden’s claim that the case against him was politically motivated and that prosecutors were trying to placate congressional Republicans from pursuing additional charges after a plea deal collapsed last year.
“The defendant concocts a conspiracy theory that the prosecution is ‘upping the ante’ to appease politicians who have nothing to do with the charges and are not even members of the current Executive Branch,” prosecutors wrote.
The complaint came in a series of court documents filed in federal court in California, where Weiss’ team responded to various motions to dismiss the indictment.
Responding to Biden’s arguments that the additional charges came amid pressure from Republicans on Capitol Hill, Weiss’ team said prosecutors had signed the proposed deals for Biden’s plea “weeks after politicians railed against them” and highlighted the prosecution’s actions in calling for the trial. accepts the proposed agreements.
“To state an obvious fact that the defendant continues to ignore, former President Trump is not the President of the United States,” they wrote.
“Defendant fails to explain how President Biden or the Special Counsel report to the Attorney General or Special Counsel himself or his team of prosecutors acted at the behest of former President Trump or congressional Republicans, or how this is the current situation. “At the direction of former President Trump and Republicans in Congress, the Executive Branch approved the alleged discrimination charges against the president’s son,” they added.
Attorneys for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the documents filed Friday. The special prosecutor’s office declined to comment.
The judge overseeing the case told Biden’s lawyers to respond to the special prosecutor’s appeals later this month.
Biden’s lawyers also argued last month that the appointment of Weiss as special counsel was illegal.
Prosecutors on Friday disputed those claims, writing that “these arguments are without merit and must be rejected” and argued that Weiss’ appointment was “in all respects lawful.”
Biden pleaded not guilty to nine tax-related charges at the time was judged in January.
In addition to the tax charges, Biden also faces federal weapons charges including an allegation of possession of a firearm while on drugs. He pleaded not guilty to these charges.
House Republicans have targeted Biden in the impeachment inquiry against his father. Their investigation took a major hit last month by ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, whose allegations were instrumental in fueling the GOP investigation. was accused and accused of providing false information to the FBI about President Joe Biden and his son during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Hunter Biden appeared for closed deposit with the House Oversight and Judiciary committees last month as part of the impeachment inquiry, and blew up the probeIt offered no evidence of criminal wrongdoing, such as “unfounded and destructive political confusion” based on “conspiracies motivated by MAGA.”
In Hunter Biden’s more than 6 hours of testimony — in which he flatly denied the GOP’s accusations against him and notably never invoked his Fifth Amendment rights — appears to have weakened support for impeachment NBC News reports that among House Republicans. Republicans have since invited Hunter Biden to testify publicly on March 20, but he has not yet said whether he will attend the hearing.