The Independence, Arkansas, County Circuit judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s paternity case recused himself on Tuesday, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Judge Don McSpadden filed an order to remove himself from the case at 10:20 a.m local time, stating it was “pursuant to the Administrative Plan of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit.”
The move came as McSpadden was slated to hold a hearing amid repeated requests from the lawyers of Biden’s baby mother, Lunden Roberts, for Hunter to turn over financial documents for the last five years.
“One of the clearest indicators of a judge’s integrity is when he or she recuses from a case,” said Roberts attorney Clinton Lancaster. “It highlights the ethos and values that make the judiciary such a powerful, separate branch of government. Our client sincerely thanks Judge McSpadden for his time and attention to what has become a difficult and convoluted child support matter.”
In May, Roberts, a 28-year-old stripper, filed a lawsuit against Biden, alleging that he is the father of her 16-month-old baby — a fact apparently confirmed by DNA testing — and demanded that he pay child support. She has also asked him to cover her mounting legal fees. Court documents filed by Roberts state that the pair met at a Washington, D.C., strip club where she was once worked.
Earlier this month, the Daily Mail reported that Roberts has asked for information about Hunter’s previous business dealings, including records on how much he was compensated as a board member of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy firm at the center of allegations of corruption against him and his father, former Vice President and 2020 Democrat candidate Joe Biden. Reports indicate the younger Biden was compensated up to $83,000 monthly by the eastern European company despite a lack of expertise in the energy sector. Roberts has also requested information on whether Biden received funds from a Chinese national or entity for investment purposes, according to court documents.