The lawyers representing former vice president Joe Biden’s son Hunter reached a final settlement Tuesday night in a paternity and child support case in Arkansas after repeatedly delaying the case and flouting court orders to release financial information.
On Wednesday morning, the attorneys for the Arkansas mother of Hunter’s child, 28-year-old former stripper Lunden Alexis Roberts, alerted the judge that they had settled the case.
Roberts’ lawyers wrote in an email to Independence County Circuit Judge Holly Meyer:
Late last night, after the court entered the order, we reached a global, final settlement of all issues. I am drafting a final order this morning for the Court’s approval. I expect it to bet sent to you later today or tomorrow.
Pending the court’s approval, the settlement will end the nearly one-year legal battle.
Roberts’ lawyers did not disclose the terms of the settlement, which comes after Hunter’s lawyers argued on Tuesday that their client would be unavailable for the scheduled deposition and hearing this week.
Hunter’s lawyers cited coronavirus-linked travel restrictions, the approaching due date of this pregnant wife, and media attention prompted by his father’s presidential bid as reasons for their client being unable to appear in court.
“Defendant requests continuance of the hearing as he is unavailable to attend due to his wife’s due date in 2 and a half weeks or less and risks involved with travel,” the motion filed by Hunter’s lawyers stated.
Judge Meyer rejected the request and rebuked the White House hopeful’s son for repeatedly delaying the case.
“For context in ruling on this Motion the Court has reviewed the history of this litigation and finds that the Defendant has been given considerable leniency regarding continuances and delay,” Meyer wrote in a court order issued Tuesday.
“The defendant’s attempts to delay this case are mounting such that one begins to see a pattern of delay,” the judge added later.
Last Friday, Roberts’ lawyers filed a motion seeking to have the 2020 Democrat presidential front-runner’s son held in contempt of court for repeatedly refusing to obey an order to provide financial documents.
Hunter’s conduct is “willful and contemptuous,” Roberts’ lawyers reportedly argued, urging the Arkansas court to order him to appear in person at a March 13 pretrial hearing to explain why the tribunal should not hold him in contempt.
According to documents filed in connection to the paternity and child support suit, Hunter is the subject of multiple criminal investigations, including a money-laundering probe linked to Ukrainian gas company Burisma Holdings.
Hunter served on Burisma’s board of directors for a lucrative $83,000-a-month while his father was in charge of U.S. policy towards Ukraine as vice president, including anti-corruption efforts.
The former VP’s son worked for Burisma between 2014 and 2019 despite the conflict of interest and corruption concerns raised by Obama administration officials and others.
Senate Republicans are currently investigating the Bidens’ dealings in Ukraine, particularly as they relate to Burisma.
Hunter has defied multiple court orders issued by the Arkansas tribunal.
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