Hunter Biden’s attempt to have all his tax charges thrown out was defeated Monday, letting the criminal case against him move forward.
A federal judge in California decided against the younger Biden, The Hill reports.
The decision confirms Biden faces three felony charges and six misdemeanor charges in connection to tax evasion, filing a false return and failing to pay taxes between 2016 and 2019.
Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
His attorneys argued last month the case was politically motivated and tainted by two IRS agents who later became whistleblowers, as Breitbart News reported.
The president’s son filed eight separate motions to dismiss the charges, citing different legal rationale for each including immunity claimed from a previous plea deal he had negotiated, all of which were denied.
U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi determined the case was not political, sidelining Biden’s main argument by noting Biden’s attorneys did not provide evidence for the claim.
Hunter Biden (right), son of President Joe Biden, has failed to have his tax charges thrown out (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty)
“The motion is remarkable in that it fails to include a single declaration, exhibit, or request for judicial notice,” he wrote. “Instead, Defendant cites portions of various Internet news sources, social media posts, and legal blogs. These citations, however, are not evidence.”
Scarsi added the sources, mostly media reports about the case, “contain multiple levels of hearsay.”
The Hill report sets out the judge similarly threw out Biden’s claim of selective and vindictive prosecution.
“Defendant fails to present a reasonable inference, let alone clear evidence, of discriminatory effect and discriminatory purpose,” Scarsi wrote.
“Accordingly, the selective prosecution claim fails.”
Hunter Biden could face a maximum of 17 years in prison if convicted. In total, the president’s son faces 42 years in federal prison for the nine tax and three gun charges.
He was indicted for gun violations in Delaware which he pleaded not guilty to while he remains a key witness in the House impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.