Hunter Biden's legal team alleges that the special counsel will transform his tax trial into a malicious character smear campaign.
During a hearing in Los Angeles, lawyers for President Joe Biden's son went after special counsel David Weiss and his team, who secured a conviction for Hunter Biden on gun charges earlier this summer and are now aiming for a win in his tax trial next month.
As stated by Hunter Biden's lawyer Mark Geragos, Weiss is trying to smear his client by presenting an "independent counsel-style sensational prosecution" and making him appear guilty by selectively focusing on certain facts to sway the jury towards a guilty verdict.
Geragos labeled this approach as "a form of character assassination."
The hearing saw District Judge Mark Scarsi make decisions on important evidentiary issues, generally favoring the prosecution and making it more challenging for Biden's defense. He has pleaded not guilty to nine charges, which include three tax felonies.
From his bench, Scarsi ruled that Biden's team could not inform the jury that he eventually paid his full $2 million tax debt. Additionally, an expert witness that the defense wanted to use to explain how addiction impacted Biden's decision-making was barred from presenting evidence.
Geragos described the addiction angle as "the mainstay of the defense," arguing that they planned to illustrate how the child abuse he endured after his mother and brother's death drove him into alcoholism and drug abuse.
The defense aims to show the jury that "there is a connection between the grips of addiction and the alleged tax evasion," Geragos said.
However, prosecutors challenged this by stating that the origins of Biden's addiction have no bearing on the case.
"Regardless of how many drugs you take, you don't suddenly forget that when you make $11 million, you need to pay taxes," special counsel prosecutor Leo Wise argued.
Prosecutors have accused Biden of engaging in a decade-long plan to dodge paying $1.4 million in taxes, while simultaneously indulging in extravagant expenses such as strippers, luxury cars, and upscale hotels.
Wise contended during Wednesday's hearing that the jury must be presented with these salacious details to prove that Biden intentionally misrepresented these as business expenses, thereby reducing his tax liability. For instance, Wise mentioned that a witness would testify that she met Biden in a strip club and was later paid $1,400 for "artwork," even though she hadn't sold him any art.
Wise added, "You can spend $30,000 on an adult entertainment website if you wish – it is not illegal, but you cannot claim it as a business expense."
Geragos retorted, "They are painting a picture for the jury of someone who just moved to West Hollywood and started doing cocaine...and didn't bother paying his taxes, as if he didn't have a care in the world...this is indeed a form of character assassination."
In the ongoing legal battle, the prosecution's strategy in Hunter Biden's tax trial is seen as delving into his personal life, aiming to tarnish his reputation by highlighting his extravagant expenses and potential tax evasion, which Geragos believes is a form of 'character assault' through 'politics of guilt by association'.
Given the intense focus on Hunter Biden's financial records and spending habits, the debate in the courtroom has stirred broader discussions on the role of politics in criminal proceedings and how such tactics can influence public perception.
