Hunter Biden Hires High-Profile Criminal Defense Lawyer as Plea Talks Break Down

Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, is facing upcoming trial for tax fraud and has recently hired a new criminal defense lawyer, Mark Geragos, to prepare for his defense. This comes as Hunter is reportedly facing financial difficulties and his legal slush fund has dried up without a plea deal in sight.

Geragos, a well-known attorney from Los Angeles, has represented both celebrity clients and family members of US presidents in high-profile cases. He joined Hunter’s legal team in July, according to court filings. The addition of Geragos to the defense team comes after plea talks between Hunter’s attorneys and special counsel David Weiss broke down.

One person close to Hunter’s patron and “sugar brother,” Kevin Morris, revealed that Morris got involved financially because he could see that no one else was going to help Hunter. Morris, a high-power Hollywood lawyer, had privately confessed that financial resources were “pretty dire” and he was “completely tapped out.” Morris had loaned Hunter over $6.5 million, with at least $2 million going toward paying off Hunter’s back taxes owed to the IRS.

Hunter had already faced legal challenges before the tax fraud trial. In June, he faced a trial on three felony gun charges related to buying a handgun while he was addicted to crack cocaine. The trial resulted in a conviction on all counts. Hunter had also previously dismissed another attorney, Christopher Clark, from his legal defense team after the collapse of a probation-only plea deal for both the tax and gun charges.

Geragos has taken the lead in filing various motions in California federal court, including one to dismiss the tax fraud case based on the alleged unlawful appointment of special counsel David Weiss. Geragos has a track record of legal victories, including winning a dismissal for Roger Clinton, the brother of former President Bill Clinton, on alcohol-related charges. He has also represented high-profile clients like Michael Jackson, Jussie Smollett, and Chris Brown in their legal cases.

Federal prosecutors have hinted at having sufficient evidence that Hunter improperly lobbied US officials as part of his overseas business dealings. However, they have indicated that this evidence will not be introduced in the tax fraud trial. The indictment against Hunter alleges that he evaded $1.4 million in tax payments between 2016 and 2019, spending millions on an extravagant lifestyle instead.

The prosecution claims that Hunter wrote off his lavish expenses as “business” expenses, even though he admitted in his memoir that they were actually used for “partying and using drugs.” The government’s evidence includes draft chapters of Hunter’s memoir that were completed before he filed his taxes, detailing his time in California and describing the luxury hotels where he partied and used drugs. This contradicts his claim that these expenses were legitimate business expenses.

Hunter is scheduled to go to trial on September 9 for the tax fraud charges and will be sentenced in the Delaware gun case on November 13, after Election Day. President Biden has pledged not to pardon Hunter in either case. The tax charges could potentially result in a 17-year sentence, while the gun charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 years.