Hunter Biden is dropping his lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani and his former attorney over his so-called “laptop from hell.”
Last year, Hunter sued Giuliani and his former attorney Robert Costello for alleged violations of computer fraud and data access over the notorious laptop left at a Delaware computer repair shop. The president’s son claimed that Giuliani, Costello and other unnamed people are “among those who have been primarily responsible for what has been described as the ‘total annihilation’ of Plaintiff’s digital privacy.”
The first son accused them of violating computer fraud and data access laws.
Information on the laptop — which included purported emails, text messages and explicit photos — later reached the public eye. Reviews from news outlets such as CBS News and The Washington Post revealed the data was authentic. Ever since, Hunter’s laptop has served as fuel for right-wing opponents and played a part in Biden’s recent conviction on three federal gun charges.
Now, Hunter, Giuliani and Costello have all filed an agreement to drop the case and will pay their own legal fees.
“As Giuliani is in bankruptcy and agreed to have the case waiting for when he is done, it made no sense to continue it in a non-bankruptcy court until that happens,” a person familiar with the filing told NBC News on Thursday.
The president’s son was initially seeking $75,000 in damages, which may have been difficult for the since-bankrupt Giuliani.
The former New York mayor declared bankruptcy in December after being ordered to pay two election workers after he pushed a baseless conspiracy over their part in the 2020 election. He has subsequently missed deadlines to file financial disclosures.
Last month, the judge also blocked Giuliani from appealing a $148m defamation judgment against him.
In the meantime, Giuliani has turned to other business ventures — such as his new coffee company, Rudy.Coffee. He sells several variations, with tag lines such as “fighting for justice” with an image of Giuliani from his time as US attorney for the Southern District of New York and “enjoying life,” with an image of a flip-flop-wearing Mr Guiliani sitting on a beach.
Hunter’s decision to drop the lawsuit also comes days after a felony conviction. On Tuesday, 12 Delaware jurors unanimously convicted Hunter on three felony gun charges, marking the first time a sitting president’s child has been found guilty of a crime.
Special counsel David Weiss brought three gun-related charges against him last September, after the president’s son unlawfully purchased a firearm by lying on a federal gun form about his drug use. His sentencing on the federal case will come at a later date.
The president’s son will also go on trial in September in California for nine tax-related criminal charges, three of which are felony counts.
