Hunter Biden has asked a judge to prevent his four-year-old daughter from using his surname.
President Joe Biden’s son is in the midst of a court case to lower child support payments to ex Lunden Roberts, with whom he had a child, Navy Joan Roberts, in 2018.
Mr Biden’s paternity was established by DNA test after he initially denied having a sexual relationship with Ms Roberts, a former stripper whom he met in Washington DC.
In late December, Ms Roberts asked Circuit Court Judge Holly Meyer to allow their daughter to use the Biden name, claiming it would be beneficial to the girl later in life.
She argued the name is “now synonymous with being well educated, successful, financially acute and politically powerful” and it would open up opportunities for Navy, “just like it has for other members of the Biden family”.
KNWA reports that the filing includes 13 bullet points supporting the name change request including that Mr Biden was a “wildly successful businessman”; her biological uncle, the late Beau Biden, “was a man of high moral character, loved and well-regarded by all, and the former Attorney General of the State of Delaware”; and her grandfather is the current President of the United States.
The request also states that “the defendant, the President, First Lady, and other members of the Biden family remain estranged from the child”.
“To the extent, this is misconduct or neglect, it can be rectified by changing her last name to Biden so that she may undeniably be known to the world as the child of the defendant and member of the prestigious Biden family,” the court filing states.
Mr Biden has argued against the value of his last name, The New York Post reports, saying that his family name is now a lightning rod for criticism and would deny the child a “peaceful existence”.
His lawyer filed a motion asking Judge Meyer to deny the request, arguing that Navy should decide about using the name herself once “the disparagement of the Biden name is not at its height”.
In making the argument against Ms Roberts, Mr Biden used her own criticisms and motions in court documents against her.
His lawyers pointed to court filings that reference federal investigations into Mr Biden’s tax affairs and dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma.
He claims her motivation is “political warfare” against the Biden family and references her earlier attempt to redact their daughter’s name and other identifying information from court records and her “disparaging comments in various other motions and responses”.
The president’s son also has an investigation into his infamous laptop and business dealings hanging over him now that the Republican Party has taken control of the House of Representatives.
Mr Biden has asked the court to reset child support, arguing a substantial material change in his financial circumstances, including but not limited to his income.
A continuance was granted on 3 January on the child support matter. No ruling has been made on the name change request. The case will next be heard on 22 February.
Mr Biden has three other daughters from his first marriage to Kathleen Buhle and one son by his current wife, Melissa Cohen.
