A District Judge presiding over the federal tax case involving Hunter Biden rejected a series of motions by the president's son to dismiss the charges against him.
Judge Mark Scarsi threw out all eight motions submitted by Biden's legal team, asking him to dismiss the entirety of the indictment, relying on various legal arguments.
According to NBC News, one of Biden's defense motions focused on a plea deal that had failed, claiming that a diversion agreement was still valid. The defense implied that specific charges would be dropped if the terms were met.
A second motion claimed that Biden was selectively singled out by prosecutors, while a separate motion argued that special counsel David Weiss, responsible for leading the prosecution, was not appointed to his position in accordance with the correct procedures.
While rejecting the selective prosecution defense, the judge said Biden "fails to present a reasonable inference, let alone clear evidence, of discriminatory effect and discriminatory purpose."
Scarsi also dismissed the claim that statements made by congressional Republicans influenced the prosecutors' handling of the case.
"Politicians take credit for many things over which they have no power and have made no impact. As counsel conceded at the hearing, just because someone says they influenced a prosecutorial decision does not mean that they did," the judge said.
According to CNN, the judge criticized the legal team for depending on news articles and social media content to claim that special counsel David Weiss instigated the charges due to coercion from former President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.
"The motion is remarkable in that it fails to include a single declaration, exhibit, or request for judicial notice. Instead, Defendant cites portions of various Internet news sources, social media posts, and legal blogs. These citations, however, are not evidence," the judge said.
Biden's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, who made his case for three hours, was later critical of the judge's decision to reject the motions.
"We strongly disagree with the Court's decision and will continue to vigorously pursue Mr. Biden's challenges to the abnormal way the Special Counsel handled this investigation and charged this case," Lowell said.
The trial is expected to begin in June.
Biden faces three felony charges and six misdemeanor charges related to taxation. He has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges
Biden is facing another criminal lawsuit concerning his alleged purchase of a firearm while using narcotics. He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and presented similar arguments to dismiss the case.
