Hunter Biden’s legal team has criticized prosecutors for attempting to introduce “politically-charged” allegations related to his foreign business dealings into his upcoming federal tax trial. Special Counsel David Weiss plans to call a business associate of Hunter Biden to testify about an arrangement with a Romanian businessman, Gabriel Popoviciu, who allegedly sought to influence U.S. government policy during Joe Biden's vice presidency.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys argued in court filings Sunday that these matters are irrelevant to the trial, which focuses on at least $1.4 million in unpaid taxes from 2016 to 2019. They contend that such testimony could mislead jurors and criticized prosecutors for bringing up these issues “at the eleventh hour,” especially since the indictment does not mention political influence.
The defense claims that the prosecution’s strategy mirrors unfounded allegations promoted by House Republicans, aiming to exploit Hunter Biden’s legitimate business dealings for political attacks against him and his father.
Prosecutors argue that introducing evidence of Hunter Biden’s dealings with Popoviciu is crucial to countering the defense’s claims that Biden’s drug use impaired his judgment and decision-making. They assert that Biden’s actions demonstrate he had the capacity to engage in high-stakes lobbying efforts, receiving substantial payments for attempting to influence U.S. policy.
According to prosecutors, Popoviciu sought U.S. intervention in his bribery case in Romania. Hunter Biden and his business associate agreed to structure the arrangement to mask its true nature, presenting payments as compensation for “management services” related to real estate in Romania. In reality, the payments were for lobbying efforts aimed at influencing U.S. agencies, with Hunter Biden’s associate receiving over $3 million, which was shared with Hunter and another business partner.
This trial follows Hunter Biden’s recent conviction on three felony gun charges, where he was found guilty of falsely declaring on a gun purchase form that he was not using or addicted to drugs.
