Hunter Biden’s legal troubles took a decidedly difficult turn earlier this year when he was convicted on a series of federal gun charges.
However, a judge in California just dealt Democrat President Joe Biden’s son another blow that could impact his fate in another federal case poised for trial.
As Fox News reports, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi, set to preside over Hunter Biden’s tax trial next month, granted immunity to Hallie Biden to secure her testimony in the criminal proceedings.
Hallie is the widow of Hunter Biden’s late brother, Beau.
She is also the former lover of Hunter Biden.
It was in earlier, pre-trial proceedings that the former sister-in-law/onetime girlfriend of Hunter Biden informed federal prosecutors that she would not testify in the tax case.
They cited “her privilege against self-incrimination.”
At issue in the case are charges against Hunter Biden that allege that he failed to pay upwards of $1.4 million in taxes over the course of three years and that he filed false returns.
During the time at issue, the first son is said to have spent funds that could have been used to pay tax liabilities on things such as escort services, drugs, luxury vehicles, and more.
In response to her prior indication of reluctance to testify at trial, Scarsi issued an order stating that Hallie Biden must “give testimony or provide other information which she refuses to give or to provide on the basis of her privilege against self-incrimination as to all matters about which he may be interrogated in the course of these proceedings.”
Scarsi went on, “It is further ordered that no testimony or other information compelled under this order, or any information directly or indirectly derived from such testimony or information, shall be used against Hallie Biden in any criminal case, except that she shall not be exempted by this order from prosecution for perjury, giving a false statement, or otherwise failing to comply with this order.”
The news that Hallie Biden will be compelled to testify in the tax trial was likely not welcomed by Hunter Biden and his legal team, particularly given her appearance on the stand in his gun case.
As the Associated Press noted at the time, Hallie Biden told jurors in a Delaware courtroom a series of damning details about Hunter Biden’s drug use at the time of the alleged firearms offenses.
Hallie Biden recalled the moment she found the gun at issue in Hunter’s truck.
She explained that she swiftly attempted to discard it without his knowledge for fear he would hurt himself or someone else.
Beau Biden’s widow also testified to having found crack cocaine remnants and other drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.
The jurors likely used this information in rendering their guilty verdict.
When asked directly if Hunter Biden had been using drugs at the time he affirmed under oath on a federal gun purchase form that he was not, Hallie Biden said, “He could have been.”
Adding to Hunter Biden’s legal stress is the fact that his sentencing in the felony gun case has just been set, and it will now take place on Nov. 13, as Reuters reports.
Though federal guidelines suggest that a sentence of between 15 and 21 months in prison is a possibility, legal observers believe that the first son is unlikely to receive a term of incarceration near that length — if any at all.
It remains to be seen whether Hunter’s lame-duck president father will offer a presidential pardon in the gun case or on the tax charges during his remaining time in the White House.
Only time will tell.
