Hunter Biden appears in court for paternity case

Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, appeared in court in Arkansas on Monday in a paternity-related case, with a judge ordering he must answer questions about his finances.

NBC News and CNN reported on Monday that Hunter Biden, in a court appearance in Batesville, was ordered to sit for a deposition under oath in June.

The case stems from a paternity battle over a child Hunter Biden had with a woman in Arkansas named Lunden Roberts. Hunter Biden asked the court to reduce his child support payments last September after reaching a settlement with Roberts in 2020.

Now, the president’s son, who has been under intense scrutiny from congressional Republicans, will have to answer additional questions about his finances, including investments and art sales.

Roberts also asked for Hunter Biden to be held in contempt of court and jailed for allegedly not complying with court orders to turn over financial records.

“The defendant is playing games with this court,” Roberts’s lawyers wrote in a filing last month. “This court should incarcerate the defendant in the Cleburne County Detention Center until he complies with this court’s orders and answers discovery. In the alternative, this court should sanction the defendant as appropriate and just.”

Independence County Circuit Judge Holly Meyer criticized Hunter Biden and his legal team for the records they had produced, arguing the “ability to redact is being somewhat abused,” according to CNN. Meyer ordered the Hunter Biden team to refile public versions of some records they submitted.

Hunter Biden’s lawyers also revealed for the first time he is paying $20,000 a month in child support to Roberts and has paid $750,000 total, according to CNN.

The state paternity case comes as Hunter Biden is also under federal investigation for potential tax crimes. U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss, a Trump-era appointee, is leading the probe.

The federal investigation resurfaced in headlines earlier this month after a possible whistleblower accused the Biden administration of mishandling the investigation into potential tax crimes. The alleged whistleblower is seeking protection to testify before Congress.

Hunter Biden’s lawyers met with federal investigators about the case last week, according to NBC News.