Hunter Biden, embroiled in a legal battle over alleged laptop hacking, has requested a federal judge dismiss his lawsuit against Garrett Ziegler, a former aide in the Trump White House.
Biden cites his financial struggles, exacerbated by the loss of a home in the Los Angeles wildfires, as the reason for his inability to continue the litigation. Court documents reveal that Biden, 55, is grappling with "millions of dollars" in debt, a situation worsened by the recent Pacific Palisades wildfires, which rendered his rented home "unlivable."
According to The New York Post, Biden's attorneys have highlighted his financial difficulties, stating, "[Hunter] has suffered a significant downturn in his income and has significant debt in the millions of dollars range." The motion filed in California federal court underscores the impact of the wildfires on his living situation, with Biden lamenting, "Like many others in that situation, I am having difficulty in finding a new permanent place to live."
Biden's financial woes are further compounded by declining sales of his artwork and memoir. He detailed in the court filing that, "In the 2 to 3 years prior to December 2023, I sold 27 pieces for art at an average price of $54,481.48, but since then I have only sold 1 piece of art for $36,000." Similarly, his memoir, "Beautiful Things," has experienced a drop in sales, with only 1,100 copies sold in the six months following September 2023, compared to 3,161 copies in the preceding six months. Despite receiving "positive feedback and reviews" for his work, Biden expressed disappointment that anticipated paid speaking engagements and appearances have not materialized.
The lawsuit against Ziegler, initiated by Biden in 2023, accuses the former aide of illegally accessing and disseminating the contents of Biden's laptop through Ziegler's right-wing nonprofit website, Marco Polo. Ziegler, who served under Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro, has made much of the laptop's data public since its initial exposure by The Post in 2020.
The suit alleges violations of computer fraud and data laws, involving "tens of thousands of emails, thousands of photos, and dozens of videos and recordings" from the laptop.
In addition to the case against Ziegler, Biden is entangled in legal proceedings with John Paul Mac Isaac, the former Delaware computer repair shop owner linked to the initial leak of the laptop data. Biden's recent filing indicates a strategic reassessment of his legal battles, stating that he is evaluating each case "on a case-by-case basis to allocate my limited resources."
As Biden navigates these legal challenges, the broader implications of his financial and legal predicaments remain a point of interest. The situation underscores the complexities faced by public figures entangled in legal disputes, particularly when financial constraints come into play.
Login