Hunter Biden has asked a court to drop a costly legal battle that he can no longer afford, citing "significant" debt to the tune of millions.
The extent of Biden's financial problems was shared in a court document asking to end a lawsuit against Garrett Ziegler. Biden sued Ziegler, a former Trump White House aide, for publishing the contents of Biden's infamous laptop online.
Dwindling book and art sales, along with fire damage to his Los Angeles rental home, have left Biden in "significant" debt, leaving him unable to litigate the case further, his attorneys said.
“[Hunter] has suffered a significant downturn in his income and has significant debt in the millions of dollars range,” Biden's motion said.
It's a dramatic change in circumstances for the former president's son, who was scrutinized for years over his extravagant lifestyle and lucrative foreign business dealings that eventually led to criminal charges for tax evasion.
Biden received the lucky break of a lifetime when his father, former president Joe Biden, granted a blanket pardon in December, extending retroactively to 2014, the year Hunter Biden started working for the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma Holdings.
While he may be clear of legal jeopardy, Biden's financial situation has taken a downturn with the end of his father's political career, on which Hunter had long been reliant for employment.
As Biden explained to the court, profits from his memoir, Beautiful Things, and sketchy art career have dried up.
“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,” Biden said.
Additionally, Biden said he expected paid speaking engagements to be forthcoming based on "positive reviews" of his book and art, but "that has not happened."
While changed political fortunes appear to have hurt his financial situation, Hunter Biden was also impacted by the wildfires in Los Angeles, which left his rental home in Malibu "unlivable."
As a result, Biden "has had difficulty in finding a new permanent place to live as well as finding it difficult to earn a living." With his financial means significantly reduced, Biden is focused on finding a new home and helping his family manage their expenses.
"So, Plaintiff must focus his time and resources dealing with his relocation, the damage he has incurred due to the fires, and paying for his family’s living expenses as opposed to this litigation," his lawyers said.
Hunter Biden previously claimed he was poor during his child support battle with a former stripper, Lunden Roberts, who used Ziegler as an expert witness.
Biden eventually settled that dispute in 2023, agreeing to pay an undisclosed amount and leave his daughter with some of his paintings - although, according to Biden, his artwork has since lost much of its value.
