WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden made a request to the judge on Wednesday to approve subpoenas for documents from Donald Trump and former Justice Department officials. He alleges that the former president applied political pressure to a criminal investigation of him.
Biden’s legal team claims there were “certain instances that appear to suggest incessant, improper, and partisan pressure applied” by Trump to his then-Attorney General William Barr and two top deputies, Jeffrey Rosen and Richard Donoghue.
Although the charges against President Joe Biden‘s son were not brought until this year, the investigation into his taxes and a gun purchase began in 2018, while Trump, a Republican, was still president.
The court filing cites public comments made by Trump, information from the House panel that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and details from Barr’s book in which he described bubbling tension after Trump tried to pressure him over the status of the Hunter Biden probe.
As defense attorneys fight the federal firearms case filed against Hunter Biden, who is accused of breaking laws against drug users having guns, there is a push for a subpoena. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case is on a track toward a possible trial in 2024.
Hunter Biden had been expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges, but that agreement imploded after a judge raised questions about it during a July hearing.
The special counsel overseeing the case has indicated that new tax charges are possible in Washington or in California, where Hunter Biden lives.
A representative for Trump did not immediately return an email message seeking comment.
