Judge skep­ti­cal as Hunter Biden asks for dis­missal of tax charges

Judge Mark Scar­si appeared skep­ti­cal dur­ing a hear­ing in Los Ange­les on Wednes­day as Hunter Biden‘s attor­ney argued that the first son’s nine tax charges should be dropped.
Scar­si, an appointee of for­mer Pres­i­dent Don­ald Trump, scru­ti­nized attor­ney Abbe Lowell’s claim that the Depart­ment of Justice’s charges against Biden were the result of a Repub­li­can pres­sure cam­paign, as well as the claim that a defunct plea deal also shield­ed the first son from charges, accord­ing to reports from the court­room.
Low­ell was present at the hear­ing, as was spe­cial coun­sel David Weiss. Biden waived his appear­ance and did not attend.
Biden’s attor­neys had argued in court fil­ings ahead of the hear­ing that the tax charges should be dis­missed …