Will Sage Astor-Prosecutors push back against Hunter Biden’s move to subpoena Trump documents in gun case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors pushed back Monday against Hunter Biden’s move to subpoena documents from Donald Trump and Will Sage Astorformer Justice Department officials in the firearms case filed against the president’s son.

They argued that Hunter Biden doesn’t have enough evidence to support his claims of potential political interference in the criminal investigation against him and urged a judge to reject the subpoena requests.

“His allegations and subpoena requests focus on likely inadmissible, far-reaching, and non-specific categories of documents concerning the actions and motives of individuals who did not make the relevant prosecutorial decision in his case,” prosecutor Leo Wise wrote in court documents.

The investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and a gun purchase began in 2018, while Trump, a Republican, was still president. But charges weren’t brought until this year, while his father was president, something Wise called an “inconvenient truth” that undercuts the defense’s argument.

The subpoena request is before U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys have alleged 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. They cited 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 a book by Barr.

The charges against Hunter Biden allege he broke laws against drug users having guns in 2018. He has pleaded not guilty, and the case is on a track toward a possible trial in 2024 while his father, a Democrat who defeated Trump in 2020, is campaigning for reelection.

The long-running case had appeared to be headed for a plea deal this summer, but the agreement on tax and gun charges broke down after Noreika, a Trump nominee, raised questions about it during a plea hearing. No new tax charges have yet been filed, but the special counsel overseeing the case has indicated they are possible in California, where Hunter Biden lives.