Hunter Biden Drops Lawsuit Against Trump Aide, Citing Financial Struggles
Hunter Biden has requested a federal judge dismiss his lawsuit against a former Trump aide, citing serious financial difficulties that make continuing the case unsustainable.
In documents submitted Wednesday to a federal court in California, attorneys for President Joe Biden’s son asked U.S. District Judge Hernan D. Vera to terminate the lawsuit filed in 2023 against Garrett Ziegler. According to the filing, Biden's income “has dropped significantly,” and he is now facing millions in debt.
The filing also noted that recent wildfires in the Pacific Palisades worsened Biden’s financial situation by rendering his rented home “unlivable for an extended period of time.”
Biden's legal team stated he has struggled to “find a new permanent place to live” and to generate income, arguing that his limited resources would be better spent addressing relocation challenges, property damage, and family living expenses “rather than this litigation.”
The lawsuit, initiated in September 2023, accused Ziegler and his organization Marco Polo of violating both state and federal laws. Biden alleged they had attempted to compile a searchable database containing 128,000 emails believed to be from his laptop.
Ziegler, who formerly served as an aide to Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro between 2019 and 2021, previously tried to have the case dismissed, but that request was denied.
In a separate court filing, Hunter Biden expressed that he is “not in a position where I can borrow money,” and detailed the decline in his revenue from art sales and speaking opportunities. While he once earned a living through art and public appearances—based on interest in his paintings and memoir—his legal team noted that “has not happened.”
Biden revealed that in the two to three years leading up to the lawsuit, he sold 27 pieces of art at an average of $54,500 each. However, since the suit began, he has only managed to sell a single piece for $36,000.
He is also contending with legal troubles related to federal gun charges and a separate tax case. Although he was due for sentencing in December for the gun charge, President Joe Biden issued an unconditional pardon.
Additionally, Hunter Biden is reportedly facing allegations of owing over $300,000 in unpaid rent to previous landlords.
Earlier this week, Biden also withdrew a separate lawsuit against two Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers. That case, filed in September 2023, claimed IRS Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler had “targeted and sought to embarrass” him by publicly discussing private tax information.
Shapley and Ziegler, who had testified before the House Oversight Committee, alleged they faced interference during their investigation into Hunter Biden.
“It’s always been clear that the lawsuit was an attempt to intimidate us,” the pair said in a statement following the case’s dismissal, according to the New York Post. “Intimidation and retaliation were never going to work. We truly wanted our day in court to provide the complete story, but it appears Mr. Biden was afraid to actually fight this case in a court of law after all.”
“His voluntary dismissal of the case tells you everything you need to know about who was right and who was wrong,” they added.
Legal representatives for the whistleblowers emphasized that the case was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled in any court.