Hunter Biden sues Fox News for defamation, posting private photos

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
30 Apr 2024 10:49

Hunter Biden's lawyers demand Fox News take down their special, "The Trial of Hunter Biden", which is a six-part mock trial about his foreign business dealings, which also published “intimate images of Mr. Biden depicting him in the nude as well as engaged in sex acts."

Hunter Biden and his wife Melissa, arrive with President Biden on Air Force One, at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. on March 29, 2024. (AP)

Hunter Biden is threatening to sue Fox News for defamation, exploitation of his image, and publication of hacked photos, according to a letter sent to Fox News and obtained by Axios.

The younger Biden's legal team penned in the letter that they anticipate "imminent" litigation against Fox News and asked its hosts, including Sean Hannity, Jesse Watters, and Maria Bartiromo, to preserve documentation.

They additionally demanded Fox News to take down their special, "The Trial of Hunter Biden", which is a six-part mock trial about his foreign business dealings, which also published “intimate images of Mr. Biden depicting him in the nude as well as engaged in sex acts,” according to the letter.

Lawyer Tina Glandian, a partner at Geragos & Geragos, said, "While routinely defaming and disparaging Mr. Biden, FOX has simultaneously sought to profit by the unlawful exploitation of Mr. Biden's image, name, and likeness for commercial purposes and reprehensible dissemination of salacious photographs depicting Mr. Biden."

In the letter, the lawyers said that these images violated “the majority of states’ laws against the nonconsensual disclosure of sexually explicit images and videos, sometimes referred to as ‘revenge porn’ laws.”

Glandian also demanded that Fox News hosts update viewers about the indictment of former informant Alexander Smirnov, charged with lying to the FBI about Hunter's business dealings. She also asked that all articles online be updated with an editor's note.

Alexander Smirnov, 43-year-old US-Israeli, was reportedly arrested last week and indicted for fabricating accusations that Hunter sought multi-million-dollar bribes from the Ukrainian company Burisma, where he served on the board, to shield it from an investigation during his father's tenure as US Vice President.

It is worth noting that Smirnov is charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record in connection with an FBI investigation. If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

The lawsuit has created tension with his father's White House advisors, who urged Hunter to lay low and not publicly fight back but has kept his father's support.

Two people familiar with the matter revealed to Axios that lawyer Abbe Lowell has handled most of this new strategy, but is not involved in the potential litigation against Fox News because of a legal conflict.

Hunter is set to face trial in Delaware in early June for alleged gun crimes.

Lowell still has several pending motions to dismiss the felony gun charges in Delaware.

Later that month, Hunter's California-based trial on federal tax charges is set to begin. Hunter has pleaded not guilty and would face significant jail time if convicted.