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Hunter Biden plans to level a lawsuit against the right-wing network Fox News “imminently,” according to a letter obtained by multiple outlets on Monday.
The letter, issued by Biden attorney Mark Geragos, warns Fox News Corp. and Fox News Digital that they are preparing to sue over “conspiracy and subsequent actions to defame Mr. Biden and paint him in a false light, as well as the unlicensed commercial exploitation of his image, name and likeness, and the unlawful publication of hacked intimate images of him.”
The letter specifically mentions “The Trial of Hunter Biden,” a six-part “mock trial” imagining what criminal proceedings against Biden might look like if he were charged with acting as a foreign agent and bribery. Biden’s legal team is demanding the series be taken down from Fox’s streaming services.
Biden has long been the target of harassment by right-wing politicians and public figures, who have attempted to weaponize the president’s son’s struggle with addiction, and his own personal legal issues as attacks against President Biden.
Hunter Biden’s finances have been under investigation for nearly five years. Three separate congressional committees are currently investigating him in the hopes of proving allegations of corruption against the president. In December, the House of Representatives voted along party lines to authorize an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The inquiry is largely based on unproven allegations that the president’s son aided his father in conducting corrupt business arrangements with foreign entities.
The probe has turned up very little in the way of anything resembling “high crimes and misdemeanors,” with Republicans themselves admitting that “at this point, there’s not a specific crime that has been committed” by Biden.
The GOP’s corruption goose chase received a major blow in February when the Department of Justice charged Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant and a key figure in the GOP’s conspiracies about the Biden family, with lying to investigators.
The lawmakers targeting Biden have been heavily aided by members of the right-wing media. Fox News has been at the forefront of the charge. A February study by the progressive watchdog group Media Matters found that host Sean Hannity aired 325 segments related to Hunter Biden in 2023. A separate study published earlier this month found that the network as a whole mentioned Hunter Biden at least 13,440 times since Jan. 3, 2023.
The head of the impeachment probe against President Biden, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) appeared“on Fox weekday programs at least 137 times since the start of the 118th Congress.”
For years, the younger Biden had kept a low profile amid the many investigations, conspiracies, and outright lies leveled against him, often under the advice of lawyers. In a rare interview given in December, Hunter Biden said that — in his view — fading into the background did virtually nothing to stem the tide of conservative ire. Recently, Biden has begun taking a more offensive role in his public defense, suing various individuals, including former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and the IRS over alleged criminal violations of his privacy.
He’s now reportedly poised to take that fight to Fox News. “For the last five years, Fox News has relentlessly attacked Hunter Biden and made him a caricature in order to boost ratings and for its financial gain,” Biden’s attorney said in a statement to NBC News. “The recent indictment of FBI informant Smirnov has exposed the conspiracy of disinformation that has been fueled by Fox, enabled by their paid agents and monetized by the Fox enterprise. We plan on holding them accountable.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
