There is a notable filing this week in Los Angeles where Hunter Biden is seeking to dismiss one of his many lawsuits against individuals associated with disclosing or discussing the contents of his infamous laptop. While Hunter spent years suggesting that the laptop images and emails might be Russian disinformation (with the help of obliging mainstream media), the contents were found to be authentic by courts and agencies. In seeking to drop his lawsuit against an ex-White House aide, Garrett Ziegler, Biden claims to be, again, in financial ruin.
What is notable is not just the underlying claims of economic distress but who filed them. The attorney, Bryan M. Sullivan, a partner at Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP, previously threatened me and others with lawsuits for writing on the scandal in relation to support that Hunter received from lawyer Kevin Morris (who appeared to be both his financial backer and his lawyer).
Years ago, I wrote about how the Biden team had decided to use a scorched earth strategy to target critics. Various people, including myself, were threatened with lawsuits—actions that could drain the targets of hundreds of thousands of dollars and tie them up in court for years.
In my case, I received a letter from Sullivan that I could face a defamation action if I do not retract (or if I repeat) my criticism of Morris’s representational relationship with Hunter. I responded by immediately revealing the contents of his letter and repeating those allegations. Sullivan and Morris never sued.
Now, however, Sullivan is filing as counsel for Hunter and claiming that he is the victim of circumstances and that it would be unfair to continue litigation that he started in targeting one of his critics.
The filing cites the loss of the home in the recent fires. He does not own the home.
“Moreover, this lack of resources has been exacerbated after the fires in the Pacific Palisades in early January upended Plaintiff’s life by rendering his rental house unlivable for an extended period of time and, like many others in that situation, Plaintiff has had difficulty in finding a new permanent place to live as well as finding it difficult to earn a living… So, Plaintiff must focus his time and resources dealing with his relocation, the damage he has incurred due to the fires, and paying for his family’s living expenses as opposed to this litigation.”
Hunter notes that the home is now “unlivable” and that he and his family are struggling to find permanent housing. He adds that he has “suffered a significant downturn in his income and has significant debt in the millions of dollars range.”
Hunter has reportedly received millions not just from alleged influence peddling over the years, but from friends in the forms of loans and support. Throughout those years, he has continued to live a relatively extravagant lifestyle.
One line of income was created through his art sales. However, there were reports of a collapse in the value of Hunter’s art with the departure of his father from office. With the loss in the value of his influence, there was a telling drop in the demand for his art.
However, there are now indications that even the prior demand was inflated by media reports.
Georges Bergès, Hunter Biden’s art gallerist, contradicted the White House’s claims about the handling of the art. Hunter reportedly did know who purchased roughly 70% of the value of his art, including Democratic donors Morris and Elizabeth Hirsh Naftali.
Biden’s allies in the media hyped the sales to show that Hunter was a legitimate artist. However, Bergès admitted that Morris actually purchased much of the art. Morris has reportedly given Hunter millions to cover unpaid taxes and expenses. Hunter only sold paintings to ten people for $1.5 million, according to congressional testimony from 2024. Morris bought 11 works for $875,000 in total.
The fires added an interesting wrinkle to the art controversy. As I explored in a prior column, the question was whether reports of some of the art being lost in the fire could result in the purchasers filing for insurance at inflated rates. There was even the possibility of Hunter filing for lost art.
Yet his lawyers are now claiming that he is in dire financial shape and cannot support the continuation of the lawsuit that he brought against Ziegler. What they seem most concerned about is that Ziegler will now seek fees and costs from Hunter. (Previously, Hunter was able to secure such costs from Ziegler for a filing that the court found meritless.)
The motion (below) provides new insights into how Hunter’s financial situation has declined due to his father and his family’s political influence.
The filing includes representations that:
“In the 2 to 3 years prior to December 2023, I sold 27 pieces of art at an average price of $54,481.48, but since then I have only sold 1 piece of art for $36,000. Similarly, for my book sales, in the six month period before the statements (April 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023), based on the September 30, 2023 statement, 3,161 copies of my book were sold, but in the six months after the statements, only approximately 1,100 books were sold.”
Notably, Hunter also says he cannot tap others for financial support. If true, that itself would be an alarming change for the scion of the Biden family. Hunter has long been the Blanche DuBois of presidential children and “always depended on the kindness of strangers.” Now, he is claiming that “in that Plaintiff has suffered significant financial setbacks in the past year and cannot borrow any more money.”
The filing also acknowledged that he has brought lawsuits against other targets that may now have to be reexamined:
“Plaintiff acknowledges that he has other civil actions pending and is assessing each one on a case-by-case basis to allocate his limited resources. (Biden Decl., at ¶ 7). Plaintiff cannot describe the details of those analyses as it involves attorney-client communications and the attorney work doctrine.”
Yet, these litigants were also forced to spend money after being targeted by the Biden team. Now that Hunter has secured a pardon from his father and is ready to move on, he suggests that these other litigants see their cases dropped. They are also likely to balk at the suggestion that they should not go quietly into that night (without recouping some of their fees and costs).
While Hunter insists that he “does not have the resources to continue to litigate this matter,” Ziegler and other litigants are likely to point to the aggressive pattern of lawsuits as evidence of an effort to drain critics, including the role of Sullivan himself.
It is not clear if Ziegler and others are going to note the aggressive litigation strategy of Hunter and his lawyers in seeking fees or costs. Years ago, the Washington Post details how Morris called for a “more aggressive” response to those seeking to investigate the alleged influence peddling, including hitting critics, such as Fox News, with possible defamation lawsuits.
For those critics, the message (which was notably fed to the Post) was clear: criticize the Bidens and face financial or personal ruin. Now, the team may find that their targets may not want to simply dismiss the case and walk away. It is the litigation version of the old Chinese proverb that the problem with riding a tiger is always the dismount. The problem with hitting critics with aggressive lawsuits is always the dismissal.
“However, there were reports of a collapse in the value of Hunter’s art with the departure of his father from office. With the loss in the value of his influence, there was a telling drop in the demand for his art.”
This says it all.
I am just waiting for the story of Hunter being found in a dumpster near a crackhouse. It will be on page 24, near the bottom.
The sooner the better. Then Joe can talk about Hunter having died in Ukraine while shooting Russian Invaders. The Biden crime syndicate is the worst pox ever inflicted on this country. Thanks Democrat POS
I’m sure Hunter’s “best Daddy in the world“ can float him a loan, say 10% interest?! Of course, he could refinance his mortgage every six months for some equity cash…
The Biden cabal should be prosecuted for their crimes.
Hunter is taking a page out of his Dad’s well-worn playbook. Biden lawfare……
Hunter and family should move into mommy and daddy’s basement.
Hey Hunter, I hear McDonald’s is hiring to get a job.
You would think that with such an “impressive” global work resume, Hunter would have no problem finding a job that would help him out of this financial mess. Based on his previous employment, I’m surprised companies aren’t rushing to hire him .
Radioactive.
Uh oh, looks like Hunter will be hitting the road on behalf of “THE BIG GUY” again to drum up some cash and possibly booty like diamonds, etc. Better dust off the old BAG that still smells like PAYOFF and start working the Rolodex (since the laptop is caput!). HAHA!
Hampton Dellinger has been fired again. Courtesy of the DC Court of Appeals. The dominoes continue to fall.
1-I have to think the Professor smiled the entire time he was writing this column.
2-Hunter Biden could check into a nearby federal prison and say that he has renounced his pardon and is ready to do his time.
Just think of the advantages for him
A-meals 3 times a day
B-a very handy place to lay his head each nite and concrete and cement block construction is unlikely to burn.
C-rehab facilities at hand
D-steady work in a laundry, garden, fieldwork along roadways,
E-he could deliver classes to the other inmates on painting, how to hide cocaine in the White House, as well as lectures on “how I went from cabinet meetings all the way down to group therapy in less than 6 months”. “How to lose millions with virtually no effort”.
F-how to have virtually every advantage in life and blow it.
Or if he wanted to perform real work he could found one of those pop-up NGO’s that USAid worked with. They did not exist in a prior years but then they got $billions for climate studies and every other useless thing under the sun.
Apparently, Hunter,
Is it now being referred to as “alleged” influence peddling? Turley has never categorized the claims regarding Hunter Biden or his father as “alleged.” He frequently presented these claims without indicating that they were merely allegations. His entire narrative deliberately suggested that influence peddling—which is legal—was a matter of fact.
Turley’s focus on this Hunter Biden story while more serious issues are at hand seems to indicate that he is running out of stories or narratives to deflect criticism or to steer the conversation away from the legal troubles surrounding the Trump administration like recent anti-free speech demands like calling to ban illegal protest and ignore worsening economic news. Moreover, Trump’s tariffs are driving up the prices of goods instead of lowering them, which is what his supporters had hoped to see addressed. Additionally, he is now granting exemptions on tariffs for autos for a month, which will impact the industry and the livelihoods of his supporters.
What about Trump personally thanking Justice Roberts for ‘saving’ him from being held accountable? Trump’s appearance of thanking the Chief Justice as if he did him a favor made Roberts look like he was subservient to Trump.
okay George, why don’t you do the footwork ( … never categorized the claims …) and help Turley out. Show us how smart you are.
Driving up prices? Please, you’re reciting .liberal dogma. Do the Research yourself instead of propagating others opinions.
George-In California , where there is smoke, there is a wildfire of biblical proportions.
Can’t find that wildfire scenario in the bible?
(Trump’s appearance of thanking the Chief Justice as if he did him a favor made Roberts look like he was subservient to Trump.), only in the eyes of cynical ideologues who would attempt the same or more if it meant furthering the cult.
@whimsicalmama
Agreed. And it is patently obvious, now. ‘Cult’ is too kind – leftism is a *religion* in 2025 – with the most in common with the Catholic inquisition of the Dark Ages – replete with sacraments. It is something to see, that’s for sure. The modern, globalist left are at the forefront of a new Dark Ages; let’s hope enough of us are smart and compassionate enough to vanquish them and instead, create a new Renaissance.
Amazing how fast this famed Artist’s work went out of favor.
The Hunter Biden saga is a modern-day farce of monumental proportions. It deserves scrutiny so we never again permit the circumstances that led to the Biden Crime Family (BCF). Good Democrats of which I am hopeful that there are some left, should embrace this search for the truth as much as Republicans, Independents, and Conservatives. Because of the Big Guy’s pardon, Hunter is free of prosecutions for the moment, but he can be forced to testify as to what he did and what he knows. Without the possibility of punishment, a pardoned person cannot invoke a Fifth Amendment privilege.
The Trump administration is currently cataloging some of the most outlandish expenditures of the Biden-Harris administration. It looks as though some of these expenditures were intended as money laundering vehicles to provide taxpayers’ money to accomplices who, in turn, had agreed to return a portion to the BCF. Attorney General Bondi should move with alacrity to secure Hunter’s knowledge of his family’s wrongdoing and that of himself, his business associates, as well as the purpose for the many LLCs created, it seems, to camouflage illegal payments for illegal representations on behalf of foreign governments illegally represented in the US by Hunter and his pals. The public deserves to know the extent and internal workings of the BCF, and Congress also needs this information to enact legislation that prevents a recurrence of it from ever happening.
Poor Hunter! He no longer has the White House as his home away from home. But … he can move to DE and live with Daddy Joe and help with assisted living chores. It would be interesting if defendant did some discovery on the claim of penury, looking into $$ from the Biden Family RICO business for example.
Paint garbage, write garbage, be human garbage. Blame everyone but ….
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
This blog is worse than a gossip columnist. Make it worth reading again.
Make Turley Great Again!
He is always great….He makes us great by introducing us to thoughtful insight that’s way above my pay grade
Agreed, but now its full of gossipy, less insightful, catering to a mob mentality. The commentary here lacks smarts, more demented.
Hey anonymous, no one is forcing you to read Turley’s blog. Just admit that his writings go over your head.
Hey anon, no one is asked for your childish opinion. Just admit that you mistake sarcasm for intelligence.
How did the Bidens commit Crimes for over 30 years and NOTHING happened?
Big friends in high places.
Share us your thoughtful insight and proof regarding your comment. You can’t, just blurt out anything that comes into mind.
It’s called go along get along, rule #1 in the Swamp creatures manual of taxpayer thieves.
Are we supposed to feel pity? Is there any reason to care?
Thanks goodness this awful family is now powerless.
I don’t think they will be powerless until the option of intimidation of others (of which I am sure the BCF has catalogued blackmailing info on many) has passed with the aging out of all of the grifters involved.