Hunter Biden has settled a long-standing child support dispute with an Arkansas woman who is the mother of one of his children, apparently concluding the latest legal dispute that has created headlines for President Biden’s son.
Hunter Biden and the child’s mother, Lunden Roberts, agreed to settle the case, according to a document filed in Arkansas court on Thursday. Biden, who has been paying child support of $20,000 per month, will likely have that payment reduced.
The president’s son, who is trying to launch a career as a painter, also agreed to provide several of his paintings, which could be sold to benefit his young daughter.
“The child shall select the painting which shall either be sent to the child or sent to a gallery designated by Lunden Roberts,” the agreement states. “The net proceeds of any sales of paintings shall be wired to an account designated by Lunden Roberts.”
Roberts also agreed to drop her attempts to rename their daughter. She had petitioned to give the girl, who is now 4, the last name Biden, arguing that it carried prestige and cachet. Hunter Biden had resisted the move.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts did not immediately return requests for comment.
Republicans have long focused attention on the legal struggles of the president’s son, seeking to portray them as a reflection of the Biden family’s ostensible ethical challenges. Democrats have criticized the efforts as a misguided focus on the private battles of a presidential family member who has admitted to a long fight with drug addiction.
Last week, Hunter Biden reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to two minor tax crimes and admit to the facts of a gun charge, terms that will likely enable him to avoid jail time. That proposed deal still needs approval from a federal judge, which could come next month in Wilmington.
Some Republicans complain that this amounted to lenient treatment for the president’s son. Democrats reject that claim, noting that the prosecutor who pursued the case was appointed by former president Donald Trump.
The paternity case came about in 2019 when Hunter Biden denied fathering the baby, prompting Roberts to file a suit that paved the way for a DNA test confirming he was the father. The two sides settled that dispute in March 2020, and Hunter Biden began paying child support.
Last year, Hunter Biden’s lawyer filed a motion to reduce the payments, suggesting his client’s economic condition had worsened and citing “a substantial material change in [Biden’s] financial circumstances, including but not limited to his income.”
The apparent resolution of the two cases surrounding Hunter Biden come just as his father pivots to what is likely to be a hard-fought reelection campaign.
Still, the agreements do not mean that Hunter Biden is in the clear just yet. House Republicans have said they intend to pursue a series of investigations of the younger Biden, including an examination of his business dealings over the years.
Hunter Biden and the child’s mother, Lunden Roberts, agreed to settle the case, according to a document filed in Arkansas court on Thursday. Biden, who has been paying child support of $20,000 per month, will likely have that payment reduced.
The president’s son, who is trying to launch a career as a painter, also agreed to provide several of his paintings, which could be sold to benefit his young daughter.
“The child shall select the painting which shall either be sent to the child or sent to a gallery designated by Lunden Roberts,” the agreement states. “The net proceeds of any sales of paintings shall be wired to an account designated by Lunden Roberts.”
Roberts also agreed to drop her attempts to rename their daughter. She had petitioned to give the girl, who is now 4, the last name Biden, arguing that it carried prestige and cachet. Hunter Biden had resisted the move.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden and Lunden Roberts did not immediately return requests for comment.
Republicans have long focused attention on the legal struggles of the president’s son, seeking to portray them as a reflection of the Biden family’s ostensible ethical challenges. Democrats have criticized the efforts as a misguided focus on the private battles of a presidential family member who has admitted to a long fight with drug addiction.
Last week, Hunter Biden reached an agreement with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to two minor tax crimes and admit to the facts of a gun charge, terms that will likely enable him to avoid jail time. That proposed deal still needs approval from a federal judge, which could come next month in Wilmington.
Some Republicans complain that this amounted to lenient treatment for the president’s son. Democrats reject that claim, noting that the prosecutor who pursued the case was appointed by former president Donald Trump.
The paternity case came about in 2019 when Hunter Biden denied fathering the baby, prompting Roberts to file a suit that paved the way for a DNA test confirming he was the father. The two sides settled that dispute in March 2020, and Hunter Biden began paying child support.
Last year, Hunter Biden’s lawyer filed a motion to reduce the payments, suggesting his client’s economic condition had worsened and citing “a substantial material change in [Biden’s] financial circumstances, including but not limited to his income.”
The apparent resolution of the two cases surrounding Hunter Biden come just as his father pivots to what is likely to be a hard-fought reelection campaign.
Still, the agreements do not mean that Hunter Biden is in the clear just yet. House Republicans have said they intend to pursue a series of investigations of the younger Biden, including an examination of his business dealings over the years.
