'My family doesn't have any money': Hunter Biden's sworn testimony fuels $17M legal battle
WASHINGTON, DC: Hunter Biden testified under oath that he and his family have virtually no money, thrusting his $17 million legal-fee dispute into a fight over whether the debt can realistically be collected.
The newly released deposition has intensified the ongoing lawsuit between Biden and law firm Winston Taylor. His testimony lays out a financial picture that contrasts sharply with the multimillion-dollar bill the firm says remains unpaid.
Hunter Biden says he owns almost nothing
According to the deposition transcript, Hunter Biden said his family has no money to help cover the legal bills and insisted the debt is his alone, Fox News reported Saturday, August 1.
"My family doesn't have any money, and it's not their debt anyway," Biden testified. "I don't own anything of any value other than — and I don't know the value of it — my paintings which I painted myself."
He continued by describing what he said was an almost complete lack of personal assets.
"So that's it. And I don't even have any other assets at all, stocks, bonds, anything like that, savings accounts," Biden said.
In another portion of the deposition, he added, "I don't have any assets. I don't own a car. I don't own a phone."
The testimony came in connection with Winston Taylor's lawsuit seeking roughly $17 million for representing Biden in criminal prosecutions, congressional investigations, and defamation litigation against his critics.
Winston Taylor disputes ability-to-pay defense
Biden argues the law firm knew from the outset that he would struggle to pay and that both sides had agreed they would "work something out."
Winston Taylor, however, maintains it attempted to connect Biden with donors in Democratic political circles who could help cover the mounting legal costs.
The dispute has taken on added significance because Biden's sworn testimony raises questions about what assets, if any, could satisfy the firm's claim if it ultimately prevails.
Financial pressures surface in deposition fight
The deposition also aligns with other reporting cited in the case regarding the Biden family's finances.
According to previous reporting by the Wall Street Journal, former President Joe Biden left office with roughly $800,000 in personal debt, higher property taxes on his Delaware home and difficulty securing paid speaking engagements.
At the same time, the former president reportedly receives more than $400,000 annually in government pensions from his years in Congress and the White House, according to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation.
The court fight also comes after Hunter Biden secured a partial legal victory in July, when a judge awarded him $1.7 million in a defamation lawsuit.
Winston Taylor has since sought to place a lien on that judgment, although collecting the money may prove difficult because Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who lost the case, is believed to be overseas.
