Hunter Biden has withdrawn his lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani, citing the latter’s ongoing bankruptcy case.
The lawsuit was originally filed over Giuliani’s alleged mishandling and distribution of data from Biden’s laptop.
Biden’s decision follows U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke’s query on whether the case should proceed before the resolution of Giuliani’s bankruptcy or be dismissed.
Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, and Giuliani’s lawyer, Joseph Sibley, mutually agreed to drop the case, with each party bearing their own legal costs.
Sibley stated that Biden chose to dismiss the case voluntarily rather than amend his complaint or respond to a motion to dismiss, implying a lack of merit in Biden’s claims.
The laptop, which Biden failed to retrieve from a repair shop, has been central to several congressional investigations and Biden’s recent conviction on criminal gun charges.
Giuliani, a former New York City mayor and lawyer for former President Donald Trump, allegedly spent months examining the laptop’s contents before distributing material to reporters and Republicans.
The data included images and text messages that contributed to Biden’s conviction for allegedly lying on a federal form about drug addiction.
Biden’s lawsuit accused Giuliani of tampering with and unlawfully distributing the laptop’s contents, invoking the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, California’s Computer Data Access and Fraud Act, and California’s Unfair Competition Law. However, the case was dropped without prejudice, allowing for potential refiling after Giuliani’s bankruptcy case is settled.
Giuliani’s financial troubles have been compounded by a recent $148 million defamation judgment against him in favor of two Georgia election workers. His bankruptcy filing aims to reorganize his finances amid these legal challenges.
Biden has pursued a proactive legal approach following the revelations about his personal life and the collapse of a plea agreement related to tax and gun charges.
He has also sued the computer repair shop owner, John Paul Mac Isaac, and the IRS for privacy violations.
The laptop’s contents have fueled House Republican investigations into Biden’s overseas business dealings. High-profile figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene have used explicit materials from the laptop to support their claims during congressional hearings.
