Hunter Biden's federal tax trial postponed until September

Though Hunter Biden's numerous legal and personal entanglements have long cast a shadow over his father's presidency, it now appears that one particularly troublesome scenario will play out in uncomfortable proximity to the November election.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi postponed Hunter Biden's federal tax trial to September, as The Hill reports, choosing a date that is perilously close to the height of the presidential campaign season in which Joe Biden hopes to convince Americans to give him another term in office.

Tax trial delayed

The decision to move Hunter Biden's tax trial to early fall came after attorneys for the beleaguered first son asserted that more preparation time was needed.

They claimed that time constraints related to Hunter Biden's federal gun trial -- slated to commence on June 3 -- necessitated a delay.

Hunter Biden stands accused of a failure to pay upwards of $1.4 million in obligations between the years of 2016 and 2019.

He also faces charges of tax evasion stemming from the filing of false returns while also using excess income to fund an extravagant, vice-filled lifestyle involving prostitutes, alcohol, and drugs.

Though Leo Wise, arguing for the prosecution, contended to the judge that “The time to try this case is now,” the defendant-sought delay was indeed granted.

Gun trial imminent

Though the tax trial promises to yield a host of damning information about Hunter Biden within mere weeks of the general election, the first son's upcoming gun trial could also create massive headaches for the Biden campaign.

As the New York Post reports, a laundry list of witnesses, including Hunter Biden's ex-wife and multiple former paramours are set to take the stand early next month.

Court filings in the case reveal that Hunter's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, former sister-in-law Hallie Biden (with whom he had an affair after his brother died), and onetime girlfriend Zoe Kestan are likely to offer recollections of the first son's “near-constant drug use” at the time he is accused of lying about his addiction on a federally-required gun purchase form.

Cocaine residue was reportedly found on the pouch used to contain the gun at issue in the case, further bolstering the contention that Hunter Biden was in the throes of addiction and heavy drug abuse at the time in question.

Prosecutors have reportedly been told by Kestan that in 2018, while she was involved with Hunter, he smoke crack “every 20 minutes except when he slept.”

Bracing for the fallout

It is not just Joe Biden's re-election prospects that may suffer as a result of Hunter's trial revelations, but also the president himself and his ability to function in his current role, as Fox News reports.

White House staffers and Biden's own loved ones have explained to Politico, “He worries about Hunter every single day, from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep,” and considering what many believe are the age-related cognitive challenges he already faces in terms of doing his job, the entire scenario is an embarrassment for the country.