Hunter Biden seeks court permission to subpoena Donald Trump regarding federal gun charges

Attorneys for Hunter Biden are seeking court approval to issue subpoenas to former President Donald Trump, former Attorney General William Barr, and two ex-Justice Department officials for documents the attorneys say could shed light on whether the federal gun charges he now faces were the result of "a vindictive or selective prosecution arising from an unrelenting pressure campaign beginning in the last administration."

Abbe Lowell, an attorney for President Biden's son, filed a motion Wednesday claiming that the subpoenas are necessary for the defense to determine whether "President Trump improperly and unrelentingly pressured DOJ to pursue an investigation and prosecution of Mr. Biden to advance President Trump's partisan ambitions."

Lowell is requesting a broad array of records from Trump, Barr, former acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, and former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen. The records include internal and private communications about Hunter Biden – information that "goes to the heart of [Biden's] defense" against charges that he violated federal gun laws in 2018 when he procured a firearm, despite later acknowledging that he was addicted to drugs at the time, Lowell wrote.

Special Counsel David Weiss brought those charges against Biden in September after a lengthy investigation dating back to the Trump administration. Weiss has said the investigation remains ongoing, and signaled in court that additional tax-related charges could be imminent.

Hunter Biden formally entered a plea of not guilty to felony gun charges on Oct. 3, setting up the possibility of a high-profile trial as his father embarks on a reelection bid in the coming year.