Hunter Biden just swapped legal firepower again — this time calling in one of the most controversial defense attorneys in America. And the courtroom drama is only heating up.
In a bold legal shakeup, President Joe Biden’s son has ditched longtime D.C. attorney Abbe Lowell and brought on Dick Harpootlian — the bombastic South Carolina lawyer best known for defending convicted killer Alex Murdaugh — to lead a new defamation fight against former Overstock CEO and Trump supporter Patrick Byrne.
Harpootlian confirmed the move Tuesday to The State, a South Carolina paper. He’ll now take the lead in a Los Angeles courtroom, where Hunter Biden is suing Byrne over wild claims that the younger Biden attempted to broker a backchannel deal with Iranian officials involving $8 billion in frozen funds.
Hunter’s New Hired Gun: A “Joe Biden Guy” with a Murder Trial Résumé
Harpootlian is no stranger to high-stakes, high-drama courtrooms. A lifelong Democrat, he calls himself a “Joe Biden guy” — but he’s also unapologetically ruthless.
“This is what I do. I defend people when the mob wants them buried,” Harpootlian told CrimeCon in 2023, defending his decision to represent Murdaugh. “I’d rather take on a second trial for free than waste my time on a racehorse or a beach.”
He’s now applying that same firepower to defend Hunter Biden’s reputation — and possibly deliver a counterstrike against the right-wing media machine.
The suit claims Byrne’s accusations cost Hunter big time — allegedly scaring off memoir deals, art collectors, and speaking opportunities totaling at least $500,000.
A Legal Soap Opera with Deep Political Ties
Harpootlian’s arrival marks the end of Abbe Lowell’s tenure representing Biden — a period filled with special counsel investigations, gun charges, and relentless GOP pressure from Capitol Hill.
Lowell, once a reliable legal shield for Washington elites, went out swinging. After a 2024 closed-door deposition, he slammed House Republicans for “producing no evidence” against his client and wasting time discussing Hunter’s past drug addiction.
Now he’s embroiled in his own legal mess — a $20 million defamation lawsuit brought by IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, both central figures in the GOP’s Hunter Biden probe.
Court Date Set, Finances in Crisis
Hunter’s case against Byrne heads to trial in July — but it’s not the only battle he’s fighting. According to ABC News, Biden is drowning in debt after years of legal warfare and reportedly seeing “lagging” art sales. His allies insist the defamation suit is about clearing his name — but critics see a desperate attempt to salvage what’s left of his brand.
Byrne Fires Back
Patrick Byrne, a vocal supporter of President Trump and prominent figure in post-2020 election controversies, has stood by his claims. He says his intel came from confidential sources — and hints that more revelations are coming.
Conservatives say this latest legal stunt is an attempt to silence dissent.
“Every time someone touches the Biden family’s corruption, they get sued, smeared, or silenced,” said Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who leads the House Oversight probe. “It’s a playbook — and Americans are seeing through it.”
Senate Fallout for Harpootlian
Harpootlian’s high-profile work didn’t come without political consequences. In 2024, he lost his South Carolina Senate seat in a bitter race where his ties to Biden — and especially to Alex Murdaugh — became lightning rods.
“I lost. The process worked. I’m not accusing anyone of stealing anything,” Harpootlian said after his loss — a rare concession speech that avoided conspiracy theories. “But don’t mistake humility for weakness.”
The Bigger Picture
The Hunter Biden saga is far from over — and this new legal alliance could set the stage for even more fireworks heading into the 2026 midterms. With the President’s son back in the courtroom, his new lawyer fresh off a murder trial, and Trump allies locked in, this case could carry political shockwaves far beyond the walls of any California courthouse.
Stay tuned. This one’s going to be messy.
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THOUGHT HUNTER DIDN’T HAVE ANY MONEY–HE MUST HAVE HIT PAY DIRT AROUND SOME PLACE & LOCATED JUST ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO COURT–FUNNY HOW THAT WORKS!
Daddy’s, money. He can hardly wait for Joe to croak so he can have a hill of coke on demand.
Whats that on his left shoulder, more coke? I thought Hunter was in South Africa and untouchable due to the lack of a extradition treaty with the USA. Whats his attornies in court trying to defend now?
I THOUGHT HE WAS SO BROKE!!! HE CAN\’T BE \’\’\’THAT\’\’\’ BROKE… ESPECIALLY WHEN HE WANTS TO SCREW PRES. TRUMP… HUNTER, JOE, JAMES, JILL AND THE REST OF THEM ARE ALL PEICES OF CRAP… TO PUT IT MILDLY!!
Good luck with that. He really sucked Sent from my iPhone
Where is Hunter\’s money to pay this lawyer coming from since he already told the courts he didn\’t have any money.