Jun 14, 2024 - Politics & Policy

Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani over laptop data

Jacob Knutson

Hunter Biden with first lady Jill Biden and his wife Melissa Cohen Biden exiting a federal court house on June 11. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Hunter Biden has agreed to drop a civil lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani and the former New York mayor's lawyer over the release of Biden's private digital data, according to a new court filing Thursday.

The big picture: The lawsuit alleged that Giuliani violated federal law by accessing and disseminating Hunter Biden's digital data from a laptop that had belonged to him. Embarrassing revelations from the data dump fueled a wave of Republican attacks and played a role in the president's son's legal troubles.

The laptop and info on it were used as evidence against Biden in his recent federal criminal trial. A jury found him guilty of three felony gun charges. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The data may also come up in Biden's upcoming trial over federal tax charges in California.

Zoom in: Biden, Giuliani and his lawyer, Robert Costello, agreed to drop the suit without prejudice and for each party to cover their own legal fees, per the filing.

Biden had originally sought $75,000 in damages in the lawsuit, as well as legal expenses.

Between the lines: It's good news for Giuliani, who can't afford additional legal expenses.

He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the end of last year over mounting legal expenses, unpaid taxes, potential liabilities from other lawsuits and the $148 million in damages he owes for defaming two Georgia election workers.

Biden's lawyers did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Go deeper: Rudy Giuliani served Arizona indictment same day as his 80th birthday party

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Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against Rudy Giuliani over laptop data

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