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Hunter Biden was disbarred Monday by a judge in Connecticut for violating the state’s attorney conduct rules, following complaints tied to his gun and tax convictions that were later pardoned by his father, former President Joe Biden.
The former first son consented to the disbarment and acknowledged attorney misconduct under an agreement with the state office that oversees lawyer discipline, according to the Associated Press. As part of the agreement, Hunter Biden did not admit to criminal wrongdoing.
He was previously disbarred in Washington, D.C., in May. Hunter Biden was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1997, one year after graduating from Yale Law School.
Hunter Biden did not address the court as he and his attorney, Ross Garber, appeared remotely by video before Judge Trial Referee Patrick L. Carroll III in Waterbury, Connecticut.
Last year, Hunter Biden was convicted in federal court in Delaware on three felony counts related to the purchase of a firearm in 2018. Prosecutors said he lied on a federal form by stating he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
He had also been scheduled to stand trial in September 2024 in California on charges alleging he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. That case was resolved when he agreed to plead guilty to a mix of misdemeanor and felony charges before jury selection began.
In the Connecticut disciplinary matter, the judge found that Hunter Biden violated multiple rules governing attorney conduct, including engaging in behavior “involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.” Court records show Hunter Biden admitted to some, but not all, of the alleged misconduct. The judge also cited his prior disbarment in Washington, D.C., as a factor.
Paul Dorsey, one of two individuals who filed complaints against Hunter Biden, objected to the agreement, arguing that disbarment should require an admission of criminal conduct. Leanne Larson, an attorney with the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, told the court that the presidential pardon explained why no such admission was included.