'Completely outrageous': Hunter Biden files defamation case against former Overstock CEO

Hunter Biden has filed a defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, accusing him of falsely saying the president’s son made offers to Iranian officials in exchange for $800 million.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, accused Byrne of saying that Biden reached out to the Iranian government in 2021 and offered to have President Joe Biden unfreeze up to $8 billion in funds for the country. The CEO is also accused of saying Hunter Biden sought $800 million from the country in return.

Hunter Biden’s attorneys in the lawsuit called the statements “completely false."

“These defamatory statements by Byrne are not merely false and not merely malicious—they are completely outrageous,” Biden’s attorneys added.

Court documents add that Byrne, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, reposted the claims on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, after Hamas launched an attack on Israel last month.

“The clear implication of Byrne’s October 8, 2023 posts was that (Hunter Biden's) allegedly criminal and corrupt actions had contributed to the terrorist attacks by Hamas,” the lawsuit states.

USA TODAY has reached out to Byrne for comment.

The case comes as the president’s son has launched a slate of legal battles in recent months. Hunter Biden earlier this year sued Rudy Giuliani and his lawyer for allegedly copying, manipulating and distributing his records in a “total annihilation” of his privacy.

He also filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service for allegedly violating his privacy because two of its investigators revealed confidential information about his taxes.

Biden's attorney also filed an ethics complaint in the House of Representatives against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for reaching a “new level of abhorrent behavior” after she displayed sexually explicit pictures of him during a hearing.

Contributing: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden files defamation lawsuit against former Overstock CEO