Hunter Biden asks judge to dismiss tax charges, arguing that prosecutors bowed to political pressure

Hunter Biden's attorneys filed nine motions on Tuesday asking a judge to dismiss tax-related charges filed by special counsel David Weiss in a California federal court last year.

"The special counsel has gone to extreme lengths to bring charges against Mr. Biden that would not have been filed against anyone else," said Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell in a statement. "Prosecutors reneged on binding agreements, bowed to political pressure to bring unprecedented charges, overreached in their authority, ignored the rules and allowed their agents to run amok, and repeatedly misstated evidence to the court to defend their conduct."

In the court filings, Hunter Biden's attorneys argued that the president's son was being selectively targeted for prosecution. They also argued that the statute of limitations had expired, there were duplicative charges for the same tax year and several of the charges should be dismissed for improper venue.

Hunter Biden's attorneys argue that for one of the tax charges stemming from 2019, the president's son already paid his taxes with interest and penalties.

"When a taxpayer has paid all they owe under those circumstances, as Mr. Biden has, criminal tax charges simply are not brought," one of the filings said. "The fact that they were brought here highlights that Mr. Biden is being subject to a selective and vindictive prosecution."

Another filing zeroed in on IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, arguing that the prosecution was "prejudiced" by their "unprecedented leaks."

"In numerous acts spanning months, these agents engaged in what is best described as vigilante justice in the court of public opinion, making a public mockery of the framework within which these types of investigations should be handled," a filing said.

Yet another filing hits back at the special counsel, arguing that Weiss "was unlawfully appointed as Special Counsel" and that the funding for his investigation and prosecution was not approved by Congress, which the attorneys say violates the Appropriates Clause.

In a separate filing, the attorneys argued that the indictment was "littered with inflammatory characterizations and gratuitous facts" that could confuse a jury and deny Hunter Biden a fair trial, asking the judge to strike certain allegations from the indictment.

President Joe Biden's son pleaded not guilty to nine tax-related charges during his arraignment in January. He had previously been indicted in the Central District of California on allegations that he failed to pay taxes.

The December indictment alleged that Hunter Biden "spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle" instead of paying taxes.

The president's son in December asked a federal judge in Delaware to dismiss gun-related charges against him, pointing to a previous agreement with prosecutors that his attorneys said gave him immunity.

Several of the motions in Tuesday's filing largely mirrored arguments made in the gun case but were more directed to the specific charges he faces in federal court in California.

NBC News has reached out to the White House and the special counsel's office for comment.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com