Justice Dept. pushes back on Hunter Biden’s efforts to dismiss charges, mirroring fights between Trump and prosecutors

(CNN) —& Special counsel David Weiss ridiculed efforts by Hunter& Biden, son of President Joe Biden, to dismiss tax charges against him as legally baseless and steeped in a “conspiracy theory,” in court filings Friday. Hunter Biden’s attorneys have argued that the tax case against him should be dismissed because, among other things, Weiss was unlawfully appointed as special counsel and that the plea agreement between the president’s son and Weiss – which blew up in hearing last summer – is still valid. The arguments between Weiss and Hunter Biden’s attorneys mirror arguments put forth by Donald Trump in his own special counsel cases. Their similarities underscore how cases brought by a special counsel – no matter who the defendant is – are often fought through similar, and sometimes political, playbooks. Hunter Biden faces nine tax-related charges in California for allegedly failing to pay over $1& million dollars in taxes from 2016 to 2019 as well as several gun charges in a separate case out of Delaware over allegedly purchasing a pistol while using illicit drugs. He has pleaded not guilty. Like Trump, Hunter Biden has argued the special counsel overseeing his criminal cases was unlawfully appointed. But there were...