The mother of Hunter Biden's Arkansas child is again asking a state judge to find him in contempt of court, arguing that the former vice president's son continues to defy court orders in a paternity and child support case.
Alexis Lunden Roberts of Independence County alleges that Biden has not supplied her with a copy of his 2017 and 2018 personal tax returns, nor with the rest of a long list of other items.
Roberts made similar motions for contempt on Dec. 23 and Jan. 20.
Biden, Baby Doe's "biological and legal father," is supposed to appear in Little Rock for a deposition in the case next week.
"He needs to make himself available and unless his hair is on fire, he needs to be in Arkansas and he needs to be in a deposition," Circuit Judge Holly Meyer told lawyers in the case in a Feb. 26 telephone conference call.
In Friday's Renewed Motion for Contempt and for Order to Show Cause, Roberts' attorney, Clint Lancaster, said Biden "has continued to flaunt the orders of this Court by failing to answer discovery, comply with court orders, and provide his financial information."
Circuit Judge Don McSpadden, who was initially assigned the case, made clear more than three months ago that Biden could not withhold certain records.
"He's going to have to provide at least the last three years of tax returns," McSpadden told lawyers for both sides during a Dec. 2 hearing.
A court order, signed by McSpadden on Dec. 4, required Roberts and Biden to supply the court with their "five most recent paystubs or five previous years" of tax returns," as well.
McSpadden signed a separate order Dec. 16 instructing both sides to provide the court and opposing counsel with "A. their personal tax returns for the past five years; and B. any and ALL financial documents and information showing money or monies they received in the past five years."
The deadline to comply was Dec. 19.
Meyer, who replaced McSpadden in January, has emphasized the importance of obeying previous court orders.
After reviewing Roberts' second contempt motion, Meyer ordered Biden to appear in her courtroom "and show cause, if any exists, as to why he should not be held in contempt for any of the alleged violations of this Court's orders."
Meyer removed the Jan. 29 "show cause" hearing from the docket after the parties reached an agreement on temporary child support.
Under the terms of the agreed-upon order, contempt motions related "to the failure to produce documents of answer discovery" would be dismissed if Biden provided the information to Roberts by 5 p.m. March 1.
