WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT – A Connecticut judge on Monday disbarred Hunter Biden, citing violations of the state’s rules for attorney conduct. The decision followed complaints regarding his previous federal gun and tax convictions, which were pardoned last year by President Joe Biden.
Hunter Biden agreed to the disbarment and admitted to attorney misconduct but did not concede to any criminal wrongdoing. He had previously been disbarred in Washington, D.C., in May. He and his lawyer, Ross Garber, appeared via video before Judge Trial Referee Patrick L. Carroll III in Waterbury but did not make any statements during the hearing.
Biden was convicted last year in Delaware federal court on three felony counts for purchasing a firearm in 2018 while allegedly providing false information about his drug use on a federal form. He had also been set to face trial in California in September 2024 over allegations of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes, ultimately agreeing to plead guilty to a combination of misdemeanor and felony charges shortly before jury selection.
The Connecticut judge determined that Biden violated multiple ethical rules for attorneys, including engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. In court documents, Biden admitted to some, but not all, of the misconduct claims. The judge also referenced his prior Washington, D.C., disbarment.
During Monday’s hearing, Paul Dorsey, one of the complainants, objected to the agreement, citing Biden’s refusal to admit criminal wrongdoing. Leanne Larson, an attorney with the state’s Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, noted that the presidential pardon influenced the outcome. Biden was admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1997, a year after graduating from Yale Law School.