Los Angeles, California — A federal judge awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages Friday in a defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne.
Biden sued Byrne in 2023, alleging Byrne falsely claimed in an interview that Biden sought an $800 million bribe from Iran in exchange for influencing U.S. policy while Joe Biden was president. U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson wrote that Byrne failed to provide evidence supporting the claim and found “ample evidence” that Byrne knew the story was false.
The Guardian reported that Byrne argued he believed the claim because an Iranian government official told him about the alleged scheme. Wilson rejected that argument, saying Byrne offered no documentary evidence that could lead a reasonable person to believe the story was true.
The court entered default against Byrne after he failed to appear for trial and repeatedly disobeyed court orders. Wilson awarded Biden $1 in nominal damages, $1.7 million in punitive damages, and about $35,000 in sanctions.
Byrne’s attorneys did not immediately respond to The Guardian’s request for comment.
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