Melania Trump has threatened Hunter Biden with a $1 billion lawsuit after he alleged that she met her husband, President Trump, through the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter, attorneys for the first lady called Biden's claim "false, disparaging, defamatory, and inflammatory," reports the BBC. They demand a retraction and apology, warning of legal action for what they allege is substantial "financial and reputational harm" after Biden's "extremely salacious" remarks went viral online and in the media, per the AP.
The controversy began after Hunter Biden, son of former President Biden, made the comment in a recent interview, referencing supposedly unreleased Epstein-related documents that would purportedly implicate President Trump. Biden credited part of his claim to journalist Michael Wolff, who'd previously spoken about Trump and Epstein's connection (editor's note: Michael Wolff is a Newser co-founder). However, an article from the Daily Beast that touched on the allegation was later retracted following a similar challenge from Melania Trump's legal team.
The attorneys' letter accuses Hunter Biden of leveraging the Trump name for attention and basing his statements on unreliable, since-removed reporting. Melania Trump's lawyers insist there's no evidence supporting the claim and point to published accounts, including a 2016 Harper's Bazaar profile, detailing that she met Donald Trump at a party hosted by a modeling agency founder in late 1998.
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The dispute comes amid renewed scrutiny of Epstein's connections as pressure mounts for the release of documents from the criminal investigation into his activities. Although President Trump stated in the past that he'd publicize such records if he returned to office, federal authorities have since asserted no incriminating client list exists. Hunter Biden's camp has not publicly responded to the lawsuit threat. Fox News was first to report on the possible suit.
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