Hunter Biden, who faces a paternity suit in Independence County, has been sent a notice of deposition by an attorney for the baby's mother, Lunden Alexis Roberts.
The document, dated Dec. 6 and filed with the court Wednesday, informs the son of former Vice President Joe Biden that his deposition will be taken Dec. 23, beginning at 9 a.m. in Little Rock.
No response from Biden or his attorney had been filed Wednesday afternoon.
"I don't know if he's going to show up or try to avoid that, but we want to get as much information about his income as possible before the next hearing," said Roberts' attorney, Clint Lancaster.
Biden and his three original Arkansas attorneys parted ways earlier this month after a court hearing in Batesville. Biden's new attorney, Brent Langdon of Texarkana, Texas, did not respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.
Roberts, 28, is asking the court to declare that Biden, 49, is her child's biological father and to order him to pay child support and provide health insurance for the toddler.
In an affidavit dated Nov. 27, Biden told the court that he is unemployed and has had "no monthly income since May 2019," the month the lawsuit was filed.
Biden, a Yale-educated attorney who recently moved to California, has an address in a Hollywood Hills neighborhood, court filings show. The home and property is assessed at $2.5 million, according to the Los Angeles County assessor's office.
It's unclear if Biden owns or rents the place.
Circuit Judge Don McSpadden of Batesville has given Biden until 4:30 p.m. today to submit an affidavit of financial means as well as his last five pay stubs or "five previous years" of tax returns.
The next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 7.
Roberts, a resident of Independence County, graduated from Arkansas State University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.
She subsequently enrolled in George Washington University's Forensic Investigation graduate certificate program, taking courses in the summer and fall of 2015, a school spokesman said.
While in Washington, she met Biden, according to Lancaster.
Roberts gave birth in August 2018. The name of the child, referred to in court documents as "Baby Doe," has not been disclosed.
Last month, her attorney filed a motion with the court that DNA testing has established, "with scientific certainty," that Hunter Biden was the baby's father.
Details about Biden's financial dealings have been hard to come by, Lancaster said Tuesday.
"We have no more information about Mr. Biden's income than we did when we walked into court on Dec. 2," he said.
A U.S. House committee last month investigated allegations that President Donald Trump asked the government of Ukraine to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden was named to the board of a natural gas company in that country, Burisma Holdings, when his father was vice president during the Obama administration. Both Bidens have denied wrongdoing.
During the hearings, the House Intelligence Committee's ranking member, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., alleged that Hunter Biden had been paid $83,000 per month during his time at Burisma.
Republicans have sought information about Hunter Bidens' financial dealings in Ukraine, arguing that it is relevant to the ongoing impeachment inquiry. Democrats have portrayed it as a diversionary tactic and an attempt to undermine a leading 2020 Democratic presidential contender.
In a heavily redacted request for admissions dated Dec. 4, Lancaster asked Hunter Biden at least 17 questions about his involvement with Burisma, plus at least two others concerning Hunter Biden's Chinese business dealings.
In an interview, Lancaster said the questions are legitimate.
"We need this information. We need it for our case," he said.
"I'm very cognizant that in Washington, D.C., there's an impeachment process going. We're not connected to that," he said. "The Republican Party is not behind this case or anything that I'm doing."
Lancaster won't be voluntarily revealing any of Hunter Biden's financial data, he said.
"We're not here to help or hurt anybody, but we would comply with any law," he said. "We don't intend to turn it over unless we get a valid federal subpoena."
Metro on 12/12/2019