In major twist, ex-Overstock CEO tells judge he's a 'whistleblower' with 'audio tapes' that can defeat Hunter Biden's defamation lawsuit in front of jury

The saga of Hunter Biden's defamation suit against Patrick Byrne has taken different crook aft the ex-Overstock CEO asked a justice to acceptable speech a default judgement and let him to equine a defense, with the assistance of his caller attorney.

Former President Joe Biden's lad filed the defamation lawsuit successful precocious 2023, claiming that Byrne defamed him erstwhile helium falsely accused him of committing "despicable and treasonous crimes" involving bribery and Iran. Biden alleged that Byrne was "told that his allegations are false" and that a retraction request was made, but the named suspect "doubled down" successful a consequent station linking the plaintiff and his "purported crimes" to the "horrific violent attacks by Hamas connected Israel."

Looking to stave disconnected decision by default, lawyer Robert Tyler stated successful a 28-page filing that Byrne has "vigorously defended his escaped code rights" and has "good cause" for taking this off-ramp.

"Default judgments are mostly disfavored, and this is particularly existent wherever Defendant has consistently and adamantly defended the matter. Here, Mr. Byrne has vigorously defended his escaped code rights. Default lone came astir aft a cascade of events resulted successful him not receiving work of filings," Tyler claimed. "Moreover, Mr. Byrne did not prosecute successful culpable behaviour that led to the introduction of default, helium has meritorious defenses to the claims against him, and Plaintiff volition not beryllium prejudiced if this lawsuit is to spell to trial. Therefore, Mr. Byrne should beryllium allowed to contiguous those defenses astatine proceedings successful beforehand of a jury."

Tyler, who erstwhile represented a erstwhile Trump White House argumentation analyst Biden sued implicit the posting of the "Laptop Report," entered an quality connected Byrne's behalf successful January.

As Law&Crime antecedently reported, U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson, a Ronald Reagan appointee, opted past summertime to reschedule proceedings for October to springiness Byrne clip to find caller counsel aft Byrne abruptly fired his lawyers arsenic proceedings was acceptable to begin, alternatively than contented a default judgment. Two different attorneys — Stefanie Lambert and Peter Ticktin — subsequently sought astatine every level of the national tribunal system to correspond Byrne, claiming Wilson's refusal to let Byrne his "counsel of choice" connected the lawsuit successful a pro hac vice capableness amounted to "a terrible usurpation of his law rights."

However, those arguments did not triumph the time for Lambert and Ticktin, truthful Byrne had to look for ineligible assistance elsewhere. As the contention was unfolding successful September, Biden's lawyers asked the justice to contented a seat warrant, unit Byrne to amusement up to court, and marque him comply with tribunal orders.

There would beryllium nary warrant, but sanctions for the derailing of the proceedings followed, and the clerk entered a default successful October.

By November, Biden said that Rudy Giuliani's default judgement for defaming 2020 election workers successful Georgia was the "most comparable" to the Byrne case, and that $1 successful nominal damages and $33.3 cardinal successful punitive damages should beryllium awarded.

These "lies" were "especially reprehensible" successful aggregate ways, considering Byrne accused Biden of committing a crime punishable by death, a filing said.

"Byrne falsely accused Plaintiff of conspiring with force nations and terrorists against his ain state for idiosyncratic profit—in different words, of committing treason portion his begetter was the sitting President by agreeing to assistance America's enemies termination Americans for money," the question continued. "This amounts to a mendacious accusation of treason—among the worst crimes imaginable, connected a level with kid molestation."

Just 1 period later, Biden's lawyers alerted the court to statements Byrne made connected "The Alex Jones Show," which Biden alleged were a "republication of the defamatory statements."

"In the afloat clip posted by Alex Jones connected December 9, 2025, not lone does Defendant reiterate the aforesaid Defamatory Statements astatine contented successful this matter, but helium doubles-down connected them by taunting Plaintiff astir this suit and publically states helium harbors malice toward Plaintiff," the filing said, comparing Byrne's alleged behaviour to that of President Donald Trump with respect to his repetition defamation of columnist E. Jean Carroll.

Now Byrne, claiming it wasn't until helium hired Tyler that helium understood what had unfolded successful the suit, is looking to bring the lawsuit backmost from the brink of demolition by throwing his fired lawyers nether the bus, backing his disallowed lawyers, and raising his "meritorious defenses" successful beforehand of a jury.

"Defendant Patrick Byrne is an American whistleblower successful its truest sense. His defence present is important due to the fact that it implicates superior nationalist information concerns. He presented audio tapes to the Federal Bureau of Investigation during President Joseph Biden's medication evidencing the veracity of his assertion Plaintiff Hunter Biden attempted to negociate an illicit woody during President Bara[c]k Obama's medication to unfreeze millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, of Iranian assets successful speech for receiving millions of dollars successful currency from Iranian agents," the filing said. "The FBI cause was deposed, and his deposition transcript was to beryllium utilized astatine trial. Plaintiff Hunter Biden past obtained a pardon from his begetter eliminating the menace of transgression prosecution arsenic it pertains to the facts of this lawsuit – an lawsuit providing a guilt-ridden exoneration but applicable to the veracity of Mr. Byrne's factual statements."

Colin Kalmbacher contributed to this report.