Former Vice PresidentJoe Biden‘s sonHunter Bidenhas been ordered to appear in court next week in connection with a contempt claim made against him in hisongoing child support case in Arkansas, PEOPLE confirms.
His appearance, at a Wednesday hearing in Independence County, will be his first in the case since it began last May.
While paternity was settled earlier this month —following a DNA test in the fallthat proved Hunter, 49, fathered a child with Roberts in 2018 — the issue of child support remains pending.
Roberts, who is in her twenties, has also asked the court to make Hunter pay her attorney fees.
Hunter’s “conduct is willful and contemptuous,” Roberts’ motion states, arguing he should be found in contempt.
Paul Morigi/Getty Images
“The defendant continues to act as though he has no respect for this Court, its orders, the legal process in this state, or the needs of his child for support,” the contempt motion states, adding, “This is but another example of the defendant’s unnecessary actions to frustrate prompt adjudication of this matter and increase the plaintiff’s litigation costs.”
On Tuesday, the judge ordered Hunter to appear next Wednesday morning and “show cause, if any exists, as to why he should not be held in contempt for any of the alleged violations of this Court’s orders.”
His team has not yet filed a response to the contempt motion, according to online court records.
The two sides sharply disagree on whether Hunter’s intransigence is a stalling tactic — verging on contempt — or a reflection of his cautionafter being the target ofall manner of speculation, innuendo and insult.
In December, the court ordered both Roberts and Hunter to provide five years of tax returns and five years’ worth of financial documentation for any money they’d received. Hunter had said in a November filing that he was unemployed since May.
Roberts pressed Hunter for more extensive financial records, including about businesses he had owned. She also scheduled a deposition of Hunter on Dec. 23.
“Public disclosure of the deposition can only be for the purpose of continued annoyance or attempts to embarrass the Defendant,” Hunter’s attorney, Brent Langdon, wrote in December.
The court documents in the case outline ongoing disputes between Hunter and Roberts, including Hunter’s concern that his personal and financial information could become public as part of the suit.
A judge in the case previously ordered all financial information as well as their child’s identity be kept secret.
Hunter Biden and Joe Biden.Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images
Hunter has some reason to be guarded: In recent months, two unrelated parties have sought to legally “intervene” in the suit, making explosive and unproven allegations about Hunter in filings with the court, all of which have since been stricken.
They were already scheduled to return to court on Jan. 29 (the same day Hunter will now answer the contempt claim) “for the purpose of addressing temporary child support for the minor child and other matters,” the presiding judge wrote recently. Permanent child support will be determined in May.
Hunter’s tumultuous personal life, including a surprise marriage, returned him to the headlines in 2019 at the same time as his dad launched a presidential bid — immediately becoming the leading contender to face President Donald Trump.
RELATED VIDEO: Hunter Biden Slams Trump’s ‘Ridiculous Conspiracy Idea,’ Says Making President Angry Is ‘a Feather in My Cap’
From left: Melissa Cohen and Hunter Biden.BACKGRID
Roberts’ attorney Clint Lancaster previously told PEOPLE that she was a “very, very private person” who was focused on her child. Her team has suggested in court filings that she turned to a lawsuit after Hunter’s earlier support of their child ran dry.
“My client wants this thing resolved, she doesn’t want to be in the media, she doesn’t want paparazzi hanging out at her dad’s place of business hoping to get a shot of her,” Lancaster said earlier this month.
Roberts’ original suit stated that she and Hunter “were in a relationship” and had a child born in August 2018. Lancaster previously said that Roberts met Hunter in the Washington, D.C., area.
Her attorneys said in court filings that she worked for Hunter and received money from him between May and November 2018.
Lancaster says Hunter has not given her any money since that November. He married filmmaker Melissa Cohenin a surprise weddinglast year.
Hunter’s attorney told PEOPLE he does comment on pending cases beyond what was available in the court record.
source: people.com
