A federal judge has ruled in favor of Hunter Biden, awarding him $1.7 million in punitive damages in a defamation lawsuit against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. The lawsuit stemmed from Byrne's claims that Biden sought a bribe from Iran to influence his father, President Joe Biden, regarding frozen Iranian assets.
Judge Stephen Wilson found that Byrne's statements lacked evidence and were made with actual malice. The case was set for jury trial but was delayed due to Byrne's failure to appear, leading to sanctions against him.