Estranged wife: Biden son wasted money on drugs, prostitutes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden walks with his sons Beau (L) and Hunter (R) down Pennsylvania Avenue during the inaugural parade in Washington January 20, 2009. (REUTERS/Larry Downing)
The estranged wife of former Vice President Joe Biden's youngest son, Hunter Biden, claims he squandered the couple's money on drugs, alcohol and prostitutes since the couple separated in 2015.
In a court filing last week, Kathleen Buhle Biden asked a Washington, D.C. judge to order Hunter Biden to stop spending the couple's remaining assets.
"Throughout the parties' separation, Mr. Biden has created financial concerns for the family by spending extravagantly on his own interests (including drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, strip clubs, and gifts for women with whom he has sexual relations) while leaving the family with no funds to pay legitimate bills," wrote Rebekah Sullivan, a lawyer for Kathleen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sarah Mancinelli, an attorney for Hunter Biden, declined to directly address the allegations.
"Hunter and Kathleen have been separated for some time and are in the process of finalizing a divorce," Mancinelli wrote in an email. "Hunter loves and admires Kathleen as a person, a mother, and a friend. He hopes their privacy can be respected at this time."
Kathleen Biden filed for divorce in December and is seeking sole custody of the couple's 16-year-old daughter, the youngest of their three children. A status hearing is scheduled for March 30.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The New York Post reported this week that Hunter Biden, 47, is dating Hallie Biden, 43, the widow of his late brother, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in May 2015. In a statement to the Post, Hunter Biden said the pair was "incredibly lucky" to have found love and support from one another during a difficult time.
Court records indicate that Kathleen Biden asked her husband to leave the couple's Washington, D.C., home on July 5, 2015, prompted by his actions on the night of July Fourth. The filing doesn't offer details.
The couple agreed to separate three months later because of what Kathleen Biden describes as irreconcilable differences, including drug use and infidelity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Hunter Biden, who has filed a counterclaim and is seeking joint custody, denies that his conduct resulted in the separation.
Biden, an attorney and former lobbyist who works at an investment firm, was discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.
In the court filing, Kathleen said Hunter last year instructed his office to reduce monthly transfers to her to $7,500 per month, compared to the previous average of about $17,000. At the same time, she claims, he has spent lavishly, borrowed heavily and transferred money to himself.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Sullivan described the couple's outstanding debts as "shocking and overwhelming," with maxed-out credit cards, double mortgages on two homes, and tax debt of more than $313,000.