Judge in Hunter Biden's Arkansas paternity case abruptly recuses himself

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The circuit court judge overseeing Hunter Biden's paternity case, Don McSpadden, recused himself without reason on Tuesday, just days after a private investigation firm sought to intercede in the case.

D&A Investigations, based in Florida, filed a "Notice of Fraud and Counterfeiting and Production of Evidence" with the court on Dec. 23, claiming Hunter Biden "established bank and financial accounts with Morgan Stanley et al" for Burisma Holdings – where he served as a former board member – to satisfy a "money laundering scheme."

McSpadden had the request stricken from the record on grounds that it violated state procedural rules, which required the intervening party to raise a claim that shared a "question of law or fact in common" with the existing case. Biden's legal team had told the court that D&A's filing was riddled with falsehoods and clearly procedurally improper.

In another court filing from Dec. 27, D&A claimed it had provided attorneys for Lunden Alexis Roberts, the plaintiff, "access to [Hunter Biden's] bank account records" that show proof of "fraud and counterfeiting." D&A sought to be officially added as a party to the case, in an effort to support Roberts' claim and provide proof of Biden's alleged criminal activity.

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McSpadden recused himself before he could rule on the second motion.

Roberts' attorney, Brent M. Langdon, was not seeking D&A's assistance and called its efforts "a scheme by a non-party simply to make scandalous allegations," the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported.

In the recusal document, obtained by The Gazette, McSpadden didn't provide specific details about his departure, and only deferred to the "Administrative Plan of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit."

According to the administrative plan, the case will now go to Circuit Judge Holly Meyer.

McSpadden reportedly ordered all income records from Biden and Roberts over the past five years. He also ordered that the financial information be kept under seal and only be available to the attorneys involved in the case.

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DNA tests allegedly confirmed, "with scientific certainty," that Hunter Biden was the biological father of Roberts' baby, according to court documents filed in November.

A separate motion said Hunter Biden will not be contesting paternity in the case, The Gazette reported.

Fox News' Gregg Re contributed to this report