Hunter Biden Wins $1.7M Punitive Damages in Byrne Defamation Case
A California federal judge awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in punitive damages (plus $1 nominal) in a defamation suit against former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne, who had falsely claimed Biden sought an $800 million bribe from Iran. Byrne defaulted after failing to appear at trial, with the court sanctioning him for delay and misrepresentation, finding the statements were knowingly false and made with malice.