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SENATE Published July 29, 2023 7:00am EDT

Senator calls for probe after one of

Hunter Biden’s lawyers allegedly lied
about her identity
'There needs to be accountability,' Sen. Pete Ricketts told Fox News Digital

By Elizabeth Elkind | Fox News

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FIRST ON FOX: A GOP senator is calling for a disciplinary inquiry into Hunter Biden’s legal
team after a judge accused one lawyer of lying about her identity to court officials.

"I’ve heard from countless Americans who are concerned our justice system is being
weaponized against President Biden’s political opponents while his son gets preferential
treatment," Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"There needs to be accountability for any misconduct or favoritism, including Hunter

Biden’s own legal team. Faith in our justice system has been gravely damaged by the
Biden administration’s mishandling of recent cases and restoring its integrity is essential."

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika released an order this week threatening sanctions
against Hunter Biden’s lawyers after accusing Latham & Watkins lawyer Jessica Bengels
of having "misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly
convince the Clerk's Office" to remove a key document from the ongoing criminal tax case
involving President Biden’s son.

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President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, exits J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware July 26, 2023. (Getty Images)

Bengels called the clerk’s office "pretending" to be associated with lawyers linked to the
House Republican Ways & Means Committee, which has also been investigating Hunter
Biden, the order said. Hunter Biden’s legal team said it was "an unfortunate and
unintentional miscommunication between a staff member at our firm and employees of
the Court."

Ricketts called on courts in both New York and Washington, D.C., where Hunter Biden’s
lawyers are licensed to practice, to launch an ethics investigation into Bengels and lead
lawyer Christopher Clark.

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Sen. Pete Ricketts of Nebraska is calling on Hunter Biden's legal team to be investigated. (Getty Images)

"I write to you regarding the apparent unethical conduct of members of the New York State
Bar and the District of Columbia Bar. As you know, the cornerstone of the legal profession
is ethics. All legal professionals, lawyers and non-lawyers alike, are expected to maintain
strict standards for the protection of colleagues, clients, and the court," Ricketts wrote in a
letter sent Friday.

"Iam asking both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First
Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to take swift
action to examine the actions of attorneys Christopher Clark and Jessica L. Bengels."

The letter came after a plea agreement between Hunter Biden and U.S. attorneys fell apart
this week.

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Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chairs the House Ways & Means Committee. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"While the exact details of this matter are uncertain, it appears an ethical line was
crossed," Ricketts said of the misrepresentation accusations. "Regardless of whether or
not it was Ms. Bengels or another staff member at Latham & Watkins who called the clerk,
the circumstances surrounding the incident demand an investigation.

"Furthermore, it was the responsibility of Biden’s lead lawyer, Christopher Clark, to ensure
his team conducted themselves in a manner consistent with the Rules of Professional
Conduct. It is the responsibility of courts, legislatures, and state bars to ensure that
members of the profession adhere to the Rules of Professional Conduct."

"Therefore, I ask both the New York Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First
Department and the District of Columbia’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel to open
investigations into the conduct of both Christopher Clark and Jessica Bengels."

Elizabeth Elkind is a reporter for Fox News Digital focused on Congress as well as the intersection of
Artificial Intelligence and politics. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.

Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com

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