Hunter Biden’s attorneys urged the judge on Wednesday to dismiss the nine federal tax-related charges against him using various arguments, but US District Court Judge Mark Scarsi noted that one filing didn’t have much chance of making it, according to the Washington Post.

“One of the big hurdles that this motion has it that it’s not filed with any evidence,” Scarsi said of the argument that Hunter Biden’s prosecution is “selective and vindictive” and driven by political motives.  Lawyer Abbe Lowell pointed to the previous plea agreement Biden entered into with prosecutors that was pulled at the last minute after a federal judge questioned language in the agreement; instead of offering a similar deal, Lowell argued, Special Counsel David Weiss caved to political pressure and brought more serious charges.

Lowell also argued that a gun ownership “diversionary agreement” Hunter Biden signed would lead to prosecutors dropping the tax charges.  The agreement, Lowell said, was independent of court oversight, unlike the plea deal.  The judge, however, noted that the probation officer never signed the agreement, therefore making it un-executed, and questioned why prosecutors would include dropping charges for a tax case in gun ownership probation agreement.  (It was also questioned by the judge who threw out Hunter’s original deal.).

Scarsi said he would have a ruling on the motions by April 17th.  The tax trial is supposed to start in California in June, the same month Hunter will face gun charges in Delaware.  It’s also the middle of the prime campaign season for his father.