In court, the anticipated agreement involving Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, pleading guilty to tax charges and admitting a gun offense has dramatically fallen apart. This deal, which was negotiated over several weeks, was expected to spare Hunter Biden from prison time. However, the judge presiding over the case expressed concerns and declined to approve the agreement. The plea deal would have been the first time the justice department charged the child of a sitting president.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers now have a 14-day window to renegotiate a new deal with the prosecution. The case follows a five-year investigation into the finances of the President’s son. The original plea agreement involved two misdemeanor charges related to late tax payments in 2017 and 2018, as well as admitting to illegally possessing a gun while being a drug user. In return, he would have received drug treatment and monitoring instead of facing a more serious felony charge and potential jail time.
During the court hearing, the judge questioned whether the proposed agreement would grant Hunter Biden immunity from future crimes he might be found liable for. Additionally, she found certain terms of the agreement to be unusual. The justice department is also investigating whether Hunter Biden violated federal laws related to foreign agent registration during his work in China and Ukraine while his father served as Vice President.
At the end of the hearing, the judge, who was appointed by former President Trump, declined to sign the deal, providing the opportunity for both sides to reach a new agreement in the next two weeks. For the time being, Hunter Biden entered a not guilty plea.
