Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to federal tax charges after a judge rejected a “sweetheart” plea deal that would have granted him global immunity.
The plea deal, which was negotiated between Hunter Biden’s lawyers and federal prosecutors, would have allowed Hunter Biden to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses in exchange for a sentence of probation and community service. The deal would have also granted Hunter Biden immunity from prosecution for any other potential crimes, including those that may have involved his father.
The hearing in the case began at 10 AM Wednesday morning, and after a little over an hour it was clear that something might not be going well for Hunter. As we reported, the first news out of the courtroom was that the plea deal was not going to happen because there was a difference of opinion between the parties as to exactly what the deal covered and whether additional charges, potentially related to FARA violations, were covered in the agreement or not.
The judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, rejected the plea deal, saying that it was too lenient. Noreika said that she was concerned that the deal would send the wrong message, and that it would allow Hunter Biden to escape justice for his crimes.
“This is not a case where the government is being overly aggressive,” Noreika said. “This is a case where the government is offering a very lenient plea deal.”
Hunter’s attorneys believed that the plea agreement would provide their client with blanket immunity on other criminal charges, but after prosecutors told the Court that some of the matters were still under investigation, Judge Noreika questioned whether it was appropriate to grant immunity for matters still under investigation.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have said that they are disappointed with the judge’s decision, but that they will continue to fight the charges.
“We are confident that Hunter Biden will be exonerated,” said Hunter Biden’s lawyer, David Kendall. “We will continue to vigorously defend him against these baseless charges.”
The rejection of the plea deal is a major setback for Hunter Biden, and it raises the possibility that he could face a lengthy prison sentence if he is convicted. The case has also become a political firestorm, with Republicans accusing the Biden administration of trying to protect Hunter Biden from prosecution.
🚨BREAKING🚨
HUNTER BIDEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES AFTER PLEA DEAL IS JEOPARDIZED pic.twitter.com/HHpLbp9zWK
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 26, 2023
