A plea deal between Hunter Biden and the Justice Department over tax charges is on hold after a federal judge said in a court hearing Wednesday that she was not ready to accept a revised agreement between both parties.
Hunter Biden failed to pay between $1.1 million and $1.5 million in federal taxes before the legal deadlines and was poised to plead guilty to two tax charges with prosecutors agreeing to recommend a sentence of probation.
But before the original plea could be entered, the deal began to unravel and a revised agreement reached during the hearing was not accepted by the judge.
If you're just reading in now, here's what you missed from Hunter Biden's dramatic day in court:
- Two sides unsuccessfully tried to save the deal: As the plea deal began to unravel Wednesday the two sides convened to try to reach an agreement. After negotiations, Biden then agreed to plead guilty to the two tax charges in a deal that only includes conduct related to tax offenses, drug use and gun possession. The two sides agreed that this deal does not shield him from potential future charges. But the judge wasn’t satisfied. “What if it is unconstitutional?” District Judge Maryellen Noreika asked. “I’m trying to exercise due deliverance and consideration to make sure we don’t make a misstep.”
- Judge: “I cannot accept the plea agreement today": Noreika said she had “concerns” about the parties seemingly linking the tax plea agreement to resolving a felony gun charge. During the proceedings, prosecutors confirmed that the investigation into Biden was ongoing.
- Questions about the probe: Hanging over the plea hearing are recent claims from two IRS whistleblowers who helped lead the investigation that the Justice Department gave preferential treatment to Hunter Biden beginning when President Donald Trump was president in 2020. Their claims dovetail with the GOP-fueled narrative that Hunter Biden got a “sweetheart deal,” even though it’s fairly common for first-time offenders to avoid incarceration in a misdemeanor-only case.
- Biden pleads not guilty for now: The hearing ended with President Joe Biden's son pleading not guilty for the time being and the judge asking both sides to file additional briefs explaining the plea deal’s legal structuring.
- White House says it's a "personal matter": The White House again referred questions surrounding the legal proceedings in Hunter Biden’s case to his legal team after the hearing. The White House called the case “a personal matter.”