Midway through a court hearing, Hunter Biden's plea agreement collapsed in a shocking turn of events that cost the president's son the "sweetheart deal" he had secured with federal prosecutors; a revised, more limited arrangement was later reached but placed on pause.
Hunter Biden was anticipated to plead guilty to two misdemeanors for failing to pay his federal taxes on time in 2017 and 2018 while avoiding prosecution for a felony gun charge involving the unlawful possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Judge Rejects Hunter Biden Plead Deal
After US District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who is presiding over the case in Wilmington, Delaware, questioned whether the deal offered the president's son blanket immunity from prosecution in his plea negotiations or only for his tax offenses, both parties said the agreement was off the table.
The chief prosecutor stated that comprehensive immunity would not be granted. Biden's counsel declared the agreement null and void. Per Newsweek, Republicans criticized the agreement, calling it a "sweetheart bargain" offered to Biden solely because he is the president's son.
Hunter Biden's team requested a recess from Noreika, a Trump appointee unanimously confirmed by the Senate, to salvage the agreement.
In a second turn of events, the two parties were able to reestablish an agreement, albeit with a much more limited scope, encompassing only tax offenses, drug use, and gun possession between 2014 and 2019. As part of the new agreement, Biden would be covered for any tax-related behavior occurring three years prior to the evasion allegation.
However, the agreement would not protect him from prospective future accusations. At the time the initial plea agreement was disclosed, Biden's attorneys stated that they believed the federal investigation to be complete. However, the revised agreement makes it clear that the investigation is still "ongoing."
Per BBC, this is the first time that a reigning president's offspring has been charged by the Department of Justice. The prosecution has given the defense attorneys of Hunter Biden 14 days to negotiate a new agreement.
It follows a five-year investigation into the finances of the US president's son, who arrived at the court in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday morning.
In lieu of a more serious felony charge and possible jail time, he was required to confess that he illegally possessed a firearm while abusing drugs and commit to drug treatment and monitoring.
Noreika questioned whether the agreement would also provide Hunter Biden with immunity for future offenses for which he could be found liable. She stated that the agreement contained "unusual provisions" and that its proposed resolution for the gun possession offense was "unusual."
Justice department officials are continuing to investigate whether Hunter Biden violated federal laws requiring him to register as a foreign agent while working in China and Ukraine during his father's vice presidency.
Legal teams for both parties were observed negotiating in full view of reporters inside the courtroom in an effort to salvage the plea agreement or forge a more specific agreement.
Hunter Biden, who at first intended to submit a guilty plea, ultimately pleaded not guilty for the time being. On Wednesday, the White House issued a statement declaring that the president and first lady "love their son and are supporting him as he continues to rebuild his life."
"Hunter Biden is a private individual, and this was a private matter for him," stated press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Hunter Biden Details Drug Rehabilitation
Moreover, during his dramatic court appearance in Wilmington on Wednesday, Hunter Biden disclosed he had attended rehabilitation six times over the past two decades. In exchange for pleading guilty to not paying income tax and confessing to felony gun possession, the recovering cocaine addict was expected to receive leniency.
Because he was being prosecuted for forging a form to obtain a firearm, the eldest son detailed his drug and alcohol use in court. As the magistrate warned, he may be subject to random drug testing under the terms of his parole, according to Daily Mail.
In the previous month, Hunter Biden was charged with possession of a firearm by a known drug user, which is a felony. In 2018, he submitted his firearm application.
In his 2021 autobiography, Splendid Things, Hunter Biden detailed his public acknowledgment of substance and alcohol abuse. The so-called "laptop from hell" contains photographs of Hunter with alcohol and drug paraphernalia, as well as photographs of Hunter Biden with alcohol and drug paraphernalia.
In the book, he described multiple rehab visits and escape attempts. At the age of eight, he had his first taste of champagne at a Delaware reelection celebration, and he began imbibing beer with his friends at the age of fourteen.
Hunter Biden traveled to Newsburyport, Massachusetts to receive treatment at a therapy center that administers ketamine infusions. He stated in his writing that he had visited the location twice.
In the same year that President Joe Biden launched his victorious presidential campaign, he recalled an intervention that took place in 2019. At a family dinner, Hunter Biden was greeted by his father, first lady Jill Biden, his three daughters, and two counselors from a Pennsylvania rehabilitation center where he had been a patient previously.
Related Article: Hunter Biden Counsel Accused of Lying in Criminal Tax Case; Republicans Seek To Block First Son's Plea Deal
