Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, who was expected to plead guilty on two minor tax offences, pleaded not guilty after a federal judge on Wednesday (local time) put on hold a proposed plea deal between Hunter Biden and the Justice Department. The plea would have settled tax and gun charges against Hunter Biden. The drama in the courtroom stunned all and has now led to questions over the legality and constitutional validity of the agreement, according to reports.
Drama in court
On Wednesday, when the federal judge asked Hunter Biden if he would plead guilty knowing he could still face additional charges, he said "no." Prosecutors in the courtroom maintained this was part of the agreement all along. "Then we misunderstood, were ripping it up." Hunter Biden lawyer Chris Clark snapped at them. After the failure of divisional agreements -- a deal between Hunter Biden and prosecutors-- the judge told the two sides to work on how the deal was structured and resubmit it when it can pass constitutional muster, as per The Washington Post. If his lawyers and the prosecutors can't figure out a way to resurrect the plea deal, he could eventually face a criminal trial on the tax charges. He could also theoretically be charged with illegally purchasing a firearm, it said.
Justice Department started investigating Hunter Biden in 2018
The Trump-era Justice Department started investigating Hunter Biden in 2018, and the probe steadily expanded to examine whether he violated money laundering and foreign lobbying laws with his multimillion-dollar overseas business dealings. Federal investigators also looked into Hunter Biden unpaid taxes and lavish spending, which came amid a struggle with addiction.
Curious case of Hunter Biden
Hunter Biden has always been a trouble for his father's politics. Starting with the 2020 election, critics of Joe Biden have latched onto every salacious detail about Hunter Biden's life to paint a picture of an unsavoury, corrupt family, reported The Washington Post.
Hunter Biden has struggled with debt and addiction. He had a relationship with his deceased brother's wife. And Republicans have combed through texts, emails and even nude photos from a laptop he apparently left in a Delaware repair shop before the 2020 election that quickly made its way into the hands of Trump allies.
(With ANI inputs)
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