Topline
Hunter Biden claimed federal prosecutors walked back a plea deal on tax and gun charges last week, his lawyers said in a new court filing on Sunday—as Hunter Biden’s legal woes head toward a potential trial and continue to muddy his father’s re-election campaign.
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden departs a court appearance at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal … [+]
Key Facts
Hunter Biden’s attorneys told a judge that prosecutors “reneged” on the agreement, which would have shielded him from future prosecution, but required him to plead guilty to tax charges and enter a diversion program to evade charges for buying a handgun while addicted to drugs.
His lawyers also contradicted prosecutors’ claims in a separate court filing on Friday that said no agreement had been reached, telling the judge that Hunter Biden signed the agreement in court last month.
The president’s son was “prepared to plead guilty to the two misdemeanor tax charges in open court” and “intends to abide by” the diversion agreement, which would require him to stay off drugs and not buy another firearm.
Key Background
The dispute over the plea agreement draws out a lengthy investigation by the Justice Department that began as a probe into Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings and was extended to encompass his tax records and a gun purchase. The gun charge stems from a 2018 firearm purchase Hunter Biden made while he was using drugs, and the tax charges are based on his failure to file federal taxes in 2017 and 2018. The plea agreement announced in June was widely believed to mark an end to the investigation just as President Joe Biden was ramping up his re-election campaign. But the agreement took a turn in court last month when federal prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Delaware indicated they could bring future charges against Hunter Biden, prompting his attorneys to call off the deal.
What To Watch For
Prosecutors said Friday they believe the case against Hunter Biden can only be settled at trial, and they are likely to bring the same charges—or entirely new charges—in California or Washington, D.C.
Tangent
Attorney General Merrick Garland made the lead prosecutor in the Hunter Biden case—Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss—a special counsel in the investigation on Friday, indicating Weiss could bring additional charges against Hunter Biden in another jurisdiction.
Further Reading
Hunter Biden Plea Agreement Documents Made Public (Forbes)
Hunter Biden Plea Deal Unravels As He Pleads Not Guilty (Forbes)
Special Counsel Named In Hunter Biden Investigation As Case Likely Going To Trial, Prosecutors Say (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/08/14/hunter-biden-claims-doj-backtracked-on-plea-deal/