Image Credit: RYAN COLLERD/AFP via Getty Images 
In another surprising turn of events, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to two tax crimes Wednesday after his “sweetheart” plea deal was tabled during a court hearing.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika expressed concerns about the original plea deal, leading Hunter’s lawyers and prosecutors to negotiate more limited terms of the agreement.
BREAKING: Judge DENIES Hunter Biden plea deal, pleads ‘not guilty’ pic.twitter.com/ET54tXbw9M
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) July 26, 2023
Though the litigators agreed to a more “limited” plea deal, the judge rejected it, taking issue with Hunter’s charge of possessing a firearm while on drugs, which is a felony.
Judge Noreika then gave Hunter’s lawyers 30 days to explain why she should accept the “unusual” circumstances of the plea deal.
From the Associated Press:
Hunter Biden was charged last month with two misdemeanor tax crimes of failure to pay more than $100,000 in taxes from over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018, and he was expected to plead guilty after he made an agreement with prosecutors, who were planning to recommend two years of probation. That deal is now on hold.
But during the hearing Wednesday, there was a dispute in court over whether the initial agreement gave him protection against any future charges. U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, raised concerns about the language of the deal.
Biden had also been charged with possession of a firearm by a person who is a known drug user, a felony. He had a Colt Cobra .38 Special for 11 days in October 2018. He had agreed to enter into a diversion agreement, which means that he would not technically plead guilty to the crime. As long as he adhered to the terms of his agreement, the case would be wiped from his record. If not, the deal would be withdrawn. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The overlapping agreements created confusion for the judge, who said the lawyers needed to untangle the issues before moving forward.
“It seems to me like you are saying ‘just rubber stamp the agreement, Your Honor.’ … This seems to me to be form over substance,” she said. She gave defense lawyers and prosecutors 30 days to explain why she should accept the deal.
Under the original plea agreement, Biden intended to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes, and would avoid prison on the gun possession felony charge.
This marks the latest turn of events after the original plea agreement fell apart in court over what the judge called “broad immunity” from other future charges.
Additionally, Hunter’s lawyers are in hot water for allegedly impersonating lawyers of the House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday to request the court remove the original filing, which included damning whistleblower testimonies.
The real lawyer for the committee, Theodore Kittila, caught on and informed the court of the deceptive tactic.
“We promptly contacted the clerk’s office, and we were advised that someone contacted the court representing that they worked with my office and that they were asking the court to remove this from the docket,” wrote Kittila, adding “We immediately advised that this was inaccurate.”
Judge Noreika then demanded Hunter’s lawyers explain themselves.
“It appears that the caller misrepresented her identity and who she worked for in an attempt to improperly convince the clerk’s office to remove the amicus materials from the docket,” reads the order. “Therefore, it is hereby ordered that, on or before 9pm today on July 25, 2023, counsel for defendant shall show cause as to why sanctions should not be considered for misrepresentations to the court.”
The issue wasn’t brought up during Wednesday’s hearing, but the lawyers could still face sanctions at the judge’s discretion.
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