Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal falls apart over gun charge
Judge said Justice Department has to enforce his actions and explain immunity on future charges
Hunter Biden did not get off that fast.
When I wrote just over a month ago that the president’s son got a sweetheart deal for illegally owning a gun, it never occurred to me that a judge would blow up the deal. That shocking move happened today, which forced Hunter’s lawyers and the Department of Justice back into negotiations.
No Rubber Stamp
“It seems to me like you are saying ‘Just rubber stamp the agreement, Your Honor,’” U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika Delaware said in a Delaware courtroom. “This seems to me to be form over substance.”
Hunter was charged by DOJ in June with felony possession of a firearm despite knowing he was addicted to crack cocaine. He was supposed to enter into a “pre-trial diversion” agreement, which meant his record would be wiped clear of the gun charge if he adhered to the terms of the plea deal for two years. But the judge said that deal won’t work.
Gun Deal Dropped
Noreika said that mixing immunity on a gun charge with a guilty plea on tax charges was not constitutional, Fox News reported
The judge, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said that the deal would make the court responsible for monitoring Biden’s actions. According to the AP, the judge said “the lawyers needed to untangle technical issues — including over her role in enforcing the gun agreement — before moving forward.”
Biden was going to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses, but he ended up pleading not guilty.
Under Investigation
The other issue that broke down the deal was whether immunity on the gun charge would apply to possible future charges in the ongoing investigation…