Hunter Biden's Plea Deal In Doubt Over Immunity Concerns

President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden is facing a legal hurdle in his proposed plea agreement. The deal, which would have him admit to two misdemeanor tax charges while avoiding a gun charge, is now uncertain.

Hunter's lead attorney, Chris Clark, declared the deal "null and void" when Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned its potential to grant Hunter perpetual immunity from other possible crimes on Wednesday.

A senior prosecutor confirmed the deal wouldn't provide such immunity, leading to a request for a recess to renegotiate the terms, according to a New York Times report. 

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The plea agreement is the result of a lengthy investigation led by federal prosecutor David C. Weiss, a Trump appointee retained under the Biden administration, the Times report said. 

Hunter had agreed to plead guilty to late tax payments for 2017 and 2018, years marked by his struggle with crack cocaine addiction, according to the Times. He owed over $100,000 in taxes each year, based on a yearly taxable income exceeding $1.5 million. He settled his tax debts in 2021.

Additionally, Hunter faced charges related to a 2018 handgun purchase during which he falsely denied drug use. The Justice Department agreed not to prosecute this charge if he remains weapon- and drug-free for two years.

Republicans criticized the deal as excessively lenient, alleging that political interference tainted the agreement. They attempted to block the plea deal on Tuesday, citing testimonies from two I.R.S. investigators. Weiss denied these claims.

Donald Trump Jr. recently commented on the situation at the Turning Point Action Conference. He suggested that his father, former President Donald Trump, would have been much harsher if he were in a similar situation. "My dad would have sent me to Gitmo," he quipped.

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This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo: CSIS | Center for Strategic on Flickr.