Hunter Biden’s lawyers confirm that a portion of the agreement to settle the felony gun charge remains unchanged.
Attorneys for Hunter Biden Argue Validity of Plea Deal
Attorneys representing Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, are asserting that their agreement with federal prosecutors to resolve a felony gun charge is both “valid and binding.” However, the stance of the newly appointed special counsel remains uncertain.
The court filing, submitted on Sunday, follows the recent appointment of David Weiss as special counsel. Weiss, a U.S. attorney appointed by former President Donald Trump, is currently investigating Hunter Biden. Just days after being granted special counsel status, Weiss’s office stated in court documents that they were “at an impasse” with the defense regarding further plea negotiations.
Debate Surrounding the Plea Deal
Prior to this development, Hunter Biden’s counsel and Weiss’s office had reached a plea agreement. Under this agreement, Biden would plead guilty to two federal tax misdemeanors, and a diversion agreement would be implemented to drop the felony gun charge in two years, provided Biden passed drug tests and remained law-abiding.
Initially, the deal seemed solid when it was announced in late June. However, it unraveled during a court hearing last month, drawing scrutiny from U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. Negotiations resumed but encountered obstacles last week.
In a three-page filing on Sunday, Chris Clark, an attorney for Hunter Biden, argued that Weiss had decided to “renege” on the previously agreed-upon Plea Agreement after negotiations fell apart. From the perspective of Biden’s counsel, the diversion agreement for the gun charge was fully executed when it was signed by both parties and presented to Noreika in Delaware.
Clark emphasized that his client intends to abide by the terms of the Diversion Agreement and asserted that the parties have a valid and binding bilateral agreement.
Response from Weiss’s team regarding the status of the diversion agreement remains unclear. Noreika has set a deadline for prosecutors to respond to the defense’s filing by Tuesday at noon.
Possible Additional Charges
Prior to the breakdown of the proposed plea deal, Hunter Biden had tentatively agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges for failure to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018. Court records indicate that Biden was a resident of Washington, D.C., had a taxable income exceeding .5 million, and owed over $100,000 in unpaid taxes.
In their Friday filing, prosecutors hinted at the possibility of filing additional charges against the president’s son, indicating their intention to file in California and Washington, D.C., where Biden has resided.
Read more: The Washington Examiner
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