January 1, Hunter Biden’s “Sweetheart” Plea Deal Falls Apart

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1905: US Secretary of War William Howard Taft makes secret agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Katsura agreeing to Japanese free rein in Korea in return for non-interference with the US in the Philippines.

In a move that took the courtroom by surprise, Hunter Biden pled not guilty to federal tax charges on Wednesday.

Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was expected to enter a guilty plea as part of a deal negotiated with the government.

However, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, raised questions about the terms of the deal, leading to the unexpected turn of events.

Hunter Biden was asked by Noreika, “Without me saying I’ll agree to the plea agreement, how do you plead?”

To which he responded, “Not guilty, your honor.”

Noreika voiced her concerns, stating that she felt as though she was being asked to act as a “rubber stamp” on the agreement.

The key concerns raised by Judge Noreika pertained to how two separate deals, one for unpaid taxes and the other a gun possession charge, intersected and her jurisdiction over them.

The judge, clearly skeptical, sought more information on these issues from both sides, before they reconvene within the next six weeks to hash out the terms.

Further complicating matters, there was disagreement between Biden’s defense and the prosecution over whether the agreement would block Biden from being charged with failing to register as a foreign agent.

Christopher Clark, Biden’s lawyer, stated his belief that the agreement would prevent such a charge, but the prosecution disagreed.

According to the charges outlined by U.S. Attorney David Weiss’s office, “Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1,500,000 annually in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year.”

The original deal was meant to include probation for the tax violations, with a separate felony gun charge being dropped if Biden adhered to certain conditions laid out in court.

However, it now seems the final terms will be determined at a later date.

The case has been a hot-button issue, with Republicans claiming Biden has received preferential treatment due to his father’s political status.

This has intensified since two IRS whistleblowers testified before Congress that the investigation was influenced to favor Biden.

Conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt pointed out in The Washington Post that the plea deal, which didn’t involve jail time, was likely to be rejected by Judge Noreika.

Republicans who have criticized the plea deal as lenient are sure to be pleased by the unexpected developments in the case.

U.S. Attorney Weiss has offered to testify before Congress about his role in the investigation, a move that may shed more light on this ongoing saga.

As the case develops, all eyes will be on the future proceedings and their potential political ramifications.

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