A federal court rejected Hunter Biden’s plea deal related to tax violations and a gun crime on Wednesday, questioning a provision that would protect the president’s son from further prosecution.
According to Bloomberg, Hunter Biden and his lawyer refused to accept the plea deal unless the government guaranteed there would be no further prosecution.
The judge ultimately adjourned the hearing, ordering Biden and his lawyers to discuss the provision with the government lawyers involved in the case.
Hunter Biden previously agreed to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and reached a deal that would likely keep him out of prison for a felony gun charge, the Department of Justice recently revealed in court filings.
The tax violations include failure to pay in 2017 and 2018, with the combined liability totaling about $1.2 million, people familiar with the deal said. Prosecutors will likely recommend probation for the violations, the sources added.
READ MORE: Politico: Secret Service interfered with Hunter Biden gun incident, says new report
Regarding the criminal gun charge – one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance – Politico obtained copies of Hunter’s Firearms Transaction Record and receipt for purchase, revealing the president’s son may have lied on his background check form.
According to the record, Hunter Biden responded “no” to the question: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?”
Lying on ATF Form 4473 is a felony that can result in a 10-year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine.
Christopher Clark, Hunter Biden’s attorney, previously said in a statement that the plea deal will “resolve” the Justice Department’s criminal investigation into his client.
“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” Clark said, according to CNN. “A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
