• Investing
  • Stock
Round Table Thoughts
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Home Economy Hunter Biden went from ‘sweetheart deal’ to ‘poison pill:’ legal experts break down derailed plea deal
Economy

Hunter Biden went from ‘sweetheart deal’ to ‘poison pill:’ legal experts break down derailed plea deal

by July 27, 2023
by July 27, 2023 0 comment
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

President Biden’s son left federal court Wednesday after his pre-arranged plea deal with the Justice Department (DOJ) fell apart after surprising revelations that Hunter Biden is still under investigation for possible Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) crimes. 

Hunter Biden was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

But Judge Maryellen Noreika did not accept the plea agreement, questioning its constitutionality and the broad immunity Hunter Biden would have received, leading Hunter Biden to plead ‘not guilty’ instead.

Criminal prosection experts say that the younger Biden went from ‘a sweetheart deal’ to a ‘real poison pill’ that could ‘expose him across the board.’

‘The judge had an obligation to make sure that the defendant and the government have a very clear idea of what is implicated guaranteed,’ Jonathan Turley, criminal law professor at George Washington University, told Fox News, adding that ‘they didn’t have that.’

Turley said the plea deal dissolving in such a manor is ‘extremely rare’ akin to ‘a wedding where both the groom and bride object.’

Hunter Biden, 53, has been under federal investigation since 2018. That investigation into his ‘tax affairs’ began amid the discovery of suspicious activity reports that related to money from ‘China and other foreign nations.’ IRS whistleblowers said the investigation began as an offshoot from an existing probe into a foreign pornography platform.

Hunter was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay more than $1 million in federal income tax in exchange for immunity from other crimes.

He was also expected to enter into a pretrial diversion agreement for a separate felony charge of possession of a firearm – an element of which Noreika expressed questions of constitutionality.

Turley said the ‘sweetheart deal’ was an effort to ‘cap off’ the years-long federal probe into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings. ‘But now, it’s the worst possible situation for Hunter Biden,’ Turley said.

Turley said Biden ‘doesn’t have any protection at all’ and that the Department of Justice is in a position where they can bring to bear any or all of the remaining counts, including FARA.

‘And they usually do,’ Turley said. When a defendant ‘goes south’ on a plea deal, the DOJ usually ‘puts everything on the table for a potential trial.’

Jim Trusty, criminal prosecutor and former lawyer for former President Donald Trump, said the plea deal breakdown was unusual.

‘Up until today, Delaware was looking like the place where investigations go to die,’ Trusty told Fox News Digital.

But DOJ attorneys reiterated to the judge that there is an ‘ongoing investigation’ surrounding Hunter Biden.

At one point the judge asked DOJ prosecutor Leo Wise, ‘Is there an ongoing investigation here?’

Wise answered that ‘there is’ but said he couldn’t tell the judge what the investigation was into. When she asked if the government could potentially bring a FARA charge, Wise answered, ‘Yes.’

Scharf said that a likely next-step scenario is that a new plea deal will be put in place that will be limited to crimes within the jurisdiction of the District of Delaware, namely the tax crimes, gun and drug charges.

‘I think Hunter is just going to have to eat that and accept that he will continue to be under investigation for FARA,’ he said. 

‘Hunter is not out of the water. He is in a lot of trouble. And the situation is going to continue to develop. Today was, I think, in Hunter’s mind, supposed to be the end. And instead, he found out he’s really pretty close to the beginning,’ Scharf added.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

Brianna Herlihy is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
You Might Also Like
  • Sen. Cotton probes DOD how US airman who lit himself on fire was ‘allowed to serve on active duty’
  • HBI Stock Price: Times Get Tough for Hanesbrands Inc.
  • Luna’s bid to force Garland to hand over Biden-Hur tapes fails in House
  • RNC launches ‘Bank Your Vote’ websites in 16 languages across all 50 states ahead of GOP primaries
Share
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

previous post
Republicans pop off over Hunter Biden’s rejected plea deal: ‘Justice is coming’
next post
White House reveals where it now stands on possible existence of aliens: ‘We don’t know’

You may also like

UN torture expert urges UK to halt Julian Assange’s US...

February 10, 2024

Nvidia Shares Plummet Amid Tech Sector Selloff

January 27, 2025

Trump returns to Facebook for first time in years with...

March 18, 2023

Nearly 10K photos from Hunter Biden’s laptop hit the web:...

June 1, 2023

Catholic bishop, Chris Rufo see ‘signs of hope’ against ‘woke...

September 21, 2023

Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine to run for re-election in...

January 20, 2023

Israel omitted from online maps in China amid war on...

November 1, 2023

Iran vows to ‘decisively respond’ to any US attacks: ‘No...

January 31, 2024

Sen Tuberville says ‘Trump understands’ school choice will be a...

January 25, 2024

Bitcoin Hits $76,825; Ethereum Breaks Key Resistance

November 8, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent Posts

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right Now

      May 31, 2025
    • Leadership Rotation Could Confirm Corrective Phase

      May 30, 2025
    • Run Your Stock Portfolio Like a Pro Sports Team

      May 30, 2025
    • U.S. foreign tax bill sends jitters across Wall Street

      May 30, 2025
    • Amazon taps Xbox co-founder to lead new team developing ‘breakthrough’ consumer products

      May 30, 2025

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be...

      June 27, 2024 2,765 views
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as...

      August 9, 2024 2,472 views
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese...

      June 25, 2024 2,451 views
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful...

      July 10, 2024 2,432 views
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility...

      August 29, 2024 2,308 views

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,106)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,581)

    Popular Posts

    • 1

      Trump-era China sanctions ended by Biden may be revived under new House GOP bill

      June 27, 2024
    • 2

      Walz’s honeymoon with China gets fresh scrutiny as Harris camp blasts ‘lying’ critics

      August 9, 2024
    • 3

      Biden appointee played key role in recruiting Chinese businesses to Delaware: ‘Longtime friends’

      June 25, 2024
    • 4

      Shein’s global ambitions leaves some cybersecurity experts fearful of Chinese spy threats

      July 10, 2024
    • 5

      Harris VP pick spent years promoting research facility that collaborated with ‘Chinese military company’

      August 29, 2024

    Latest News

    • Breakouts, Momentum & Moving Averages: 10 Must-See Stock Charts Right...

      May 31, 2025
    • Leadership Rotation Could Confirm Corrective Phase

      May 30, 2025
    • Run Your Stock Portfolio Like a Pro Sports Team

      May 30, 2025

    Categories

    • Economy (7,009)
    • Editor's Pick (2,106)
    • Investing (538)
    • Stock (2,581)

    Disclaimer: RoundTableThoughts.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2024 RoundTableThoughts.com. All Rights Reserved.

    Round Table Thoughts
    • Investing
    • Stock
    Round Table Thoughts
    • Economy
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    Al Gore explains global AI program...

    January 19, 2023

    DOJ charges 4 Russian fighters with...

    December 7, 2023

    Texas legislature’s first special session focusing...

    May 30, 2023
    Sign In

    Keep me signed in until I sign out

    Forgot your password?

    Password Recovery

    A new password will be emailed to you.

    Have received a new password? Login here