Hunter Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Charges

Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

WILMINGTON, Del.—Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to tax charges on Wednesday, in a stunning reversal after a judge said she wasn’t yet prepared to accept a deal he had reached with prosecutors to plead guilty.

In a testy, three-hour hearing, a lawyer for President Biden’s son at first clashed with prosecutors over a dispute about the potential for future charges. After a break in which the two sides clarified their agreement, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika said she needed more information before deciding whether to sign off on it.

“These agreements are not straightforward and they contain atypical provisions,” she said, adding: “I’m not in a position where I can decide to accept or reject a plea agreement and I need to defer it.”

The last-minute upheaval before Judge Noreika, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, marks the latest twist in a meandering and politically explosive Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances, business dealings and well-documented drug and alcohol addiction.

The outlines of a plea agreement made public weeks ago held the potential for Hunter Biden to put his legal troubles behind him, even though Republicans on Capitol Hill have escalated their hearings and accusations about his alleged misdeeds and sought to tie them to President Biden as he launches his re-election bid.

Prosecutors left open the possibility of future charges against Hunter Biden, including those pertaining to foreign lobbying laws that the Justice Department has long been examining. Wednesday’s outcome means his legal woes persist and could provide new fodder for Republicans in the House and Senate as the 2024 campaign ramps up.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) has signaled the House may pursue an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, citing claims of corruption tied to Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

The White House has said consistently that President Biden didn’t discuss Hunter Biden’s business dealings with his son and wasn’t involved in them. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said: “I have faith in the prosecution…And no one should interfere with this politically, ideologically, and let justice go forward.”
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Should the judge overseeing the case ultimately not condone the plea agreement, Hunter Biden would face trial on the current charges against him just as Trump, the GOP 2024 presidential front-runner, faces his own Justice Department charges that he mishandled classified information. Trump also is expected to be indicted over alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 election. Trump has denied any wrongdoing.

The younger Biden had expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and had entered into an agreement to avoid a gun charge. Republicans have accused the Justice Department of giving Biden a lenient deal that others in similar circumstances would never have received. The department has denied any favoritism.

During the hearing, Hunter Biden sat with his attorneys and quietly watched as the proceedings unraveled. He offered a glimpse into his recovery efforts, telling the judge he had been in treatment at least six times in the past two decades for his drug and alcohol addiction. The last time he used drugs or alcohol was June 2019, he said.

“Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. “As we have said, the president and the first lady, they love their son and will continue to support him as he rebuilds his life.”
 

Part of the turmoil began on Wednesday when prosecutor Leo Wise insisted that the investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities remained ongoing and said in response to a question from the judge that he could face additional foreign-lobbying charges.

In response, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Chris Clark, said he disagreed with that interpretation and believed the agreement foreclosed the possibility of additional charges, adding later: “As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement is null and void.”

After the break, Hunter Biden’s legal team said the agreement covered his liability related to tax offenses from 2014 through 2019, and covered drug and gun crimes. The judge asked Hunter Biden if he had been promised any other protections to entice him to plead guilty, and he said, “No, your hon

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