Imminent Guilty Plea of Hunter Biden Brings Forth New Difficulties

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, is set to admit guilt in a court proceeding on Wednesday, involving tax and gun charges. This plea bargain presents new hurdles on the backdrop of growing scrutiny from Republicans on the president and his son.

In a unique move, the Republican chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smith, has urged the presiding judge in Hunter Biden’s case, Maryellen Noreika, to consider statements from IRS whistleblowers. These whistleblowers have alleged interference by the Justice Department in investigations pertaining to Biden, a claim refuted by the case’s lead prosecutor, a Trump-era appointee.

Judge Noreika, also appointed during Trump’s presidency, will deliberate over the acceptance of the plea agreement. Plea bargains are seldom rejected, but Smith’s effort marks a significant attempt to question the agreement, expected to save the president’s son from serving jail time.

The case’s intricacy grew when a motion was filed by lawmakers. Subsequently, a court clerk was requested, via an anonymous phone call, to seal “sensitive grand jury, taxpayer and social security information” contained in the motion, as per Noreika’s oral order.

The caller, a lawyer from the defense team, claimed to be working with a representative from the Ways and Means Committee. Upon discovering this, Noreika demanded the defense justify why they should not be penalized for “misrepresentations to the court.”

Defense lawyers responded, stating their colleague had been honest since the beginning and that any misunderstandings may have arisen from her speaking with two separate clerk’s office employees. Hunter Biden’s legal team continues to pursue confidentiality for private information within public court records. In response, Kittila clarified that he had only filed materials already publicly accessible. The judge, however, has kept the information sealed for a day to reflect on the matter.

This squabble precedes Biden’s anticipated guilty plea to misdemeanor tax charges. This agreement would exempt him from a gun charge prosecution, given certain conditions are met. Republicans have criticized the deal, calling it a “sweetheart deal,” and have heard from two IRS agents who argued that the investigation has been “slow walked,” and the overseeing prosecutor denied wider special counsel powers.

David Weiss, Delaware U.S. Attorney and another Trump appointee, rejected these claims in a letter to Congress, asserting his “full authority” over the investigation, and never having sought special counsel status. Any inquiries to Weiss were redirected back to the court clerk’s office.

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More about Hunter Biden’s guilty plea

• Hunter Biden’s Tax Investigation
• Congressional GOP Investigations
• IRS Whistleblower Testimony
• Details on Hunter Biden’s Plea Agreement
• House Ways and Means Committee