(RightWing.org) – For the last several months, there’s been a lot of focus on Hunter Biden. In June, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware charged the president’s son with two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony gun offense. The younger Biden entered into a plea agreement, but that fell apart in a bizarre twist of events.
What Happened to the Plea Deal?
On Wednesday, July 26, the prosecution and defense met in front of Judge Maryellen Noreika in Wilmington, Delaware, to finalize the agreement. However, the judge took issue with some aspects of the deal and subjected both sides to an interrogation. Her reason for doing so was that the agreement contained “non-standard terms” and, when it came to the gun charge, an “unusual” resolution.
During the three-hour hearing, Judge Noreika asked pertinent questions, including whether the younger Biden would be safe from future prosecution, bringing up the issue of FARA.
What Is FARA?
The Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, requires that US citizens register with the government if they take on any jobs with a foreign government. Investigators are still looking into whether the younger Biden engaged in business that mandated this registration.
Kash Patel, who served in the Trump Administration, said Judge Noreika had the right to get a straight answer from the Department of Justice, especially in regard to whether the younger Biden would be immune to future charges related to FARA. In doing so, she exposed a critical issue with how both sides understood a provision of the agreement.
Where the prosecution sought to exclude Biden from any other offenses that might come of their investigation into his failure to pay taxes and a gun charge, Biden’s attorney, Christopher Clark, meant it to preclude any charges that stemmed from business deals with Romania, Ukraine, and China.
When the prosecution answered “no,” that he would not be immune from future prosecution, it prompted Biden’s attorneys to say the deal is off.
What Happens Next?
Judge Noreika made it clear that she would not be there to serve simply as a “rubber stamp” and said she would not be signing off on the plea deal as it’s currently written. The two sides attempted to hammer out the details in court but were eventually dismissed and given 30 days to fix it. Rather than plead guilty as originally intended, Biden entered a not-guilty plea. If all parties can come to an agreement that the judge approves, he can withdraw it and proceed with the deal.
As of right now, the judge is looking for an agreement that she can sign off on — one that’s clear for everyone involved. It doesn’t mean the deal is dead in the water, but Biden’s team may not get exactly what they want, either.
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