After Hunter Biden’s plea deal went off the tracks Wednesday, the media and everyone else watching the drama unfold have been wondering, or offering predictions, about what comes next.
According to Fox News, the White House is presently saying there is no pardon in the works for President Joe Biden’s son.
Wednesday’s surprising court appearance by Hunter Biden, in which everyone seemed to expect his “sweetheart” plea deal announced in June to be okayed, actually ended with the president’s son entering a “Not Guilty” plea in federal court. This came after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika raised questions about the agreement, which involve a “diversion” on a federal gun charge. Judge Noreika is a Donald Trump appointee to the federal court.
The “deal” announced in June involved Hunter Biden apparently willing to enter a guilty plea on two tax charges and enter a “diversion agreement” on the gun charge that he allegedly lied on a Form 4473 when purchasing a Colt Cobra .38 Special revolver. Under the highly publicized deal, Biden would see that charge disappear if he remained out of trouble for two years. At the time, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms declared this plan to be the “Biden Loophole.”
Providing false information on a federal firearms form is a felony punishable by fines and imprisonment.
But now it appears the deal is off, or at least on hold, while Biden’s attorneys and the Justice Department sort things out to the judge’s satisfaction, according to NBC News. The news agency said Hunter Biden “is expected to reverse his plea if a new agreement or the information presented to the judge eventually satisfies her.”
Fox News reported that Judge Noreika questioned the constitutionality of the deal, “specifically the diversion clause and the immunity Hunter Biden would receive.” According to the Fox report, “The diversion was an agreement in which the government would not charge Hunter Biden with the more serious federal gun charge — if he pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor tax charges and behaved under certain terms of the agreement for a period of approximately 24 months.” However, if the younger Biden breached the diversion agreement, he would wind up facing the serious gun charge, the report explained.
In addition to the sudden development in Hunter Biden’s case, national news agencies seemed to deal with it in a way to downplay the serious nature of Wednesday’s events.
The New York Times headlined its report, “Judge Delays Hunter Biden Plea Deal.”
CNN’s headline read, “Hearing ends with Hunter Biden plea deal on hold”
NBC’s headline read, “Hunter Biden pleads not guilty after plea deal is derailed.”
Judge Noreika, a Donald Trump appointee, reportedly expressed concerns about the gun charge diversion, according to NBC News. Under this arrangement, she reportedly indicated, she would become an arbiter if Hunter Biden violated the agreement.
She also asked Justice Department prosecutor Leo Wise if there is still an “ongoing investigation” and he confirmed there is, according to Fox News. Wise apparently did not elaborate on what the investigation involves.
Fox News also reported that White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released a statement noting, “Hunter Biden is a private citizen, and this was a personal matter for him. As we have said, the president, the first lady — they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,”
She quickly added, “This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump.”
