Before he walked into a federal courtroom in Delaware last month, first son Hunter Biden expected to spend a minimal amount of time before the judge.
That’s because his attorneys and the federal prosecutor, David Weiss, had already worked out a sweetheart deal for him that would see him plead guilty to, but serve no jail time for, major tax violations while deferring a gun-related felony for a couple of years until that charge, too, simply disappeared.
But U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, found a provision buried in the agreement that did not sit well with her, and the plea deal fell apart, leading Hunter to plead not guilty.
Now, the case is getting even more complicated.
According to CNN, Christopher Clark, who has long served as Biden’s personal lawyer, filed a motion with the Delaware federal court that denied his plea deal to “withdraw as counsel.”
“Mr. Biden will continue to be represented by other firms that have entered an appearance on behalf of Mr. Biden, and therefore has ample counsel,” the filing read.
The filing made reference to a statute that prevents lawyers from acting as representatives for clients if they are “likely to be a necessary witness,” indicating that the legal circumstances surrounding Biden are potentially becoming more complicated.
“Based on recent developments, it appears that the negotiation and drafting of the plea agreement and diversion agreement will be contested, and Mr. Clark is a percipient witness to those issues,” the first son’s legal team said in the filing.
Hunter Biden’s lead criminal defense attorney Christopher Clark filed a motion to withdraw from the case in the wake of his failed plea deal citing he could now be called as a witness in future proceedings pic.twitter.com/0F7BaFHSqA
— Mona Salama (@ByMonaSalama) August 15, 2023
Hunter was charged with a pair of misdemeanor offenses for failing to pay over $100,000 in taxes on an income exceeding $1.5 million in both 2017 and 2018. In addition, another aspect of the deal was to avoid a felony charge for purchasing a gun after allegedly lying on a federal background check form about never having been addicted to drugs.
“But the plea deal collapsed during a court hearing after Judge Noreika raised concerns about the terms of the agreement and her role in the proceedings,” Fox News noted further, adding:
The plan also included an agreement on a separate gun charge — Hunter Biden has been accused of possessing a firearm in 2018 as a drug user. The younger Biden has admitted to struggling with drug addiction in the past. As long as he adhered to the terms of his agreement, the gun case was to be wiped from his record. Otherwise, the felony charge carries 10 years in prison.
