Hunter Biden unexpectedly pleads not guilty to tax charges

(Image credit: Mark Makela / Getty Images)

published 26 July 2023

In a shock reversal, Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to tax crimes after a plea deal between the president's son and the Justice Department fell through, at least for the time being.

Things unraveled when U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika on Wednesday expressed multiple misgivings about the terms of the agreement, which Republicans have repeatedly characterized as a "sweetheart deal." Under this arrangement, Hunter was expected to plead guilty to two tax offenses in exchange for a recommendation of probation, and would also avoid charges relating to how he lied about his drug use when purchasing a gun.

But that's what not happened on Wednesday. Rather, Noreika said "she needed more information" on the plea agreement "before deciding whether to sign off on it," The Wall Street Journal summarized. "These agreements are not straightforward and they contain atypical provisions," she said. "I'm not in a position where I can decide to accept or reject a plea agreement and I need to defer it." She added that she did not want to "rubber stamp" an arrangement.

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Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.

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