Hunter Biden unexpectedly pleads not guilty to tax charges


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.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The hearing later ended with Hunter, who "appeared agitated and worried" during the proceedings, per CNN, pleading not guilty. Judge Noreika also asked both legal teams to file additional briefs further explaining the structure and legal merits of the plea deal. Additional proceedings have been postponed, "likely for a month or more," according to Politico.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Laura Lippman's 6 favorite books for those who crave a high-stakes adventure
Feature The Grand Master recommends works by E.L. Konigsburg, Charles Portis, and more
-
Book reviews: 'Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream' and 'Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television'
Feature Private equity and the man who created 'I Love Lucy' get their close-ups
-
Can Texas redistricting save the US House for the GOP?
Today's Big Question Trump pushes a 'ruthless' new plan, but it could backfire
-
SCOTUS greenlights mass DOE firings
Speed Read The Supreme Court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Education Department
-
Cuomo announces third-party run for NYC mayor
Speed Read He will go up against progressive Democratic powerhouse Zohran Mamdani and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams
-
Secret Service 'failures' on Trump shooting
Speed Read Two new reports detail security breakdowns that led to attempts on the president's life
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled