White House Issues Statement as Hunter Biden's Day in Federal Court Goes Off the Rails
Justice could finally be coming for Hunter Biden.
On Wednesday, the White House acknowledged the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) tax crime investigation into the president’s troubled son, Hunter Biden, saying the matter was “handled independently” after a federal judge rejected his plea agreement.
“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,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during the briefing.
Jean-Pierre declined to give further details, pointing out that Hunter Biden is a “private citizen and this is a personal matter for him.”
“The president, the first lady, they love their son,” she said. “And they support him as he continues to rebuild his life.”
The exchange took place shortly after Maryellen Noreika, a federal judge in Delaware, rejected the government’s plea deal for Hunter Biden, in which he would have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax crimes and been granted immunity from future criminal charges.
“You all are telling me ‘just rubber stamp the agreement, Your Honor,'” Noreika told prosecutors, USA Today reported.
Noreika went on to demand prosecutors and Biden’s legal team work on a fresh agreement, adding that she would need time to review the proposal.
Hunter Biden is consequently pleading “not guilty” until a deal is hammered out.
“Without me saying I’ll agree to the plea agreement, how do you plead?” Noreika asked Hunter Biden.
“Not guilty, your honor,” he responded.
BREAKING: Judge Noreika just set release conditions on Hunter Biden.
My favorite is that he has to get a job lol pic.twitter.com/9yzsGa3S5H
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) July 26, 2023
During the court proceedings on Wednesday, prosecutors acknowledged the existence of an ongoing investigation involving Hunter Biden but refrained from disclosing any specific details.
Last month, Hunter Biden also reached a plea agreement with the Department of Justice regarding illegal gun possession charges.
Democrats and allies of the current president have defended the tax probe, arguing that the investigation was overseen by U.S. Attorney for Delaware, David Weiss, a Trump appointee.
However, IRS whistleblowers have claimed that the DOJ restricted Weiss’s authority over the case, raising concerns about the handling of the matter.
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