Hunter Biden entered a temporary plea of not guilty for two misdemeanor charges of failure to pay taxes after the judge in the case was uncertain about the conditions of the plea agreement Biden’s lawyers and prosecutors agreed to, NBC News reports.
The deal reportedly fell apart when Biden said he would not agree to the conditions after prosecutors told the court that the deal did not shield Biden from future charges related to his tax issues and the outstanding charge of lying on a gun purchase form. Judge Maryellen Noreika reportedly stated she did not understand why the court was involved in monitoring the terms of the deal between Biden and the Justice Department which would enroll Biden in a deferment program that would ultimately expunge the charge from his record.
Noreika ordered counsel for both sides to submit briefs on the applicability of the agreement and its conformance with law before she approves the deal. Noreika wants to make sure she is satisfied Hunter Biden thoroughly understands the terms of the agreement, something the two sides did not seem to agree on in the Wednesday session. Biden’s lawyers said it would take about two weeks to insert language clarifying what the deal covers and what the court’s role in monitoring the arrangements regarding the Biden’s participation in the diversionary gun program.