Hunter Biden flies home in private jet after sweetheart plea deal falls apart
Something wrong, Hunter?
The first son cut a dejected figure as he arrived at Los Angeles’ Van Nuys Airport in a private plane early Friday — as a documentary filmmaker captured his every move.
Hunter, 53, touched down just before 1 a.m. SoCal time, more than 36 hours after Delaware US District Judge Maryellen Noreika blew the whistle on a wrist-slap plea agreement cooked up by Hunter’s attorneys and father Joe’s Department of Justice.
As an airport worker retrieved Hunter’s bags, the first son was consoled on the tarmac by an unidentified friend sporting a Yankees cap and a mustard-colored sweater. A camera operator observed the scene a few feet away.
A few minutes later, Hunter was whisked away from the airport in a two-car motorcade, four fewer than the convoy which had taken him to the federal court in Wilmington, Del.
The first son agreed last month to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income taxes and enter a diversionary program on a felony weapons charge in exchange for two years’ probation and no prison time.
But the diversionary agreement included a sweeping immunity clause that would have ruled out prosecution on most charges still covered by the statute of limitations.
Noreika blew up the agreement when she asked prosecutor Leo Wise whether there was an ongoing investigation into Hunter Biden.
“You said that there is an investigation, I don’t know what that is, but you must know that if there are particular charges that could be brought based on the facts that are there,” she said.
“I can tell you what I think we can’t charge,” said Wise, attempting to play coy. “I can’t tell you what the ongoing investigation is.”
Noreika then asked if the feds could charge Hunter with violating federal law by acting as an agent for foreign entities without registering with the Justice Department. Wise admitted that they could, drawing an angry reaction from the first son’s lawyer, Christopher Clark.
“As stated by the government just now, I don’t agree with what the government said,” the first son’s attorney said.
“I mean, these are contracts,” Noreika said. “To be enforceable, there has to be a meeting of the minds. So what do we do now?”
“Then there is no deal,” Wise said.
“As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement is null and void,” agreed Clark.
Hunter is due back in court next month, while his former business partner, Devon Archer, is expected to testify to the House Oversight Committee on Monday that the first son looped Joe Biden into meetings with his overseas business partners.