Hunter Biden plea deal is back on after nearly falling apart in court

Hunter Biden agreed to a revised plea deal Wednesday for the two federal misdemeanor counts he incurred regarding his failure to pay taxes in 2017 and 2018 following a disagreement over a separate gun charge earlier in the day that led the judge presiding over the case to pause the proceedings until the parties could reach a resolution, CNN reports. 

According to NBC News, Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned earlier on Wednesday the terms of the plea deal the president’s son struck with U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware, another Trump-appointed official. Noreika asked whether the gun charge was linked to the deal and if there were more serious charges that could be brought against Biden. Weiss confirmed that the investigation into Biden is ongoing and further charges may be brought, prompting protest from Biden’s lawyers, who believed he would be given immunity.

The original deal said that prosecutors would recommend probation for the tax violations, while dropping a separate felony gun charge if Biden met certain conditions outlined in court. The revised deal now covers the time period from 2014 to 2019 and only handles Hunter Biden’s conduct related to tax offenses, drug use and gun possession. Both sides have also agreed that the new deal does not protect Hunter Biden from potential future charges.