A federal judge appeared skeptical of Hunter Biden’s arguments Wednesday that his indictment on tax charges from special counsel David Weiss should be dismissed after his plea deal fell apart last year.
The failed plea had offered immunity for many of the same tax issues that are included in the current felony indictment of President Joe Biden’s son. But US District Judge Mark Scarsi suggested in court that he thinks the terms of that deal – including the immunity – never kicked in.
A “natural reading” of the agreement document suggested that it wasn’t fully implemented because it was missing an approval signature from the Delaware probation office, Scarsi said during a court hearing in Los Angeles.
This is one of several legal bids by Hunter Biden’s lawyers to throw out the tax case in California.
Special counsel prosecutors responded in court by accusing the lawyers of resorting to an “attack-the-prosecutors” strategy because they don’t have the facts on their side.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers are putting forward “fact-free” arguments and “revisionist history,” prosecutor Leo Wise said.
Special counsel David Weiss is in the courtroom watching the hearing, which is ongoing.
