On Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Hunter Biden, the son of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty to charges of tax violations amounting to over US$1.5 million, approximately Rp22.5 billion.
This dramatic statement came after a previously reached agreement with federal prosecutors took an unexpected turn in a Delaware court. The decision was made following questions raised by Judge Maryellen Noreika regarding the initial agreement, in which Hunter had agreed to plead guilty to tax evasion and acknowledge illegal possession of firearms. The agreement was immediately postponed.
Hunter, 53 years old, whose legal issues have shadowed his father’s presidential campaign for 2024, had reached an arrangement with prosecutors that he would be sentenced to probation for two counts of tax evasion.
The agreement also stipulated that the charge of illegal firearm possession would be dropped if he agreed to undergo counseling and rehabilitation programs.
However, the agreement fell apart after Judge Noreika questioned the inclusion of firearm charges in the tax case and whether the agreement would protect Hunter from potential charges that may arise from ongoing investigations into his various business deals, as reported by media outlets in the US.
When the prosecutors could not provide an answer to that question, Noreika stated that she could not accept the already reached agreement. Subsequently, Hunter pleaded not guilty to conclude the hearing.
This move is expected to bring Hunter’s team and the prosecutors back to the negotiation table to discuss a new agreement, which could become increasingly complicated.
Prosecutor David Weiss confirmed to the judge that his office is still examining the possibility of other criminal acts committed by Hunter.
Weiss did not specify the potential crimes he was referring to, but one issue mentioned during the trial was the potential violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. This is related to his business dealings in China, Ukraine, and other countries since the early 2010s when his father was still Vice President.
