By Steve Neavling
Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal tax charges after a judge expressed concerns with a plea agreement with the government.
Biden, 53, was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of failure to pay taxes as part of a deal with prosecutors to avoid jail.
Instead, Biden pleaded not guilty after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika said she was uncomfortable with the “broad” immunity offered by prosecutors in the deal, the Delaware News Journal reports.
She described the deal as potentially “unconstitutional” and lacking “legal precedent.”
The judge ordered both sides to submit their justifications for the legal legitimacy of the deal and to clarify language about Biden’s immunity from future prosecution relating to his foreign investment and consulting work.
Biden was charged in June and accused of failing to pay taxes on more than $1.5 million in his income in 2017 and 2018.
The charges carried a maximum penalty of 12 months in prison on each of the tax counts.
Republicans have criticized the deal, saying Biden received unfair treatment because he’s the son of President Joe Biden.
IRS whistleblowers also alleged that the Justice Department impeded the criminal investigation, claims that federal prosecutors adamantly deny.
