Hunter Biden’s plea agreement unravels amid ongoing probe of his foreign business dealings

A plea deal for US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter to avoid prison on tax and gun offences has sensationally unravelled. Here’s why.

A plea deal allowing President Joe Biden’s son Hunter to avoid prison has sensationally unravelled in court amid a dispute over whether it would shield him from future charges over his foreign business dealings.

The 53-year-old had been expected to plead guilty on Thursday to two charges of failing to pay his taxes, while also entering a diversion program over his illegal possession of a gun while addicted to illicit drugs.

But in a dramatic three-hour hearing, Mr Biden’s lawyer Chris Clark said the plea deal that was agreed last month was “null and void” because prosecutors said he could still face charges over his controversial overseas dealings.

Hunter Biden outside court in Delaware. Picture: Ryan Collerd (AFP)

Republicans have spent months seeking to embroil the President in the saga, holding a congressional inquiry which has heard evidence from whistleblowers that their investigations of his son – and his work for firms in China, Ukraine and Romania – were tainted by political interference.

Earlier this week, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy signalled for the first time that the case was “rising to the level of impeachment inquiry” targeting the President.

Thursday’s hearing in Delaware’s Federal District Court ended with federal judge Maryellen Noreika deferring her decision to approve the deal, and Mr Biden switching to a plea of not guilty on the tax charges until his lawyers renegotiated the terms with prosecutors.

He was accused of failing to pay at least $US100,000 in taxes in 2017 and 2018 despite earning more than $US1.5m in both years as his life spiralled out of control with his addiction to drugs and alcohol.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has threatened to impeach the President. Picture: Drew Angerer (AFP)

Last month, when the plea deal was announced, Mr Clark said: “It is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.”

Republicans blasted what they called a “sweetheart deal” that was too lenient on the President’s son. But the US Attorney for the District of Delaware cautioned at the time that “the investigation is ongoing”.

Speaking on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the President’s son was a “private citizen” and the case was “a personal matter”.

“The President and the First Lady, they love their son and they support him as he continues to rebuild his life,” she said.

“This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president (Donald Trump).”

The case had already taken another dramatic turn on the eve of the hearing, when Republicans asked the judge to hold fire on accepting the plea deal until she considered claims from Internal Revenue Service whistleblowers that their investigation had been hampered.

Ms Noreika then accused Mr Biden’s lawyers of misleading her clerk in a bid to have the Republican filing removed from the court docket, a claim the President’s son’s legal team denied by saying there had been a misunderstanding.

Originally published as Hunter Biden’s plea agreement unravels amid ongoing probe of his foreign business dealings