A federal judge told Hunter Biden to get a job after rejecting his sweetheart plea deal, and the panelists of “The View” blamed conservatives for “weaponizing” his legal woes against the President.
In an shocking move on Wednesday, Judge Maryellen Noreika dismantled the agreement that would have seen the first son avoid jail time by pleading guilty to two tax evasion misdemeanors and not having to face a gun charge.
She told Biden’s legal team and Department of Justice lawyers that the unprecedented deal could be unconstitutional as it could have prevented prosecutors from charging him with future crimes.
Noreika’s discontent with simply being a “rubber stamp” to the lawyers and asking probing questions, forced prosecutors to admit that the deal would allow them to charge Hunter with potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
As part of his release conditions,
Judge Noreika ordered Hunter Biden to get a job, drink NO alcohol, not use or possess any drugs, and — if asked by pretrial services or officers —submit to testing and participate in substance abuse therapy pic.twitter.com/DA0m1U2GnK— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) July 26, 2023
The disclosure caused three hours of tense negotiations between the lawyers and caused the agreement to breakdown.
“As stated by the government now, I don’t agree what the the government said,” Biden lawyer Chris Clark said in court.
“Then there’s no deal,” federal prosecutor Leo Wise clapped back. “Where does that leave us?” the judge questioned both sides.
Biden’s DOJ admitted today it’s investigating Hunter for being a foreign agent, illegally lobbying on behalf of foreign nationals. This means either prosecutors were originally blocked from pursuing foreign lobbying violations or the Biden family protection racket is cracking.… pic.twitter.com/KVC3yOmVLw
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) July 27, 2023
“As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement’s null and void,” Clark snapped.
Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges, and Noreika laid out a series of requirements to stay out of prison, which included staying clean and seeking gainful employment.
The President’s son was forced to reveal how many times he had been to rehab, when the judge grilled him about his history of substance abuse.
(RT) If you think Hunter Biden should have his bond revoked & sit in jail until his court date pic.twitter.com/06lDDDKepQ
— Chicago1Ray 🇺🇸 (@Chicago1Ray) July 26, 2023
“I’ve attended treatment facilities for addiction your honor,” Hunter admitted in court. “I’ve been to, I believe, close to six in-patient over the course of 20 years.”
“For addiction to alcohol, primarily, originally, your honor,” he noted. “Drugs also, yeah.”
The first son said he began seeking treatment in 2003, and said the last time he was in an in-patient facility was in 2018.
The panelists of ABC’s morning talk show, “The View,” accused conservatives of “weaponizing” Hunter against the President.
“I think what is just terrible, and Ana said it the other day, they are weaponizing Joe Biden’s son against him,” co-host Sunny Hostin insisted on Wednesday morning.
She bemoaned how the 46th president has “experienced so much pain and loss” in his lifetime.
MCCARTHY FLOATS BIDEN IMPEACHMENT AMID HUNTER COURT APPEARANCE: As Pres. Biden's son Hunter is set to appear in court to formally agree to a plea deal on tax and gun charges, #TheView co-hosts react to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's comments. https://t.co/cVclFZQmjA pic.twitter.com/nDSkVorT9v
— The View (@TheView) July 26, 2023
“He lost his wife, he lost his little girl,” she lamented. “He lost his Beau, his other son Beau, and now he has a son who clearly has a drug addiction and that’s why he was offered a diversion program.”
“It shows no one is above the law so he’s pleading guilty – but that still isn’t enough for the Republicans,” Hostin hissed.
Joy Behar said that it wasn’t fair to go after Hunter, because he isn’t in the Biden administration, as Ivanka Trump was part of her father’s.
“It seems they go after Biden’s kid but Biden’s kid was not in the administration,” she complained. “Trump’s children were part of the administration.”
“That’s a huge difference when you think about it. He’s the same as Roger Clinton and Jimmy Carter’s son or brother. Same thing.”
Co-host Sara Haines said that the charges against Hunter Biden were not about his presence in the White House, but “riding on the laurels” of his father’s office to get a job “which he had no qualifications for.”
The panel’s only conservative, former Trump staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin, called Hunter “50 shades of shady.”
“We know he’s dealt with addiction. I do not fault him for that.”
“There’s definite examples of influence peddling. Making money off his name. That happens in politics,” she continued. “It doesn’t make it okay in politics.”