A federal judge has refused to dismiss a federal gun case against hunter bidenrejecting the president’s son’s claim that he is being prosecuted for political reasons, as well as other arguments.
District Judge Maryellen Noreika’s ruling raises the possibility that Biden could face trial in the case as early as June, during his father’s re-election campaign.
His efforts to destroy the other criminal case he faces in California involving tax charges They have also failed.
Norieka denied several defense requests to dismiss the case accusing Biden of lying about his drug use in October 2018 on a gun purchase form that he kept for about 11 days.
His attorneys had argued that the case was politically motivated and asserted that an immunity provision from an original failed plea deal still remains.
Hunter Biden attends the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., on April 1, 2024.
They had also challenged the appointment of Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special prosecutor to lead the prosecution.
Noreika, who was appointed to the position by former President Donald Trump, has not yet ruled on a challenge to the constitutionality of gun charges. Biden has pleaded not guilty.
The president’s son acknowledged battling crack addiction during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he did not break the law.
The investigation appeared poised to conclude with a plea deal last year, but the deal fell apart after a judge raised questions about it.
Under the agreement, he would have obtained a plea deal in which he would have received two years of probation after pleading guilty to minor tax offenses. He would also have avoided prosecution on firearm charge If he didn’t get in trouble. He was later charged.
Biden’s lawyers have argued that prosecutors bowed to political pressure to charge him amid strong criticism of the plea deal from Trump and other Republicans.
Prosecutors responded that the evidence against him was “overwhelming,” including cocaine residue found in the bag where he kept his gun, and noted that charges had been filed during the presidency of his father, Joe Biden.
Norieka said in his ruling that Biden’s team provided “nothing concrete” to support the conclusion that anyone actually influenced the special counsel’s team.
“The pressure campaign by Congressional Republicans may have occurred around the time the special counsel decided to move forward with the indictment rather than the pretrial diversion, but the Court has been given nothing credible to suggest that the conduct of those legislators (or any other person) had any impact on the Special Prosecutor,” the judge wrote. “It’s all speculation.”