In a shocking turn of events, a Delaware judge has threatened lawyers for Hunter Biden with possible sanctions over an allegation that one of their firm’s staff lied to the court clerk in an attempt to “improperly convince” her to remove documents from the public docket.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika issued the order just a day before a scheduled hearing which will determine whether a plea deal struck between Biden’s lawyers and the Department of Justice (DOJ) relating to tax and gun violations is accepted or rejected.
In an order on Tuesday, Noreika noted details of the controversy and mentioned that lawyers for the first son had claimed that the court clerk “on their own accord” had removed the amicus materials from the docket. Further, an affidavit was attached to the order from Jessica Bengels, the staff member who is alleged to have called the clerk's office, denying any misrepresentation of her firm affiliation.
However, the judge has requested Biden’s attorneys prove why the court should not consider sanctions for the alleged misrepresentations. The order also noted that the filing involving allegations of slow-walking of the criminal case by U.S. Attorney David Weiss has been kept under seal until the close of business on Wednesday.
According to documents from House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), IRS agents have claimed that the criminal case has been slow-walked in a way that precluded more serious charges against Biden. Attorney General Merrick Garland has pushed back on claims of any political interference. Weiss insists he had “full authority” to bring charges and was approved by the Department of Justice to testify to Congress.
The judge will decide on the plea deal at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning. If the plea deal is accepted solely on the stipulations of a greater than required minimum sentence, the DOJ can limit the time Biden will serve in prison or order probation.
Campaigns by both Democrats and Republicans have been vocal in their approaches to what “justice” should look like for the first son, with Conservatives viewing the DOJ’s plea deal as a slap on the wrist. Supporters of Biden's view the plea deal as an acceptance of responsibility and a willingness to accept consequences for his actions.
The developments, in this case, have been swift and dramatic, with many constituents hoping a ruling in Biden’s case might provide some form of finality and justice to the case that has hung over the first family for some time.