Hunter Biden changed his plea deal to not guilty Wednesday, CNN reported.
The judge overseeing the Hunter Biden tax misdemeanor court case refused a plea deal brought agreed upon by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Biden’s legal team, CNN reported. Biden is now pleading not guilty, given the status of the plea deal.
Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, had initially taken issue with the initial plea deal the two legal teams brought to her Wednesday morning. The initial plea deal involved Biden pleading guilty to two tax misdemeanor charges in exchange for avoiding jail time for a separate charge of illegally possessing a gun.
Hunter Biden (2nd L), son of US President Joe Biden, arrives at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 26, 2023, to attend a change of plea hearing. Hunter Biden faces two misdemeanor charges for failure to pay taxes. The hearing is also expected to address an agreement between federal prosecutors and Biden to avoid prosecution for a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm. (Photo by RYAN COLLERD / AFP) / ALTERNATIVE CROP (Photo by RYAN COLLERD/AFP via Getty Images)
The deal momentarily fell apart after Noreika argued the two teams were not clear about the scope of charges the DOJ could bring against Biden in the future, including on a possible FARA charge. (RELATED: Hunter Biden’s Initial Plea Deal Reportedly Implodes, Leaves Him Open To Future DOJ Charges)
The two legal teams then deliberated and agreed to limiting the scope of the plea deal to the tax and gun charges, leaving the door open for the DOJ to charge Biden in the future.
Noreika said she was not ready to accept the plea deal as it stands and requested more information from both sides about the structure of the plea deal, CNN reported.
Biden’s legal team was seen leaving the court later in the afternoon.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.