Strange events are happening around Hunter Biden’s defense in the federal firearms possession case. One of his lawyers, Richard Jones, announced that he was withdrawing from the case just one day after the legal team of the president’s son requested the annulment of charges based on the collapse of the agreement with the Department of Justice.
“Mr. Biden has been advised of, and consents to, our withdrawal. He also agrees this withdrawal will cause no material adverse effect or prejudice to him and remains completely satisfied with Messrs. [Abbe] Lowell’s and [Bartholomew] Dalton’s continued representation of him,” Jones wrote in the retirement paperwork filed Friday.
“Accordingly, our withdrawal as counsel will have no material adverse effect on Mr. Biden’s interests,” Jones added.
On Tuesday morning, the president’s son had pleaded not guilty to federal weapons charges in the US District Court for the District of Delaware, and late Thursday, his legal team asked for the charges to be dismissed.
According to the New York Post, both Abbe Lowell and Richard Jones wrote a court filing stating the failed July agreement “that both parties signed remains in force, and he will seek to dismiss the Indictment against him pursuant to the immunity provisions of that Agreement.”
“If the Special Counsel no longer wishes to pursue that charge, it has the right to do that,” Lowell and Jones wrote.
That agreement said special counsel David Weiss could only indict Hunter Biden on tax charges; however, the DOJ says the agreement collapsed in court after it was not signed by a judge or a probation officer.
The charges for alleged illegal possession of weapons against Hunter Biden came after an accusation arising from the investigation of prosecutor Weiss, who acquired special powers in August by order of Attorney General Merrick Garland.
In total, Hunter Biden faces three federal charges that could sentence him to 25 years in prison if found guilty on all the charges.
The first charge is for allegedly making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; the maximum penalty is ten years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and 3 years of probation. The second charge is for providing false information to a seller with a federal firearms license who must maintain valid documentation to sell; the penalty is a maximum of 5 years, a $250,000 fine, and three years probation. Finally, the last charge is for illegally possessing a firearm due to being an ineligible user due to addiction problems; the maximum sentence is ten years, a $250,000 fine, and three years of probation.
The previous court agreement, widely criticized at the time for giving special treatment to the president’s son, established that Weiss’ office would have had Hunter Biden plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes.
