Judge dismisses Hunter Biden tax charges in Delaware, allowing Weiss probe to advance

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika on Thursday dismissed two misdemeanor tax charges against first son Hunter Biden that were to be part of his abandoned plea deal, paving the way for special counsel David Weiss to potentially bring other charges.

Weiss previously asked that Noreika dismiss the charges, which had been brought as part of the plea deal, so that he could pursue new charges elsewhere, CNN reported.

The plea deal would have seen Hunter plead guilty to not pay taxes on time in 2017 and 2018 while also admitting to a gun charge that could later be dismissed following the completion of a pre-trial diversion program. Noreika expressed skepticism about the terms of the agreement, which also attracted public scrutiny for its apparent leniency. The deal ultimately fell apart and Biden pleaded not guilty.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss as special counsel. Prior to that appointment, Weiss had investigated Hunter Biden since 2018 in his capacity as U.S. Attorney for Delaware. His investigation has faced allegations of political interference from the Biden Department of Justice. A pair of IRS agents working on the case have since made whistleblower disclosures that Weiss had been unable to bring charges outside his jurisdiction and had sought special counsel status, but that Garland had denied the request.

His appointment appeared to violate Department of Justice guidelines, which state that a special counsel must come from outside the government.

"An individual named as Special Counsel shall be a lawyer with a reputation for integrity and impartial decisionmaking, and with appropriate experience to ensure both that the investigation will be conducted ably, expeditiously and thoroughly, and that investigative and prosecutorial decisions will be supported by an informed understanding of the criminal law and Department of Justice policies," it reads. "The Special Counsel shall be selected from outside the United States Government."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.