U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who successfully dismantled Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal, issued an order Friday meant to stop "apparent misrepresentations" of the case, the Daily Caller reported. The order requires that inquiries about his case go directly to her.
"I have already discussed my concerns about apparent misrepresentations made to a member of this Court’s Clerk’s Office," the legal filing said. "In addition to that, in a submission addressing those apparent misrepresentations, counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee needlessly included on the public docket an email from a Clerk’s Office staff member that contained her personal contact information," Noreika added.
"THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that, going forward, any issues or inquiries in the above-captioned cases shall be brought to my attention and not to the Clerk’s Office. Any such issues and inquiries shall be submitted in writing and placed on the docket," the judge's order demands.
This move likely stemmed from an incident that occurred before Biden's hearing. A member of his team reportedly "misrepresented her identity" in a call to the Clerk's Office.
The judge had threatened to penalize Biden's legal team over the matter. Noreika explained that Jessica Bengals, who works for the firm Latham and Watkins LLP that's representing Biden, claimed to represent the attorney for the House Ways & Means Committee.
The lawmakers on the committee are asserting that there has been "political interference" in the Biden investigation based on information shared by two IRS whistleblowers. House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith filed an amicus brief asking for Noreika to consider the testimony.
However, that's just a small portion of the large legal mess Biden finds himself in the middle of now. Biden's plea deal fell apart after he appeared in Noreika's courtroom Wednesday, Fox News reported.
Previously, Biden was let off the hook on both a serious gun charge and tax violations in this prearranged deal. He was expected to plead guilty to the tax charges and would walk on felony gun charges that typically carry prison time.
After the judge rejected the plea agreement based on the gross leniency and its questionable constitutionality, Biden changed his plea to "not guilty." Legal experts believe this has his situation from "a sweetheart deal" into a "real poison pill" that threatens to hold Biden accountable for a number of crimes, Fox News reported.
Geroge Washington University criminal law professor Jonathan Turley said it is "extremely rare" for a judge to renege on a plea deal. "The judge had an obligation to make sure that the defendant and the government have a very clear idea of what is implicated guaranteed," Turley told the news outlet.
He added that "they didn't have that" in Biden's case. Turley likened Noreika's move to dissolve the deal to "a wedding where both the groom and bride object."
It could also expose him to a host of charges without the immunity provided in the deal. Biden has been the subject of a federal probe since 2018, beginning with his "tax affairs" and leading to knowledge that he received payments from "China and other foreign nations."
His shady dealings were uncovered as part of another investigation into a foreign pornography website. Authorities struck the now-defunct deal to "cap off" the investigation, "but now, it’s the worst possible situation for Hunter Biden," Turley said.
Hunter Biden has slipped the noose several times despite his obvious corruption. However, he's about to face a whole bevy of charges now that he no longer has political protection.
