Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to federal gun charges: recap

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal gun charges in Delaware, after a plea agreement for a previous set of tax and gun charges collapsed in July.

Biden, who lives in Los Angeles, had requested to hold the hearing by video conference. But Justice Department special counsel David Weiss insisted on an in-person arraignment to avoid the appearance of giving the president's son special treatment.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke ruled the in-person arraignment emphasize the "integrity and solemnity of a federal criminal proceeding."

The case could color the presidential reelection race in 2024, as President Joe Biden seeks reelection. Congressional Republicans have criticized the Justice Department's investigation and the plea agreement as a "sweetheart deal" that U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected.

Here's what we know about the case:

President Joe Biden will continue to support his son and 'help him as he rebuilds his life': White House

Joe Biden continues to support his son, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at the daily press breifing today,

. She wouldn't say whether the president had spoken with his son Tuesday. “The president loves his son. He’s going to continue to support him as he rebuilds his life," Jean-Pierre said.

-- Bart Jansen

Hunter Biden charges resulted from ‘coordinated, partisan attack’ by Trump, Republicans: Abbe Lowell

One of Hunter Biden’s lawyers, Abbe Lowell, said the difference between the plea agreement that fell apart and the latest charges is the political pressure that Donald Trump and his allies under the political banner of “Make America Great Again” brought against the Justice Department.

“These charges are the result of political pressure from President Trump and his MAGA allies to force the Justice Department to ignore the law and deviate from its policies in cases like this one,” Lowell said in a statement. “The only substantive and relevant changes since July, when the US Attorney decided against pursuing these exact charges against Mr. Biden, has been various court rulings undermining the constitutionality of the law at issue here and a coordinated, partisan attack on our system of justice by right-wing Republicans.”

--Bart Jansen

‘Yes, your honor’: Judge details charges against Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty through his lawyer, Abbe Lowell. Burke detailed the criminal charges and the potential penalties – a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted of all three charges, although maximum sentences are rare. At each charge, Burke asked Biden if he understood and he replied, “Yes, your honor.”

The magistrate didn’t set a trial date, but set a 30-day deadline for pretrial motions.

--Xerxes Wilson and Meredith Newman

Special counsel is overseeing the case. What does it mean?

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel over the investigation after the initial plea agreement broke down. That gives Weiss more independence in the case, after he spent years investigating tax and gun matters as U.S. attorney for Delaware.

Although the special counsel still needs to comply with Justice Department rules and policies, he isn’t subject to day-to-day department supervision, and Garland is only authorized to remove the special counsel in narrow circumstances, including for violating department policies.

Garland also appointed a special counsel, Jack Smith, to oversee two investigations involving former President Donald Trump. Trump has now been indicted in both investigations, one dealing with his handling of classified documents and the other dealing with efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

- Aysha Bagchi

Hunter Biden arrive and left briskly at the federal courthouse in Wilmington to face gun charges

Hunter Biden arrived at the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware, at 9:50 a.m., a few minutes before his scheduled arraignment on gun charges. He departed before 10:30 a.m., after the brief hearing.

A few people protesters appeared outside the courthouse. A Maryland woman who called herself Anonymous shouted that Hunter Biden received special treatment. Bob Kunst, 81, wore a black-and-white prisoner's costume and made a two-day drive from Miami Beach for the event.

?Aysha Bagchi

What is Hunter Biden charged with?

The indictment charges Hunter Biden with knowingly deceiving a firearms dealer when buying a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver on Oct. 12, 2018. He is charged with falsely filling out a federal firearms form denying he was addicted to any narcotics. And he is charged with knowingly possessing the revolver despite the restrictions against people addicted to drugs owning firearms.

Republicans have criticized the deal as too lenient. But legal experts say the charges are rarely filed.

Attorney General Merrick Garland testified at the House Judiciary Committee on Sept. 20 that Weiss was appointed by President Biden's rival, Donald Trump, and ran his investigation independently.

What happened with Hunter Biden's plea deal?

The indictment came after a plea deal on tax and gun charges fell apart. The taxes charges could still be refiled.

The plea agreement would have allowed Biden to plead guilty to two misdemeanors for failing to pay his taxes in 2017 and 2018, and to enter a pretrial program for the gun charge that could have been dismissed if he complied. The deal might have allowed him to avoid prison.

But Noreika refused to accept the deal because of disputes between government and defense lawyers about whether it protected Biden from potential future charges.

Hunter Biden's criminal charges are politically charged for Joe Biden

President Joe Biden stuck by his son, Hunter Biden, as he faces gun charges and the potential for tax charges, but the loyalty could cost the father politically during his campaign for reelection in 2024.

Joe Biden said he was proud of his son before a plea deal on tax and gun charges collapsed in July. Hunter Biden continues to participate in gatherings such as a family vacation in Lake Tahoe, weekends at Camp David and state dinners.

But House Republicans are pursuing an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden in part because of his son’s business deals.

So far polling suggests Hunter Biden hasn’t been much of a drag on his father’s political prospects. More than nine out of 10 voters said they heard about Hunter Biden’s legal troubles, but only 2% of the electorate supporting Joe Biden said the legal issues may affect their support, according to a Monmouth University Poll.

--Maureen Groppe

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden updates: President's son pleads not guilty to gun charges