Before the judge entered the courtroom that morning, we watched Biden shake hands with federal prosecutors, including U.S. Attorney David Weiss. He has spent the past five years leading the criminal investigation into Biden’s finances.
And then, we saw Biden and the prosecutors sign a document that appeared to be the proposed plea deal. Hours later, it all fell apart.
It became clear that the two sides had different interpretations of the agreement – and that Judge Maryellen Noreika had significant concerns. At times, she described it as potentially “unconstitutional” and lacking “legal precedent.”
Many, including some on Biden’s legal team, initially thought the entire hearing would take about an hour. The president’s son was even expected to make a statement afterward. It would have been one of the rare times he would directly address the press.
