Former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker told Newsmax on Saturday that a Wednesday meeting between Hunter Biden's lawyers and the Department of Justice could signal some kind of plea arrangement or his cooperation regarding potential criminal charges.
"Having been a U.S. attorney under President [George W.] Bush, I've experienced a lot of those meetings. And I've also represented clients in those types of meetings," Whitaker said during "Saturday Report." "It is a really the last final chance that the potential defendant has to explain why they shouldn't be charged."
CNN reported Wednesday that attorneys for Hunter Biden met with DOJ officials, with a source saying the meeting included officials from the department's tax division.
The report said the department is considering two misdemeanor charges for not filing taxes and a felony charge of tax evasion regarding the overreporting of expenses and making a false statement regarding a gun purchase.
CNN reported that Biden's attorney, Chris Clark, was spotted going into the DOJ headquarters in Washington, D.C., with several other attorneys Wednesday. Clark declined comment when reached later by the network.
Whitaker said the DOJ has been investigating Hunter Biden for some time. He believes any charges arising from the probe will involve corruption — like tax fraud or not registering as a foreign agent for selling his family's foreign policy influence. His father, President Joe Biden, was serving as vice president at the time.
"I think it's not whether or not Hunter Biden ultimately is charged with the crimes, because I think he will be," he said. "The real question boils down to Joe Biden and how much Joe Biden participated in Hunter's activities."
Whitaker said such meetings can also provide the government with an opportunity to negotiate a plea deal or get them to cooperate in related cases against others.
"At the same time, it is a possibility not only for the conversation and the defense to suggest where maybe they have some strength in the case, but also provides the government a chance to negotiate potential plea parameters and to talk about how serious the case is and make sure the defendant's attorneys understand what's going on."
Whitaker said the chance that Hunter Biden might cooperate with the DOJ and bring evidence against other people is not very likely, especially given the numerous family ties involved.
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