Hunter Biden made the "right deal" for the three charges facing him, but there "may be a problem" if the arrangement that was reached stops all investigations into his alleged activities, Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz said on Newsmax Tuesday.
"For the three charges that he faced, the two misdemeanors for failing to file [his taxes] on time and making a mistake on his gun application, it's the right result," Dershowitz told Newsmax's "National Report" shortly after the news broke about the deal the president's son reached to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. He also reached an agreement with prosecutors on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user.
"It's the right result, probation and a diversion program," said Dershowitz. "He was addicted during the time, and so it's the right result for these allegations."
However, the real question that remains is whether the agreement will end the investigations into Hunter Biden's dealings with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings Limited, and allegations involving payments, said Dershowitz.
"If this closes everything off and says no further investigation, I think there may be a problem," he said.
Christopher Clark, a lawyer for the president's son, said in a statement that it was his understanding the five-year investigation is resolved.
Meanwhile, it is not unusual that Biden would be charged with misdemeanors rather than felonies for the tax charges, as many times people are not charged at all for paying their taxes late, said Dershowitz.
"They get fined and charged civilly," he said. "I don't know very many people ... who are charged with felonies for simply being late in filing tax returns. Usually, there's more to it than that. Usually, that kind of plea is part of a plea bargain for something more serious because the government couldn't establish the more serious charge."
However, Dershowitz added that it does seem out of the ordinary to close the larger investigation, and that "will probably end up in front of some congressional committee."
Dershowitz also noted that he has been predicting for some time that Hunter Biden would be indicted for "relatively minor offenses," and that the "argument will be made that his indictment shows that the Justice Department deals equally with Republicans and Democrats."
He added that Biden was represented by an "excellent lawyer who obviously wanted to see the entire thing resolved, to close everything," and that likely led to the lengthy investigation.
"I do not think it's a coincidence that he got charged shortly after former President Trump got charged," said Dershowitz. "I think there clearly is an intention to try to show equal treatment under the law, and people will have to make their own judgment."
He also stressed that the younger Biden's plea had nothing to do with the laptop that has been associated with him, or with alleged payments he received.
"Look, I'm opposed to the weaponization of the criminal justice system against anybody, Republicans or Democrats, so if the evidence doesn't justify the prosecution, it's the right decision. But we have to wait and see," Dershowitz said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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