Three more of Hunter Biden’s defense attorneys moved to withdraw from the case on Friday after lead attorney Chris Clark withdrew last week.
Latham & Watkins LLP attorneys Brian C. McManus, Timothy H. McCarten, and Matthew S. Salerno requested permission from the judge to withdraw from the case after the judge dismissed the plea deal on August 17. Moving forward, prosecutors expect the case to go to trial where it will likely be tried in Delaware or California.
“Brian C. McManus, counsel for the Defendant, Robert Hunter Biden, and respectfully requests this Honorable Court to withdraw all appearances for the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP as counsel for the Defendant in the above-captioned matter,” the motion reads.
“Mr. Biden has been advised of, and consents to, our withdrawal. He also agrees this withdrawal will cause no material adverse effect or prejudice to him and remains completely satisfied with Messrs. Lowell’s and Jones’s continued representation of him,” the document continues.
“Abbe David Lowell of Winston & Strawn LLP has appeared in the above-captioned case as counsel for Mr. Biden and will continue representing him in this matter through its conclusion,” the motion says. “Mr. Lowell is an accomplished defense lawyer and consents to this Motion.”
Last week, special counsel David Weiss stated Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal was “withdrawn” and invalid. On August 17, the judge officially dismissed the plea deal.
The plea deal broke down upon scrutiny from the judge, throwing a wrench into the agreement Weiss and Hunter Biden crafted.
The agreement afforded Hunter Biden the ability to plead guilty for not paying taxes on over $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018, receiving probation rather than jail time. In addition, Weiss devised a separate diversion agreement that gave Hunter Biden immunity from potential future charges, including a provision to essentially wipe a felony gun violation from his record.
Lawyers for Hunter Biden tried to argue that terms of the “diversion agreement” within the plea deal remain intact. The lawyers also contended that Weiss should abide by the irregular deal, claiming the government “reneged” on a “previously agreed-upon Plea Agreement.”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
