Hunter Biden's Attorney Quits

As discussions between Hunter Biden and the Justice Department continue to devolve, Biden's defense attorney in the case filed to withdraw from that role Tuesday, saying he could no longer act as Biden's lawyer because he may be called as a witness on Biden's behalf, the AP reports. The New York Times reports that the lawyer, Christopher J. Clark, indicates he plans to testify about, per the motion filed Tuesday, "the negotiation and drafting of the plea agreement and diversion agreement." Now acting as Biden's defense attorney in those same negotiations is Abbe Lowell, a veteran Washington lawyer who was already representing Biden.

Clark says he will likely need to testify to the Biden team's assertion that the Justice Department is trying to back out of a legally binding plea deal that would have settled the federal investigation into gun and tax allegations against Biden with the president's son pleading guilty to just two misdemeanor tax charges and enrolling in a two-year diversion program for gun offenders in exchange for immunity from any future prosecution related to his activities during that period of his life. But after a judge refused to sign off on the deal last month, relations between the two sides soured and a US attorney assigned to the case was appointed special counsel in the matter instead, signaling Biden could be indicted. The judge could rule as soon as Tuesday on whether the Justice Department must enforce the original deal. (More Hunter Biden stories.)