Hunter Biden's federal tax case has been assigned to Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee who received backing from a key Biden ally. The plea hearing is scheduled for July 26th.

Noreika's appointment to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware followed consultations between the Trump administration and both Democratic senators from Delaware. While nominated by Trump, Noreika garnered support from Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper, underscoring the traditional “blue slip” process where home-state senators influence judicial confirmations.

This connection is noteworthy given Senator Coons' past association with Hunter Biden. Reports indicate Biden previously acted as an advisor to Coons, leveraging his business network to support Coons' successful 2010 Senate campaign. Emails from Biden's laptop appear to confirm meetings and fundraising efforts coordinated between the two.

Noreika's political contributions reveal a history of donating to both Republican and Democratic candidates. FEC records show donations to Senator Tom Cotton's 2014 campaign, Mitt Romney's presidential bid, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, John McCain, and Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, among others.

In the current case, Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion agreement for a felony firearm charge. He faces a potential maximum of two years for the tax charges and ten years for the firearm charge, though the latter is subject to the diversion program. The court has not responded to media inquiries regarding the case.