Key Developments:
- Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, is found guilty on all three criminal counts at his gun trial in Delaware.
- Hunter was charged with crimes related to the purchase and possession of a handgun while being a user and addict of illegal drugs.
- The 12-person jury found the US president’s son lied about his drug use on a form when purchasing a handgun in 2018.
- Hunter now faces a possible prison term of up to 25 years, although a sentence of that length for a first-time offender is highly unlikely
- The high-profile trial comes as his father runs for re-election. It is the first time a sitting president’s child has been found guilty of a crime
President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been found guilty on all three felony gun charges in his federal trial in Wilmington, Delaware, after a week-long trial that focused on his history of drug addiction.
After approximately three hours of deliberations, 12 jurors unanimously convicted Hunter Biden on all charges, a historic decision that marks the first time a member of the president’s immediate family has been found guilty of a crime while their parent is commander in chief.
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The three felonies are: lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application by saying he wasn’t a drug user and illegally having the gun for 11 days.
Jurors heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhlee and a former girlfriend Zoe Kestan about his habitual crack use and their failed efforts to help him get clean. Jurors also saw images of the president’s son bare-chested and disheveled in a filthy room, and half-naked holding crack pipes. Additionally, jurors watched a video of crack cocaine being weighed on a scale by President’s son.
Hunter’s ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan testified that “Crack and alcohol were both ‘issues’ during the relationship.” She stated, “It was a terrible experience, I’m ashamed and I regret that period of my life.” Hunter Biden was indicted in September last year after a plea deal he had made with prosecutors fell apart due to a federal judge’s concerns.
Two of the counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years. Under federal sentencing guideline recommendations, Hunter Biden could be sentenced to over a year in prison, but the judge could sentence him to more or less time. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000. No sentencing date has been set but speaking after the verdict, the judge said sentencing dates usually happen within a 120-day period.
Despite this conviction of his son, President Joe Biden has maintained his support for Hunter. On the first day of the trial, he stated “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us.”
However, the President also said in an interview that he would not pardon Hunter if convicted. In a statement after the guilty verdict, Biden said “As a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength. Our family has been through a lot together, and Jill and I are going to continue to be there for Hunter and our family with our love and support.”
He added that he will “accept the outcome of the case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
Hunter Biden’s Defense
Hunter Biden’s attorneys argued that prosecutors must prove that he was using drugs the day he bought the gun. The form uses the word “are,” defense lawyer Abbe Lowell said in opening statements.
“It does not say have you ever been. It does not say have you ever used,” Lowell said. The defense also argued that Hunter Biden was abusing alcohol, not drugs, during that time.
All three counts are felonies, and if convicted of all counts, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and fines of up to $750,000.
What About Hunter Biden’s Other Trial?
Hunter Biden is facing additional legal troubles beyond the felony gun convictions from his Delaware trial. Last year, he was charged in Los Angeles with failing to file and pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 through 2019, as well as tax evasion and filing false tax returns. Three of those charges are felonies, while six are misdemeanors. The tax case against Hunter Biden is set for trial in September.
While the gun case and the tax case are separate legal matters, they both stem from the same turbulent period in Hunter Biden’s life when he was struggling with addiction issues. Some of the evidence overlaps between the two cases, and at one point, they were more closely linked together. Last summer, Hunter had reached a tentative plea agreement with prosecutors to plead guilty in Delaware to two misdemeanor tax-related charges and admit to the facts underlying a gun charge. However, that plea deal ultimately fell apart after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika raised questions about certain terms of the agreement.
So in addition to the felony convictions from the Delaware gun trial, Hunter Biden is also facing a significant tax case in Los Angeles later this year, with the potential for further felony convictions and penalties related to his failure to properly file and pay taxes over a multi-year period.
What Son’s Conviction Means for President Biden
Hunter Biden’s conviction for lying about his drug use on a handgun license application will deal a devastating personal blow to his father, President Joe Biden. The President leads a tight-knit family that has endured its share of tragedy and trauma. Now his surviving son has been found guilty on all three counts and faces a potential prison sentence – a verdict that is likely to impact Joe Biden’s re-election campaign in November this year.
As Biden carries out his official duties and campaigns for a second term, Hunter’s looming punishment may prove distracting as the president prepares for a pivotal presidential debate later this month. While in France for D-Day commemorations last week, President Biden stated he would not consider pardoning his son.
Now Hunter awaits sentencing for the conviction, but his legal troubles are not over. He faces a September trial on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in federal income taxes. While lacking the raw emotion of the Delaware case, this upcoming trial so close to the election could prove more politically damaging for the president.
Hunter’s foreign business dealings and financial ties to his father have been a source of relentless scrutiny from Republican critics. While drug addiction impacts many American lives, allegations of financial impropriety and tax fraud may generate less public sympathy among voters.
Trump Campaign Responds to Hunter Biden Conviction
The Trump campaign targeted President Joe Biden in a statement as it responded to Hunter Biden’s conviction.
In the initial statement, the campaign wrote, “This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit. As for Hunter, we wish him well in his recovery and legal affairs,” reports CNN.
The Trump campaign then sent an updated statement, striking the well wishes to Hunter.
The trial followed the May 30 criminal conviction of Trump, the first former U.S. president to be found guilty of a felony and the Republican challenger to Joe Biden, a Democrat, in a tight race for the White House.
