Special Poll
Hunter Biden Found Guilty on All 3 Felony Gun Charges
A jury of 12 Delaware residents convicted Hunter Biden on three federal gun charges Tuesday, marking the first criminal conviction of a sitting president’s child.
President Biden’s son was found guilty after approximately three hours of deliberation on three felony counts related to lying about his use of illicit drugs when obtaining a gun in 2018, and unlawfully possessing the firearm for 11 days.
The trial, which lasted just over a week, highlighted Hunter Biden’s cocaine addiction at the time he falsely checked “no” on a federal gun purchase form that asked whether he unlawfully used or was addicted to narcotics or other drugs.
Several women from Hunter Biden’s past and present — including his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; his late brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, with whom he had a brief relationship; and an ex-girlfriend — testified about his drug use.
Hallie Biden, who was married to Hunter’s brother, Beau, before Beau’s 2015 death from brain cancer, testified that crack cocaine made Hunter “agitated or high-strung, but at other times, functioning as well.” She also described being “panicked” after discovering the firearm in Hunter’s truck and decided to dump the gun outside a grocery store in Wilmington, Del., a decision that led to the case against him.
In the defense case, Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi Biden, testified that she knew her father was “struggling with addiction” months before the unlawful gun purchase but said he “still seemed good” in October when the transaction was made. However, prosecutors presented a text she wrote to her father at the time: “I’m really sorry dad I can’t take this.”
During closing arguments Monday, prosecutors argued that Hunter Biden’s drug use started “years before” the gun purchase and “continued for months after,” according to CNN.
“He had lost control,” prosecutor Leo Wise said.
Hunter Biden’s attorneys emphasized that no one had witnessed “actual drug use” in the month when he bought the gun, aiming to weaken the testimony from the three ex-lovers who testified for the government.
The defense also argued that Hunter Biden, who had just completed a stint in rehab at the time he purchased the gun, did not believe he was lying when he answered “no” to the federal gun purchase form question about current drug use. Hunter Biden did not testify.
He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, though first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum penalty. President Biden has stated he would not pardon his son if convicted.
In California, Hunter Biden faces separate charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and filing false returns, a case that could go to trial in September.
President Biden, in a statement released after the verdict, said he would accept the outcome of the case, which Hunter Biden’s attorneys are likely to challenge on appeal. The president did not attend any days of the trial, but First Lady Jill Biden was present on several days, including the day the verdict was read.
Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell said the team would “vigorously pursue legal challenges.”
In a joint statement with his attorney, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude for the love and support from his wife, Melissa, and his community but was disappointed by the outcome.
“Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said.