Hunter Biden’s first trial ended in a guilty verdict.
A Delaware jury on Tuesday convicted the president’s son on three counts related to his 2018 purchase and possession of a gun while under the influence of drugs.
Although Republicans have long argued that Hunter’s business activities were scandalous, the trial was not about that story at all, and Hunter was not charged with any improper lobbying or influence work. But he has been charged separately on tax charges in California and is scheduled to stand trial there in September.
The Delaware trial, however, was about six years ago when Hunter bought a gun. As part of the purchase, he filled out a form stating that he was not a user of illegal drugs. The gun became a problem when Hallie Biden (the widow of his late brother, who Hunter was dating) found out about it, worried that Hunter might harm himself, and threw it in an outdoor trash can. Texts he sent at the time made it clear he wasn’t particularly stable, but no one was hurt.
The gun incident was never the focus of any investigation into Hunter, but in a wide-ranging federal investigation into his business affairs, it was a seemingly clear case of an open-and-shut crime: He said on the form that he was not a drug user, but enough evidence made him clear. Many lengthy investigations into alleged corruption end this way, with a false statement on a federal form — something clear and written, rather than something vague and difficult to establish. Thus, it was useful as prosecutorial leverage against him.
But in late June of last year, it appeared that no trial would be necessary, as Hunter’s team struck a plea deal with prosecutors. That deal later fell apart, though, and prosecutors came down hard on him — charging him with a gun felony. rarely happens Anna to be tried as a separate offence.
At trial, Hunter’s attorneys did their best to try and raise some reasonable doubt on the question of whether he was actively using drugs during the short time he had that gun. But they had a tough case — Hunter’s addiction struggles before and after buying guns have been well-documented, and he Text Haley during the period that he was “smoking crack”. (Hunter’s attorney argued that he was probably making up an excuse to avoid seeing Haley.)
All in all, this judgment proves that the President’s son is not above the law. It also shows that, at long last, Joe Biden’s Justice Department was willing to prosecute a member of the president’s family — even as some argued that they should be tougher on Hunter than a typical defendant.
A conviction comes with the possibility of jail time, but the crime was nonviolent and Hunter said he has been sober since 2019, but it’s unclear how likely that is. But the tax trial that opened in September made it clear that Hunter’s legal problems are not over
