Hunter Biden Trial Begins
Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, went on trial this week on federal firearms charges. The First Son is facing the first of two trials, with a second one related to alleged tax offenses set to start later this year.
Jury selection concluded Monday with opening arguments to follow. The United States v. Hunter Biden will be one of the largest trials of the year, especially after the verdict in New York’s criminal case against former President Donald Trump.
The president’s son is facing charges of a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance and one count of false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer.
The Hunter Biden case follows a number of court battles prior to charges later filed by special counsel David Weiss. The president’s son was accused of illegally acquiring a firearm, which was disallowed due to his earlier drug use.
Hunter Biden’s legal team really wanted to argue that being on drugs means you can lie about being on drugs on a federal gun form. https://t.co/1YamAw251V
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) June 3, 2024
The president’s son is also accused of not filing his taxes for several years, during which he had more than $1 million in income.
Originally Hunter Biden was set to accept a plea deal on misdemeanor charges. However, the judge in the case rejected such a deal, leading to felony charges filed by Weiss. The original plea deal would have seen the president’s son serve probation.
Joe Biden backed his son in a statement released earlier this week.
“I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” wrote the president. “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean.”
Hunter Biden recently testified before Congress. During the session, the First Son was questioned about past business dealings and partially spoke about his drug use.
