Hunter Biden Gun Trial's Impact on Presidential Election

Hunter Biden Gun Trial's Impact on Presidential Election
Hunter Biden, the first child of a sitting U.S. president to face criminal prosecution, is charged with buying and possessing a gun while using drugs.
Jury selection finished Monday in the federal gun trial against Hunter Biden, a high-profile court case in which the 54-year-old faces charges for buying and possessing a gun while using drugs. Opening arguments are expected to begin Tuesday.
The trial marks the first time the child of a sitting U.S. president has faced a criminal prosecution, and comes during the middle of a heated election year with Republicans eager to take the focus off the felony indictment of former President Donald Trump and portray the Biden family as corrupt.
Hunter’s substance abuse escalated after the death of his brother in 2015, according to his own accounts, and he says he got sober in 2019.
His overseas business dealings in Ukraine and China have long been a target of Republicans, who have alleged, without evidence, that the president financially benefited from Hunter’s business contacts.
The GOP-led House Committee on Oversight and Accountability continues to investigate the Biden family’s “domestic and international business practices” to determine whether the Biden family has been targeted by foreign actors, the president has been compromised and U.S. security has been threatened.
The charges against Hunter are related to a 2018 gun purchase he made in Delaware. He also faces separate tax-related charges.
In 2019, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, David Weiss, along with federal law enforcement, began investigating “allegations of criminal conduct” by Hunter.
Hunter was set to plead guilty last summer to the misdemeanor tax charges in a diversion agreement that would have required him to serve two years probation in exchange for avoiding prosecution on the gun charges. The deal would have avoided the distraction of a trial so close to the presidential election and kept Hunter out of jail.
In a statement Monday, Biden said he is proud of the man his son is today. “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us,” he said. “A lot of families have loved ones who have overcome addiction and know what we mean.”
The president declined to comment on the pending case itself. First Lady Jill Biden attended the first day of the trial, seated in the front row of the courtroom.