For the first time in U.S. history, a child of a sitting president has been convicted of a crime. President Joe Biden’s only surviving son, Hunter, was found guilty in a Delaware federal court on three charges stemming from his purchase of a .38 caliber Colt Cobra. When sentenced, Mr. Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.
Mr. Biden was convicted early earlier this month for falsely filling out a form to buy a handgun while he was allegedly under the influence of drugs. It is illegal to make a gun purchase when either addicted or using illegal drugs.
Despite the possibility of serving a long sentence in federal prison, court watchers say there is only a slim chance that the penalty will be an extended one. In fact, there remains a possibility that Special Prosecutor Daniel Weiss could negotiate a plea deal with Biden that would allow him to avoid prison altogether.
Mr. Biden, 54, had initially negotiated a plea agreement that would have allowed him to participate in a counselling program for people who commit nonviolent offenses instead of facing far more serious penalties, including prison time. But the deal was scuttled when the I.R.S. became an issue. The U.S. attorney then demanded that Mr. Biden to plead guilty to committing tax offenses. It was then that the agreement was cancelled, and federal charges were filed.
Form 4473, the Firearm Transaction Record, is a multi-page document filled out with every gun purchase from a licensed gun seller. It asks whether the applicant, is ‘a fugitive from justice,’ if the buyer has been ‘convicted of domestic abuse,’ and if the purchaser is ‘addicted to drugs’ and whether the buyer is ‘the actual buyer of the weapon.’
At the time of the purchase, Mr. Biden had been drug-free for more than a week. But one of his former girlfriend’s, Hallie Biden, who was also his former sister-in-law, said she witnessed him smoking crack two days after the purchase.
Mr. Biden has a long history of drug and alcohol issues and has written extensively and candidly about it in his memoir, “Beautiful Things.” In it, he recounts the tragedies in his life, from losing his mother and baby sister in a car crash when he was a two-year old to losing his older brother, Bo, who died in 2015.
While crimes such as the one Mr. Biden was convicted of are rarely prosecuted, there are still people in prison today who been convicted of them.
Former Colorado state Senator Joe Salazar and one-time candidate for Colorado Attorney General has no issue with Mr. Biden’s prosecution. “The DOJ didn’t walk into this case lightly,” said Mr. Salazar. “It considered the evidence and whether there was enough evidence to convict Hunter Biden beyond a reasonable doubt.”
The case, said Mr. Salazar, “wasn’t about politics…it was about whether the law was broken, much the same as the Trump conviction.” He also speculated on whether or not Mr. Biden’s conviction will be used against the President who is running for reelection. “Do I think people are dumb enough to hurt President Biden because of his son’s mis- takes? You bet,” he said.
One member of the jury who spoke to the media said that when deliberations begin, “It was 6-6,” before adjourning until the next day. When they returned the next day, it took only two more hours before it consolidated on conviction and delivered its verdict.
Mr. Biden was accompanied to court each day with his wife, with whom they share a young child. Also in the courtroom each day was his mother and First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Mrs. Biden was back and forth between France and the Delaware courtroom. The first couple was in France commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
President Biden’s first comment on his son’s conviction was one of support. “As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad.” He said he accepts the verdict “and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
“He has overcome an addiction. He’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know…I’m not going to do anything.”
Despite Mr. Biden’s conviction, Republicans, including the presumed nominee of their party, ex-president Donald Trump, continue to complain about a “rigged” judicial system. Democrats counter by pointing out that two Democratic members of Congress, Senator Bob Menendez and Henry Cuellar, are now facing federal prosecution.
Trump was also recently the defendant in a criminal prosecution where a New York jury convicted him of 34 felonies. The ex-president also faces felony charges in three other state and federal court cases. He has already been held liable for sexually abusing New York writer, E. Jean Carroll and ordered to pay $83 million dollars.
While no sentencing date has yet been announced, Mr. Biden must still face tax charges in California, where he and his family now reside. He is accused of tax evasion as well as falsely claiming deductions and business expenses for payments to assorted strip clubs, escorts and to a woman he was seeing. The government says he lied about more than $1.4 million dollars in income on which he should have paid taxes between 2016 and 2019.
