President Biden’s son Hunter Biden was found guilty Tuesday of lying about his use of illicit drugs when applying to purchase a gun six years ago and unlawfully possessing it thereafter, marking the first criminal conviction of a sitting president’s child.
After roughly three hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 Delaware residents issued the three felony convictions that stemmed from Hunter Biden’s 2018 purchase of a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver. On a federal gun purchase form, the president’s son checked “no” when asked if he used or was addicted to illegal drugs. Then, he unlawfully possessed the firearm for 11 days.
The roughly weeklong trial spotlighted Hunter Biden’s addiction to crack cocaine, which he and his father, the president, have openly addressed as a struggle worsened by the 2015 brain cancer death of Beau Biden, Hunter Biden’s brother.
“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome,” Hunter Biden said in a statement following the verdict. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”
Despite the shadow Hunter Biden’s addiction cast on the proceedings, special counsel David Weiss — who brought the federal charges after being appointed last year to investigate allegations of criminal conduct by the president’s son — insisted that the case was about more than just drugs.
“This case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden’s family,” Weiss said in remarks after the verdict was announced. “This case was about the illegal choices defendant made while in the throes of addiction — his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun, and the choice to then possess that gun.
“It was these choices, and the combination of guns and drugs, that made his conduct dangerous,” Weiss continued, adding that “no one in this country is above the law.”
A series of women from Hunter Biden’s past and present took the stand to testify about his drug use, making up the bulk of witnesses federal prosecutors called to testify against the president’s son. That included his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; his late brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, with whom he had a brief relationship; and an ex-girlfriend.
Hallie Biden, who was married to Hunter Biden’s brother, Beau, testified that crack cocaine made Hunter Biden “agitated or high-strung, but at other times, functioning as well.”
She also described being “panicked” after discovering the firearm in question in Hunter Biden’s truck, deciding then to dump the gun outside a grocery store in Wilmington, Del. — a choice that precipitated the case against her brother-in-law.
In the defense’s case, Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi Biden, testified that she knew her father was “struggling with addiction” months before the unlawful gun purchase but that he “still seemed good” in October, when the transaction was made. However, prosecutors showed a text she wrote to her father at the time: “I’m really sorry dad I can’t take this.”
After jurors were released from their vow not to discuss the case, one juror told CNN that he and other jurors “felt bad” Naomi Biden was called to testify in the case, describing it as “probably a strategy that should not have been done.”
“No daughter should ever have to testify against her dad,” the juror said.
The juror also said that he did not believe Hunter Biden deserves jail time.
The president’s son faces a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, although first-time offenders are rarely given the maximum penalty. According to the United States Sentencing Commission, which determines recommended sentencing guidelines, a defendant like Hunter Biden would typically face between 15 to 21 months in prison.
However, that determination is entirely at the trial judge’s discretion. Before his sentence is decided, Hunter Biden will likely meet with a federal probation officer who will interview him and create a report with recommendations, while both federal prosecutors and Hunter Biden’s attorneys will file memos to the judge with their own recommendations.
President Biden reiterated recently that he would not pardon his son if convicted, adding to that remark Tuesday by saying that he will accept the outcome of the case and “continue to respect the judicial process” as his son considers an appeal.
“As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad,” Biden said. “I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.”
Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement after the verdict that they are “naturally disappointed” but “respect the jury process.” They intend to “vigorously pursue” all available legal challenges.
During closing arguments Monday, prosecutors contended 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 that he bought the gun, seeking to undercut testimony from Hunter’s three exes who testified in the government’s case.
The defense also purported 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 asking if he presently was a drug user. Hunter Biden did not testify.
Ultimately, the jury’s decision did not come down to Hunter Biden’s addiction, despite its prominent role in the trial, according to the juror who spoke to CNN.
The juror revealed that the roughly three-hour deliberation focused on the evidence, not Hunter Biden’s “lifestyle” once fueled by drugs.
“It was very sad … not that he was being convicted of these crimes, but that his life has turned out the way it did,” the juror said.
The juror also indicated that “no politics came into play” in their determination, noting that neither first lady Jill Biden — who attended much of the trial — nor the president were discussed during deliberations.
“The first family was not even spoken about,” the juror said. “It was all about Hunter.”
In California, Hunter Biden faces separate charges for allegedly failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and filing false returns. That case could go to trial in September.
The Associated Press contributed.
Updated at 3:50 p.m. EDT