Hunter Biden, the 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden, has been found guilty of federal gun charges by a jury in Wilmington, Delaware.
The verdict marks a significant moment in American political history, as Hunter Biden becomes the first child of a sitting president to be criminally prosecuted.
According to the AFP, Hunter Biden was convicted on all three counts, including making false statements about his illegal drug use when purchasing a handgun in 2018. The trial, which lasted one week, saw the jury deliberating for approximately three hours before reaching a guilty verdict.
Hunter Biden was accused of lying about his illegal drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018, a felony. The verdict comes as his father is seeking reelection and on a day when the president is scheduled to give a speech about gun violence. It also comes less than two weeks after the conviction on business fraud charges of Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee in November.
The jury met for about three hours over two days before reaching a guilty verdict. Hunter Biden did not take the stand during the one-week trial held in the Biden hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. First Lady Jill Biden attended several days of the trial, while the president did not attend but expressed his support for his son.
“As the President, I don’t and won’t comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength,” President Biden said in an earlier statement.
The proceedings, along with another case in which Hunter Biden faces tax evasion charges in California, have complicated Democrats’ efforts to keep the election focus on Trump, the first former president ever to be convicted of a crime. In addition to being a political distraction, Hunter Biden’s legal woes have reopened painful emotional wounds for the family from his time as a drug addict.
Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender jail time is unlikely. He has long been the target of hard-right Republicans, and Trump allies have investigated him at length in Congress on allegations of corruption and influence-peddling. No charges have ever been brought.
Hunter Biden’s business dealings in China and Ukraine have also formed the basis for attempts by Republican lawmakers to initiate impeachment proceedings against his father. Those efforts too have gone nowhere. The White House has said there would be no presidential pardon for Hunter Biden.
