After three hours of deliberation, the jury in Hunter Biden’s trial found the president’s son guilty of three felony charges on Tuesday in the federal gun trial held at a courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. The trial lasted a little over a week.
The first two of the three charges are related to his firearm purchase in October 2018. At the time, he was required to fill out a form with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and affirm that he doesn’t use drugs or isn’t an addict. Biden checked “no” to that question.
The third count has to do with possession of the revolver while abusing drugs. Biden had the gun for 11 days before his girlfriend at the time, Hallie Biden, Beau Biden’s widowed wife, threw it in a trash can.
The sentencing date has not been set.
Hunter Biden was seen giving his family and friends hugs after the verdict was read. His stepmom, first lady Jill Biden was seen walking into the courthouse around this time, as NBC News reports. She attended nearly all the court proceedings, as did Hunter Biden’s wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, presenting a united family front.
What did Hunter Biden and his lawyers say?
Hunter Biden did not offer the press any comments when leaving the courthouse. He and his lawyers issued a statement over an hour after the verdict was released.
“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome,” said Hunter Biden. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”
His lawyer Abbe Lowell said he was disappointed by the verdict, but added he respects the jury process.
“We will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter,” Lowell said.
What did the prosecutors say?
At 11 a.m. MT, Department of Justice special counsel David Weiss in a press conference highlighted the “two overarching themes” represented in this verdict.
“First, while there has been much testimony about the defendant’s abuse of drugs and alcohol, ultimately, this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden’s family, 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,” he said. “Second, no one in this country is above the law. Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant.”
He did not entertain questions because of ongoing investigations into Hunter Biden. He faces another trial in California over an alleged failure to pay $1.4 million in taxes. This and the firearm related case were almost resolved last summer when Hunter Biden reached a plea deal with prosecutors before that fell apart under scrutiny.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump react
President Joe Biden in a brief statement Tuesday showed support for his son. “As I said last 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. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery,” Biden said, according to Fox News.
He added, “As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”
President Biden is expected to be in Washington, D.C., Tuesday to give an address at a gun violence prevention conference held the same day his son received a guilty verdict. He will spend his evening in Delaware. The president has kept a distance between his official duties and his son’s trial. President Biden is expected to travel to Italy for the G7 summit on Wednesday.
The president indicated last week he would accept the outcome of the trial and not pardon his son. This guilty verdict is expected to follow the president as he makes his bid for a second term. The campaign of his opponent, former President Donald Trump, was quick to react to the news.
“This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine,” the statement said, per CNN. “Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit. As for Hunter, we wish him well in his recovery and legal affairs.”
Although Trump is facing a mountain of legal troubles, he has refrained from bringing it up at campaign rallies.