Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is facing a federal gun indictment with court proceedings set to begin on June 3. The 54-year-old Biden is facing three felony counts related to a gun purchase he made in 2018 in Delaware. Prosecutors claim that Biden lied about his drug use during the purchase, while Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges and states that he was only in possession of the gun for 11 days. Despite several attempts by Biden’s attorneys to have the case dismissed or delayed, all such requests have been rejected by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. The defense has now filed new appeals seeking the dismissal of the indictment and for all trial proceedings to be paused while the appeal is considered.
The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously rejected Biden’s appeal of Noreika’s ruling, stating that they did not have jurisdiction to review the request. Biden’s legal team has now filed two separate appeals on the same day, one calling for a review by the full 3rd Circuit Court and the other arguing that his actions related to the indictment were protected by the Second Amendment. In addition to the gun charges, Biden is also facing tax-related charges in California, where prosecutors have accused him of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019. Despite multiple attempts by his attorneys to have these charges dismissed, the case is scheduled to begin trial on June 20.
Both cases against Hunter Biden come amidst the backdrop of President Biden’s reelection campaign. Biden’s defense team has claimed that the charges are politically motivated, as both indictments were led by Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee later promoted under Attorney General Merrick Garland. This marks the first time that the child of a sitting U.S. president has faced criminal prosecution. In the felony gun case, prosecutors allege that there is evidence of Biden using drugs at the time of the firearm purchase, while Biden’s attorneys argue that the substance found inside the pouch where the weapon was stored was sawdust.
Recent scrutiny from House Republicans has also brought Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings into the spotlight, with allegations that President Biden benefited from these dealings while serving as vice president in the Obama administration. However, an impeachment inquiry into these accusations has not provided any direct evidence linking President Biden to his family’s business ventures while in office. As the legal proceedings against Hunter Biden continue, the political implications and potential impact on President Biden’s reelection campaign remain a point of interest and concern. With both the gun and tax-related cases set to go to trial in the coming weeks, the outcome of these legal battles could have far-reaching implications for the Biden family and the current administration.
