WILMINGTON, Delaware. A jury convicted Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, of lying about his illegal drug use to buy a gun on Tuesday, marking the first time a sitting U.S. president’s child has been convicted of a crime.
In Wilmington, Delaware, a 12-member jury found Hunter Biden guilty on all three counts against him. The 54-year-old showed little reaction as the verdict was read, merely nodding his head and then patting his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, on the back before hugging another legal team member.
First lady Jill Biden and Hunter’s wife Melissa held his hands as they exited the courtroom. In a statement, Lowell mentioned that they would “vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.” He also faces a separate tax case in California.
Hunter Biden was later seen at a Wilmington food hall, where he referred Reuters reporters to his statement when asked for further comment, adding, “all is good.” He then gestured to a child on his lap and said, “How could it not be?”
The trial occurred in the backdrop of the upcoming Nov. 5 election, where Democrat Joe Biden will face his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who himself was convicted at a landmark New York state trial last month.
Prosecutors during the trial presented an intimate look at Hunter Biden’s struggles with alcohol and crack cocaine abuse, which legally barred him from purchasing a firearm. The jury, after about three hours of deliberation, found that Hunter Biden falsely claimed to be free of illegal drugs when filling out a government screening document for a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 and then illegally possessed the weapon.
In his statement, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude for the love and support he had received, more than his disappointment with the guilty verdict. He noted he was “blessed” to experience recovery “one day at a time.”
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika has not set a sentencing date, though it is expected within 120 days, potentially placing it a month before the U.S. presidential election.
President Joe Biden accepted the outcome of the case in a statement and pledged to respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal. Hours after the verdict, Hunter, his wife, and his son met the president’s helicopter at a Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, where the president embraced his son and hugged and kissed his daughter-in-law and grandchild.
Sentencing guidelines for the gun charges suggest 15 to 21 months, but legal experts indicate that defendants in similar cases often receive shorter sentences and may avoid incarceration if they comply with pretrial release terms. Juror No. 10 mentioned in an audio interview with CNN, “In deliberating, we were not thinking of the sentencing and I really don’t think that Hunter belongs in jail.” The juror also emphasized that politics did not influence their decision, stating, “No politics came into play and politics was not even spoken about. The first family was not even spoken about. It was all about Hunter.”
This trial follows the recent criminal conviction of Donald Trump on May 30, making him the first U.S. president to be found guilty of a felony. Trump, convicted on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to cover up a sex scandal, has claimed without evidence that Joe Biden orchestrated the multiple criminal prosecutions he faces to block his reelection.
Trump’s campaign continues to dismiss the trial’s significance. “This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family,” Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated.
Congressional Democrats have pointed to the Hunter Biden trial, along with ongoing federal prosecutions of two Democratic members of Congress, as proof that President Biden is not manipulating the legal system for partisan purposes. The president also stated last week that he would not pardon his son if convicted.
The Delaware trial included testimonies from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, former girlfriend, and sister-in-law, who provided firsthand accounts of his addiction struggles around the time he purchased the gun. Prosecutors presented text messages, photos, and bank records indicating that Biden was heavily addicted when he bought the gun and knowingly lied on the government screening form about his drug use.
Hunter Biden’s defense argued that he was not using drugs at the time of purchase and did not intend to deceive because he did not consider himself a drug user when filling out the form. His daughter, Naomi Biden, testified that her father appeared well shortly before and after he bought the gun.
The case was brought by U.S. Department of Justice Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee. In a press conference, Weiss emphasized that the case was not just about addiction but about the illegal choices Hunter Biden made during his 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 stated.
Weiss has also charged Hunter Biden with three felony and six misdemeanor tax offenses in California, alleging he failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, escorts, exotic cars, and other high-ticket items. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to those charges, with a trial scheduled for Sept. 5.
