The 53-year-old man is accused of carrying a revolver in 2018, although he was prohibited from doing so because he was a drug user. The charges had already been announced.
US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been accused of illegally possessing weapons. In the indictment presented on Thursday by a so-called grand jury in the US state of Delaware, the 53-year-old man is accused of briefly possessing a revolver in 2018, although he was prohibited from doing so because he was a drug user. Hunter Biden gave false information to the arms dealer so he could buy the Colt.
The investigation and a possible trial against Hunter Biden could also have an impact on the election campaign. Joe Biden (80) wants to run again for the Democrats in the 2024 elections. The investigation against his son is not about the president. Yet Republicans have repeatedly portrayed the Bidens as a crime family. In the past, the president has dismissed attacks against him and his family as a smear campaign.
Investigator Weiss has already announced a process
The indictment is not a surprise: the special investigator in charge of the case, David Weiss, had already announced last week that he planned to indict the president’s son later this month.
Hunter Biden admitted to illegal gun possession and tax crimes in June as part of a deal with the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office. In exchange for pleading guilty in both cases, he would only receive a light sentence and would also be spared a trial.
The deal for a lenient sentence fell through
But the agreement collapsed in July after the responsible judge questioned its content. Hunter Biden later pleaded not guilty. In August, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland named Delaware federal prosecutor Weiss, who had been investigating Hunter Biden since 2019, as a special prosecutor.
He has now laid charges against the 53-year-old for illegal possession of weapons. The tax case in Delaware has been closed but will be reopened elsewhere.
Hunter Biden has been a political liability for his father for years – and is likely to be so ahead of the November 2024 presidential election. Opposition Republicans accuse the 53-year-old of having exploited his father’s important position in the past as Barack Obama’s vice president (2009 to 2017) for business in Ukraine and China.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, ordered “a formal impeachment investigation” of President Biden related to his son’s business activities. However, it is still unclear whether there will actually be impeachment proceedings against Biden.
Hunter Biden is a lawyer and has worked as a businessman for a long time. He openly admitted to having suffered serious drug problems in the past. He has worked as an artist for several years. (APA)