Court
President’s son accused: Hunter Biden claims innocence
Hunter Biden is accused of making false statements about a gun purchase several years ago. photo
© Julio Cortez/AP/dpa
The son of US President Biden has had the judiciary breathing down his neck for a long time. The background is, among other things, an unlawful purchase of weapons. Now Hunter Biden must respond to the allegations in court.
The son of US President Joe Biden has protested his innocence in court after being charged with gun law violations. Hunter Biden appeared in court in Wilmington, Delaware and pleaded not guilty, as several US media outlets consistently reported, including CNN and the Washington Post.
The 53-year-old had originally requested not to travel to the hearing in person, but rather to be connected via video. However, the court rejected this. Biden’s residence is on the US west coast in California, Delaware is on the east coast.
Three counts
The president’s son is accused of providing false information when purchasing weapons several years ago and knowingly concealing his drug addiction. A planned agreement between Hunter Biden and the responsible public prosecutor, which would have averted a trial, had previously collapsed.
According to court documents, the charge includes three counts: making a false statement during the purchase, making false statements to the dealer and possessing a weapon despite unlawful drug use. Hunter Biden made his long-term drug addiction public in a book in 2021.
He has been in the sights of the judiciary for a long time and has to fear further legal action in connection with tax offenses. Prosecutors in Delaware are accusing him of failing to pay his federal income taxes on time in 2017 and 2018. A deal with the public prosecutor on the tax allegations also fell through. All of this is highly unusual for a president’s son and is politically very sensitive.
The investigation and a possible trial against Hunter Biden could also have an impact on the US presidential election campaign. Democrat Joe Biden wants to run again in the 2024 election. Although the investigations against his son are not about the president himself, the Republicans regularly use Hunter Biden’s legal problems for political attacks on the father.