Hunter Biden charged with gun purchase
Charges have been filed against Hunter Biden
Source: Julio Cortez/AP/dpa
Hunter Biden has been seen as a political liability for his father, US President Joe Biden, for years. Because Biden Junior is said to have concealed his drug addiction when buying weapons years ago, charges have now been brought against him.
Dhe son of US President Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, has been charged with illegal possession of weapons. In the indictment brought on Thursday by a so-called grand jury in the state of Delaware, the 53-year-old is accused of briefly owning a revolver in 2018, even though he was prohibited from doing so as a drug user. Hunter Biden also provided false information to the arms dealer in order to be able to buy the Colt.
The three-count indictment is likely to harm President Biden, who is seeking a second term in the White House next year. But it doesn’t come as a surprise: The special investigator responsible for the case, David Weiss, had already announced last week that he was planning to indict the president’s son later this month.
Hunter Biden actually admitted to illegal gun possession and tax crimes in June as part of an agreement with the Delaware federal prosecutor’s office. In return for pleading guilty in both cases, he would only receive a mild sentence and would also be spared a trial.
However, the deal collapsed in July after the judge responsible questioned its contents. Hunter Biden subsequently pleaded not guilty. In August, US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Delaware Federal Prosecutor Weiss, who had been investigating Hunter Biden since 2019, as special prosecutor.
He has now brought charges against the 53-year-old for illegal possession of weapons. The tax case in Delaware was closed but will be reopened elsewhere.
Republicans order formal impeachment inquiry
Hunter Biden has been a political burden for his father for years – and is likely to become so with a view to the presidential election in November 2024. The opposition Republicans accuse the 53-year-old of having in the past exploited his father’s important position as Vice President of Barack Obama (2009 to 2017) for business in Ukraine and China.
On Tuesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, ordered “a formal impeachment investigation” into 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 worked as a businessman for a long time. He has openly admitted to having suffered from serious drug problems in the past. He has been working as an artist for several years.