Image source, Getty Images
- author, Bernd Debsmann Jr.
- role, BBC News in Delaware courtroom
US President Joe Biden said he respected the jury’s decision to convict his son of gun crimes after a week-long trial that laid bare the family’s tumultuous times.
A 12-person jury found Hunter Biden, 54, guilty of lying about drug use when buying a handgun in 2018. The verdict, which could mean he faces prison time, marks the first criminal prosecution of a sitting president’s child.
The convictions on all three felony counts come as President Biden is campaigning for reelection in November and less than two weeks after his election rival, Donald Trump, was himself convicted of crimes in New York.
President Biden did not attend the Delaware trial, but many of his family members, including first lady Jill Biden, attended regularly, and Hunter Biden’s wife, sister and uncle were also present at times to support him during the trial.
After the verdict, President Biden flew to Wilmington, Delaware, where he greeted and embraced his son on the tarmac.
“I’m president, but I’m also a father. Jill and I love our son and are incredibly proud of who he has become,” Biden said in a statement. “We accept the outcome of this case and continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers his appeal.”
President Biden earlier denied pardoning his son, whose trial saw embarrassing details come to light as prosecutors sought to prove he was using crack cocaine at the time of his gun purchase.
Jurors heard testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and former girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, who said his frequent drug use caused trouble for friends and family. Text messages detailing his drug addiction and photos showing Hunter Biden partially naked were also shown in court.
Tuesday’s ruling sparked immediate political reactions, including from Republican lawmakers who have been investigating Hunter Biden’s conduct and business relationships for years.
Republican James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said it was a “step toward accountability” but added that “everyone involved” in what he called “Biden’s corrupt influence scheme” should be investigated.
The Trump campaign said in a statement that the trial was “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden crime family,” a description the former president often used to describe the family during his campaign in response to allegations of inappropriate behavior by Republicans against him and his son.
Democrats in Congress accused their Republican counterparts of hypocrisy and praised the U.S. justice system.
“Compare and contrast the difference between the Republican and Democratic responses,” Maryland Democrat Jamie Raskin said at the hearing.
Regarding President Trump’s guilty plea, he said, “Republicans are attacking our entire judicial system and the rule of law because they don’t like the outcome of one case. Meanwhile, the son of the president of the United States is being indicted, and you don’t hear a single Democrat cry injustice.”
“Of all the jurors, no one mentioned political motives,” he added.
Aides to President Biden told U.S. media that the trial and verdict had dealt a psychological blow to Biden, who had been closely following the case.
Politico reported that Biden has been “immersed in the trial for weeks” and had asked his family for updates while traveling in France for events marking the anniversary of the Normandy landings.
The outlet also reported that Biden sometimes feels guilty about the attention given to his son and believes his own political career has contributed to his son’s legal troubles.
The Washington Post reported that the president’s advisers were often hesitant to discuss his son with him, and some sought to limit Hunter Biden’s public appearances.
Hunter Biden is due to be sentenced within the next 120 days, though the judge in his case has not set a hearing date. He could face up to 25 years in prison, though legal experts say it’s highly unlikely he’ll end up with anything close to that, given that he’s a first-time offender and a nonviolent offender.
His legal troubles are expected to continue throughout the year and his father’s election campaign: in September he is due to stand trial in California on charges of failing to pay $1.4m (£1.1m) in income tax.
If convicted in this case, Hunter Biden could face up to 17 years in prison.
