WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Jury selection is set to commence on Monday in the federal gun case against President Joe Biden’s son after a potential deal with prosecutors collapsed, leading to the upcoming trial so near to the 2024 election.
Hunter Biden, who spent the weekend with his father, faces three felonies related to a 2018 firearm purchase during a time when he admits to struggling with a crack addiction. The charges include lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, providing false information on the firearms applicant form by denying drug use, and unlawfully possessing the gun for 11 days.
Biden has pleaded not guilty and asserts that he is being unfairly singled out by the Justice Department, a sentiment echoed by Republicans who criticized the now-defunct plea deal as preferential treatment.
The trial coincides with Donald Trump’s recent conviction on 34 felonies in New York City for a scheme to conceal hush money paid to a porn actor during his 2016 campaign. While the two cases are unrelated, their proximity highlights the prominence of criminal proceedings in the 2024 campaign.
In addition to this trial, Hunter Biden is also scheduled for a separate trial in California in September on tax evasion charges amounting to $1.4 million. Both cases were initially supposed to be resolved through a deal with prosecutors in July last year after years of investigation into his business dealings.
However, the agreement fell through as the judge questioned certain unusual aspects, including a proposed plea deal for misdemeanor offenses related to the tax crimes and a diversion agreement for the gun charge, contingent upon two years of good behavior. The dispute over the agreement led to its dissolution, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel who subsequently indicted Hunter Biden in September.
This trial focuses on Hunter Biden’s personal life rather than his foreign business dealings, which Republicans have sought to use without evidence to portray the Biden family as corrupt. It will shed light on some of Hunter Biden’s darkest moments.
The trial raises concerns among allies of President Biden regarding its impact on him, given his apprehensions about his son’s well-being and sobriety. The trial may bring to light past mistakes that are painful and deeply personal. Despite these concerns, Hunter Biden spent the weekend with his father, engaging in various activities.
The trial’s potential to distract the president, who is already navigating low poll numbers and gearing up for a presidential debate, is another cause for concern among allies.
Prosecutors aim to demonstrate that Hunter Biden was in the throes of addiction when he purchased the gun, leading to false statements on the forms. They plan to use evidence from Hunter Biden’s published memoir and potentially information from a laptop he left at a Delaware repair shop, the contents of which were leaked in 2020.
The judge will pose several questions to potential jurors to assess their impartiality, including their political affiliations and their views on the 2024 presidential campaign. The trial will also address issues related to firearms purchasing and addiction.
If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though the likelihood of receiving the maximum sentence as a first-time offender is uncertain.
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