Federal prosecutors, in a court filing, disclosed that investigators discovered traces of cocaine on a leather pouch where Hunter Biden kept his firearm. They are urging the judge not to dismiss the weapons charges against the son of the president.
Responding to assertions from Hunter Biden’s legal team that the gun charges were politically motivated, Justice Department special counsel David Weiss countered in a court filing. He stated that the evidence against him is formidable and distinguishes him from others not prosecuted for comparable offenses.
The confrontation occurred amidst Hunter Biden’s legal struggles facing criminal indictments on both the East and West coasts, coupled with numerous Congressional investigations aiming to link him and his foreign business activities to President Joe Biden.
In September of last year, Hunter Biden faced indictments in his home state of Delaware, with three federal charges accusing him of providing false information about his drug addiction while purchasing a firearm in 2018.
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The indictment followed the rejection of a plea deal by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in July, which aimed to settle potential tax and gun-related charges. The scuttled deal drew criticism from Congressional Republicans and former President Donald Trump, who deemed it excessively lenient, prompting Biden’s legal team to contend that the charges were influenced by political pressure.
Weiss contended that Hunter Biden had not demonstrated that others facing similar circumstances were not charged. He asserted that Biden had not established any “improper political purpose” in seeking to dismiss the prosecution, emphasizing that the attorney general, appointed by his father, had authorized the case.
“The charges in this case are not fabricated or influenced by former President Trump; rather, they stem from the defendant’s own decisions and were filed despite, not due to, any external pressures from politicians,” Weiss stated.
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The firearms charges are just a fraction of the legal challenges confronting Hunter Biden. Recently, he was indicted in California on federal tax charges, accused of neglecting to pay $1.4 million in taxes from 2016 to 2019.
Additionally, the House of Representatives is contemplating whether to hold him in contempt for refusing subpoenas from the Judiciary and Oversight and Accountability committees. Simultaneously, he remains under federal investigation regarding his potential involvement as a foreign agent.
If convicted on all three gun charges, Biden could potentially face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, although first-time offenders typically receive shorter terms. The charges against him stem from a statute prohibiting individuals addicted to narcotics from possessing firearms.
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The allegations include accusations of providing false information about his addiction in 2018 to a gun dealer and on a federal form, as well as having the Colt Cobra 38SPL.
Biden had sought the dismissal of the gun charges, contending that prosecutors had violated agreements made during the unsuccessful plea negotiations. However, Weiss countered, asserting that Biden is well aware of the reasons for the charges – specifically, the unlawful possession of the Colt revolver and providing false information about his addiction.
Following the announcement of the federal investigation in 2020, Biden authored a memoir in the subsequent year detailing years of drug abuse, including the period when he acquired the gun.
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