Hunter Biden Found Guilty Of Felony Gun Charges

A jury in Wilmington, Delaware, found Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, guilty of three felony counts of lying on a federal firearms application in 2018. A sentencing date has yet to be set and, although the charges carry a maximum sentence of up to 25 years in prison, a first-time offender who is not charged with a violent crime rarely receives jail time.

• President Biden, who has previously stated he will not pardon his son, told reporters: “I accept the outcome of this case,” and will, “continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
• There is limited polling on the impact of the verdict on the presidential race and, as Hunter Biden’s various legal issues are well-known, the prevailing view is that the case will remain peripheral to the presidential election campaign. It will however offer an unwelcome split-screen with former President Trump so soon after the latter’s conviction in his Manhattan hush money trial.
• Republicans will likely seek to link Hunter Biden’s conviction with more serious allegations of criminality in foreign business dealings, which are being probed by the House Oversight Committee. The NYT reports: “Even though Hunter Biden was convicted of all three counts, Republicans are gearing up to say he was convicted of the wrong crimes.”