The ex-wife of Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, is set to testify on Wednesday about his drug use. Prosecutors argue that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.
During the trial, which marks the first time a U.S. president’s child faces criminal charges, prosecutors told jurors that evidence would show Hunter Biden knowingly lied about his drug use on the paperwork when he purchased a revolver in October 2018. His defense lawyer contends that Hunter Biden was not using drugs at the time and did not intend to deceive.
Prosecutors presented text messages, bank records, and clips from the audiobook version of Hunter Biden’s memoir, which they say prove he was using crack cocaine around the time he bought the gun, including the day after the purchase. “Addiction is not a crime. Lying is,” prosecutor Derek Hines stated.
Hunter Biden, 54, has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges for failing to disclose his illegal drug use when buying the gun and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.
The trial comes after last week’s historic conviction of Donald Trump, the first U.S. president to be found guilty of a felony. Trump, the Republican challenger to Joe Biden in the November 5 election, was convicted of 34 felony counts related to falsifying documents to cover up hush money payments.
Prosecutor Hines said jurors would next hear from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, former girlfriend Zoe Kestan, and Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau Biden. These witnesses will speak to Hunter Biden’s long-term struggles with drugs and alcohol.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, highlighted that the president’s son has been open about his addiction, documenting it in his 2021 memoir “Beautiful Things.” Lowell argued that the evidence would show Hunter Biden was sober when he bought the gun and did not see himself as a drug user at the time.
Despite the parallel with Trump’s recent conviction, Hunter Biden’s trial has not directly addressed that case. However, the prosecution emphasized that “no one is above the law.”
