Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has been prosecuted by the Justice Department for the first time in US history in connection with a firearm he bought in 2018. The charges were brought by special counsel David Weiss.
The three counts include unlawful possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and making false statements on a federal firearms form.
After his initial plea agreement fell through, the situation has taken an unprecedented turn, possibly setting up a spectacular trial during his father’s 2024 reelection campaign.
The White House had hoped that the Hunter Biden legal saga would be done this summer, but a plea agreement with Weiss to settle the matter without charges fell through over the course of the summer under the judge’s scrutiny. A presidential impeachment investigation into the president’s economic dealings has also been announced by House Republicans.
According to court documents, a summons was issued for him to appear in court for an initial appearance on the charges on Thursday, however, the time and location of the initial appearance are yet unknown.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, Hunter Biden is presently in California. The source added that any plans for a self-surrender or initial appearance, including the date and location, still need to be worked out.
Abbe Lowell, the attorney for Hunter Biden, asserted that the indictment was the product of political pressure in an exclusive interview with CNN on Thursday night.
On “OutFront,” Lowell said on CNN that Republican leaders “have been pressuring this US attorney to do something to vindicate their political position.”
The former president and current front-runner for the Republican nominee in 2024, Donald Trump, who has been charged four times himself, called Hunter Biden’s indictment a “sad situation.”
