WILMINGTON: President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun, making him the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime.
A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware – the Bidens’ hometown – found the defendant guilty on all three counts against him.
Hunter Biden, 54, lightly nodded his head after the verdict was read but otherwise showed little reaction. He then patted his lawyer Abbe Lowell on the back and hugged another member of his legal team.
Lowell said in a statement they would “vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.” Biden still faces a separate tax case in California.
The trial took place against the background of a Nov. 5 election pitting Democrat Joe Biden against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who was himself found guilty at a landmark New York state trial last month.
After about three hours of deliberation, the jurors found Hunter Biden falsely claimed to be free of illegal drugs when he filled out a government screening document for a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 and then illegally possessed the weapon.
In a statement Hunter Biden said he was more grateful for the love and support he had received than he was disappointed by the guilty verdict. He said he was “blessed” to experience the gift of recovery “one day at a time.”
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika set no date for sentencing, but added it would usually be within 120 days. That would place it no later than about a month before the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election.
Biden’s son Hunter stands trial on gun charge
President Joe Biden issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal.
Some 61% of registered voters responding to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in February said Hunter Biden’s legal troubles would have no impact on whether they voted for his father in November.
The poll showed voters divided over whether Hunter Biden’s legal troubles were related to his father’s service as president.
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