Hunter Biden’s defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, is focusing on who exactly filled out the federal gun form that is central to the trial. The government’s case revolves around the fact that Hunter Biden checked a box stating that he was not using or addicted to drugs at the time of purchasing a firearm in October 2018, which is a violation of federal law. Lowell suggested that there were indications the form was changed by employees after the sale, while prosecutors claim there were only minor additions unrelated to the parts Hunter Biden completed. There are two versions of the form Hunter Biden filled out: one that was emailed and another that was a physical form completed at the gun store. Judge Maryellen Noreika allowed the emailed form into evidence and suggested that the gun store employees could be examined regarding the physical form.
The trial, set to begin with jury selection on June 3, will likely run until the 14th or possibly into the following week. Hunter Biden, who has acknowledged his struggles with substance abuse during the time he purchased the firearm, has been accused of politically motivated charges. Prosecutors have emphasized that there is no evidence of the laptop, allegedly dropped off at a Delaware repair shop, being compromised. However, more than 50 former intelligence officials have labeled the laptop as Russian disinformation ahead of the 2020 election. Noreika agreed to consider questions about the laptop contents but ruled that Special Counsel cannot mention Hunter Biden’s federal tax charges in Los Angeles, his alleged failure to pay child support, or his Navy discharge.
Hunter Biden’s defense team has been unsuccessful in attempting to have the tax charges and gun charges dismissed, as they argue that political pressure led to his indictment following the collapse of a plea deal last year. The investigation into Hunter Biden had initially seemed close to concluding with a plea deal, in which he would have received two years of probation after pleading guilty to misdemeanor tax charges and avoided prosecution on the gun charge if he stayed out of trouble. However, the deal fell through after a judge raised concerns. Noreika has allowed excerpts from Hunter Biden’s memoir, “Beautiful Things,” in which he opens up about his struggles with alcoholism and drug use, to be shown to the jurors during the trial.
There will be 12 government witnesses in the trial, although the number of defense witnesses remains uncertain. Despite Hunter Biden’s legal challenges, the trial is proceeding with the heart of the government’s case focused on the federal gun form and the conflicting accounts of how it was filled out. While the defense attorney attempts to shift the focus to potential tampering with the form after the sale, prosecutors maintain that there were only minor additions made. The upcoming trial will shed more light on the circumstances surrounding Hunter Biden’s purchase of the firearm in 2018 and the legal implications of his actions, which have been subject to both criticism and political scrutiny.
