In a recent audacious move, Hunter Biden, the president’s son, approached a federal court with a plea to dismiss the three felony gun charges levied against him by Special Counsel David Weiss. This comes after Hunter’s earlier declaration of his innocence on these charges.
Recall that just a month ago, Weiss brought forward three felonies against Hunter, all stemming from his questionable firearm acquisition in 2018. The charges specifically pinpointed Hunter’s alleged deceit on the mandatory background check form for the gun purchase. Furthermore, it was claimed that Hunter possessed the firearm while deeply entangled in the web of illicit substance abuse.
Weiss had previously delayed his probe into Hunter’s purportedly unlawful activities. One can’t help but wonder if this was a strategic move to avoid casting a shadow on Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
In a recent court document, Hunter’s legal representatives, Abbe Lowell and Richard Jones Jr., stated their intention to dismiss the gun-related felony charges against their client. Their defense? They claim that a prior diversion agreement, mutually accepted earlier this summer, protects Hunter against such payments. This agreement was a part of another set of indictments against Hunter, encompassing two minor tax-related charges and a significant charge for possessing a firearm while deeply immersed in an unlawful drug habit.
His mounting issues, from legal battles to personal struggles, have become a public spectacle, casting a shadow over the Biden presidency. His whirlwind romantic escapades continued with a swift marriage to South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen after a mere six-day courtship. They now have a son together.
Hunter’s attempt at therapy through painting has raised eyebrows, with his artworks fetching up to $500,000 each, posing ethical concerns for the Biden administration.
Professionally, Hunter’s trajectory has been equally contentious. After graduating from Yale, he joined MBNA America, a significant bank in Delaware. His rapid ascent to executive vice president coincided with Joe Biden’s push for legislation benefiting the bank. Hunter’s subsequent venture into a hedge fund group, Paradigm Global Advisors, was marred by associations with alleged fraudsters.
His dealings in China and Ukraine have been particularly controversial. His association with BHR, a Chinese private equity firm, and his partnership with Chinese oil magnate Ye Jianming have raised eyebrows. Moreover, his position on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, amidst his father’s involvement in US-Ukraine relations, has been a focal point of Republican scrutiny.
The discovery of a laptop, allegedly abandoned by Hunter at a Delaware repair shop, unveiled further evidence of his questionable business dealings and substance abuse. While initially dismissed as Russian disinformation, the laptop’s contents have since been verified by US media and seized by the FBI.
As The Federalist’s Jordan Boyd reported, this “strategically crafted” deal, a product of collaboration between the DOJ and Hunter’s legal team, meant that Biden’s son would only face probation and not incarceration for the two minor tax charges he was set to admit to. In return, the federal authorities would let go of the initial primary gun charge, provided Hunter vowed to abandon his drug-riddled past for two years and swore off firearms for good.
However, when this pretrial diversion agreement was presented in court, Federal Judge Maryellen Noreika needed help to convince. She discerned that the deal might shield Hunter from potential future charges, not just the ones mentioned in the indictment. Consequently, the plea deal crumbled.
Should Hunter be found guilty of all three significant gun-related charges, he might be staring at a potential 25-year prison sentence, as the New York Post reported.
It’s intriguing to observe the lengths some individuals will go to to sidestep the law, especially when they have connections and resources. As the saga unfolds, one can only hope that justice will prevail, regardless of one’s last name or political affiliations.