Hunter Biden indicted, charged with illegally owning a gun

Biden's gun charges come as the House GOP opens an impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published September 14, 2023 3:49PM (EDT)

Hunter Biden attends a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, July 7, 2022.  (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Hunter Biden attends a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, July 7, 2022. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Just days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced intentions to launch an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, who is at the heart of Republicans' allegations of wrongdoing against the president, was indicted by a federal jury on gun charges. 

A federal jury in Deleware indicted Hunter Biden on three gun-related charges, including two counts related to illegally owning a firearm as a drug user and one count for lying on a form when he allegedly bought the gun. The indictments come after special counsel David Weiss said that he would bring charges by the end of September following the collapse of a plea deal.

In his memoir, "Beautiful Things," Hunter Biden said he was addicted to crack cocaine in October 2018 when he applied to procure a gun. If convicted, Biden could face up to 25 years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. 

Biden's lawyer has previously suggested that should his client be criminally charged they would argue that the law banning drug users from possessing guns is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

Thursday's indictment does not list any tax crimes – a matter that also would have been covered by the prior plea agreement that imploded. Biden previously pleaded guilty on two charges of willful failure to pay taxes.


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