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Judge denies Hunter Biden’s motion to dismiss firearm charges

President Biden’s son says he's being prosecuted for political purposes, but the judge doesn't see proof

Senior Culture Editor

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United States President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, exits in J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware, United States on July 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
United States President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, exits in J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware, United States on July 26, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika handed down three separate filings on Friday, rejecting motions filed by Hunter Biden in 2023 asking for the gun charges against him to be dismissed.

Noreika highlighted in her decision that Biden's claim that the case should be dropped because of “vindictive prosecution” was not valid, and that his expressed view that special counsel David Weiss buckled “under political pressure” in bringing the case against him didn't fly either.

The Trump-appointed judge went on to specify that Biden’s legal team didn't adequately back their claim that the special counsel was prompted to go after the case because of a push to do so by "outside influences," writing in her filings, “The pressure campaign from Congressional Republicans may have occurred around the time that Special Counsel decided to move forward with indictment instead of pretrial diversion, but the Court has been given nothing credible to suggest that the conduct of those lawmakers (or anyone else) had any impact on Special Counsel. It is all speculation."

Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges against him back in September, which include two counts for failing to disclose drug use while attempting to purchase a weapon and another for unlawful possession of a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance.

 

 

By Kelly McClure

Kelly McClure is Salon's Senior Culture Editor, where she helps further coverage of TV, film, music, books and culture trends from a unique and thoughtful angle. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes

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