Hunter Biden did not speak to reporters as he left court Tuesday, hand in hand with First Lady Jill Biden, after a jury convicted him on all three charges in his federal gun trial in Delaware.
Biden, the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, was given the guilty verdict after three hours of deliberation over two days. Biden faces a maximum of 25 years in prison, but a much lower sentence is expected since he is a first-time offender.
“I am disappointed by the outcome,” Biden said in a statement.
Prosecutors argued Biden lied when he filled out a form in 2018 when he obtained a gun, falsely claiming he was not addicted to drugs. Biden claimed he didn’t believe he was an addict at the time. The trial happened after a judge rejected a deal with prosecutors that would have allowed Biden to evade prosecution as long as he avoided wrongdoing for two years.
Another wrinkle remains in the saga: The law used to charge Biden is currently being challenged under 2nd Amendment grounds. If it is overturned, Biden’s conviction would be voided. Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell said the defense would “pursue all the legal challenges available.”
President Joe Biden made several public indications of support for his son, but last week he said he would respect the trial’s outcome and would not issue any pardon. The Justice Department last year appointed a special counsel, David Weiss, to oversee the investigations.
Hunter is set to go on trial on separate federal tax charges in September.
