President Joe Biden recently claimed during an MSNBC interview that his son, Hunter Biden, did nothing wrong despite Hunter being under investigation for tax, gun, and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) violations for the past five years.
Special Counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden on Thursday with one count of false statement in the purchase of a firearm, one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and one count of false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer.
The charges could amount to 25 years of prison time.
“Sir, there is something personal that’s affecting you. Your son — while there [are] no ties to you — [he] could be charged by your Department of Justice. How will that impact your presidency?” MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle asked Joe Biden.
“First of all, my son’s done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him. And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him,” the president answered.
WATCH:
Joe Biden also claimed on October 11, 2022, that he knew nothing of Hunter Biden’s “thing about a gun,” noting he has great confidence in his son.
“By the way, this thing about a gun. I didn’t know anything about it,” Joe Biden told CNN. “But turns out that when he made an application to purchase a gun, what happened was he was asked the question, ‘Are you on drugs or use drugs?’ He said, ‘No.’ And he wrote about saying, ‘No’ in his book.”
“So I have confidence in my son,” Joe Biden added.
WATCH:
Joe Biden’s comments came after reports that Hunter Biden might have given false information on an ATF background check form to purchase a gun in 2018, Breitbart News reported:
ATF Form 4473 is the background check each would-be gun buyer fills out upon trying to buy a gun at retail. A Federal Firearms License (FFL) holder then calls the FBI and relays the information from the form, receiving the all-clear to sell the gun or a rejection, which means the gun cannot be sold to the would-be buyer. A third option is that the FBI can alert the FFL holder that it will extend the background check another three business days to give FBI reviewers additional time to check criminal records.
Form 4473 has a number of questions that require a “yes” or “no” answer. The question pertinent to Hunter Biden’s alleged 2018 gun purchase is drug-related. It asks:
Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance? Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.
ATF Form 4473 makes clear:
The information you provide will be used to determine whether you are prohibited by Federal or State law from receiving a firearm. Certain violations of the Gun Control Act, 18 U.S.C. 921 et. seq., are punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/or up to a $250,000 fine.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers claim the charges will be dismissed before the case goes to trial.
“On the facts, we think we’ll have a defense,” Attorney Abbe Lowell told ABC News Friday morning. “The case will be dismissed before trial” because it is “likely unconstitutional.”
Former President Donald Trump weighed in, saying that Weiss charged Hunter Biden with violations that do not implicate President Joe Biden.
“This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden. One down, Eleven to go!” he said. “The Democrats, with all of their horrible, very unfair, and mostly illegal Witch Hunts, have started a process that is very dangerous for our Country.”
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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