Why President Joe Biden Paid A Night Visit To His Son's Ex Days Before Her Testimony In Gun Trial
By Favour Adegoke on May 27, 2024 at 7:15 PM EDT
President Joe Biden has reportedly visited his son, Hunter Biden's ex, Hallie, who is a critical witness in his upcoming gun trial.
Hunter is facing three felony charges stemming from an incident in 2018. According to reports, Biden did not discuss the trial with his son's ex, although his visit has raised eyebrows due to the awkward optics.
President Joe Biden Visited His Son's Ex Days Before His Gun Trial
According to the New York Post, Biden paid an unexpected late-night visit to his son's ex, Hallie, on Sunday.
His visit raised eyebrows because it comes days before she takes to the stand to testify in Hunter's federal trial, where he is facing multiple counts of weapon-related charges.
It is understood that the conversation they had was brief and that President Biden did not discuss the upcoming trial with Hallie.
Instead, he "visited her because of the approaching 9th anniversary" of her late husband, Beau, who died from cancer at the age of 46. Beau is also the president's first son.
Who Else Is Taking To The Witness Stand In Hunter Biden's Trial?
President Biden's son's trial will begin on June 3 at a federal court in Delaware, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
In addition to Hunter's ex-partner testifying, a pair of his former lovers, his former spouse Kathleen Buhle and his ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, will also take to the stand.
Two Delaware state police officers and FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen are also expected to testify in the highly publicized trial.
What Are The Gun Charges Against The President's Son?
Federal prosecutors slammed Hunter with three felony charges, two for allegedly making false statements during the purchase of a gun and another for possessing a weapon while addicted to drugs.
It stemmed from a 2018 incident where the president's son purchased a Colt Cobra revolver at a Delaware gun shop.
He was required to fill out a federal form that prohibits any "unlawful user of, and addicted to any stimulant, narcotic, and any other controlled substance" from purchasing a gun, which he did.
However, at the time, Hunter was allegedly knee-deep in his addiction to crack cocaine, thereby committing a federal crime when he went ahead to assent to the requirements of the form.
The said gun was later thrown away in a dumpster by Hallie after Hunter had it for 11 days. Hallie has since claimed that she did so because she was scared that Hunter had planned to use it to take his own life.
If convicted of the charges, the president's son faces up to 25 years in federal prison and around $750,000 in fines.
Hunter Biden's Infamous Laptop Will Be Used As Evidence Against Him
Special Counsel David Weiss, who was appointed in August last year, is spearheading the suit against Hunter. According to recent reports, the prosecutor plans to introduce Hunter's infamous laptop as evidence against him.
"The defendant's laptop is real (it will be introduced as a trial exhibit) and it contains significant evidence of the defendant's guilt," a recent filing read, per CNN.
Weiss intends to use some of the messages discovered on the laptop to prove that Hunter had an addiction at the time he purchased the gun.
The laptop in question was dropped off at a Delaware repair shop owned by John Paul Mac Isaac after it was damaged by water.
Upon its repair, Isaac was said to have discovered several troubling contents on the laptop, which spurred him to contact the FBI. The FBI later retrieved the laptop from Isaac.
Trial Judge Made Several Pre-trial Rulings
According to CNN, last week, the presiding judge in the case, Judge Maryellen Noreika, made several pre-trial rulings to dictate the flow of the trial when it begins.
She ruled that prosecutors will have to prove that the accused was "generally using drugs" at the time he purchased the gun and not "that he specifically used drugs on the day."
While the aforementioned ruling would make things more complicated for the prosecutors, she also issued a favorable one, saying they could "challenge the authenticity of specific texts from his infamous laptop."
The trial is expected to last up to two weeks after its start date but could go longer if required.
Apart from his gun-related charges, Hunter is also embroiled in a tax evasion trial, which is slated for September this year.
