Hunter Biden is set to become the first child of a sitting president to face a criminal trial, with jury selection beginning on Monday. This comes just days after another
unprecedented event: the criminal trial of a former US president.
Hunter Biden's business dealings have been under intense scrutiny for years. His trial, centered on gun charges, is expected to delve into the gritty details of his crack cocaine addiction, potentially providing ammunition for those opposing his father's bid for reelection.
Hunter has pleaded not guilty to three federal charges stemming from his 2018 purchase of a .38-caliber Colt revolver. In September, US Special Counsel David Weiss charged him with lying about his drug use on the firearm purchase form and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days in October 2018. If convicted on all counts, Hunter could face up to 25 years in prison.
This trial unfolds as President Joe Biden, a Democrat, campaigns for a second term amid challenges such as inflation, conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, and concerns about his age. At 81, Biden is the oldest president in US history.
In a related legal drama, closing arguments were presented last Tuesday in New York regarding charges that Donald Trump, Biden's Republican rival in the upcoming election, falsified business records to conceal hush-money payments during the 2016 campaign. Trump, who lost to Biden in the 2020 election, faces three additional criminal trials yet to be scheduled.
As prosecutors pursue charges against Trump, Republicans have intensified their accusations of financial misconduct against the Biden family, particularly targeting Hunter. Despite years of investigation, they have not proven that Hunter Biden unlawfully benefited from his father's position. In September, Hunter will also face a separate federal criminal tax trial in Los Angeles, another case brought by Weiss. Photo by Center for Strategic & International Studies, Wikimedia commons.
