Federal prosecutors have issued a stern rebuttal to Hunter Biden's attempt to dismiss weapons charges against him, alleging that the President's son was under the influence of illicit substances in October 2018.
This comes five years after his sister-in-law and former partner, Hallie Biden, discarded Hunter's firearm in a trash can behind a Delaware grocery store.
The FBI re-examined the Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver last year, which had been stored in a state police vault. Upon inspection, agents discovered white powder on the pouch that held the weapon, according to a court filing by special counsel David Weiss. "An FBI chemist subsequently analyzed the residue and determined that it was cocaine," the document read. The prosecution motion further clarified, "investigators literally found drugs on the pouch where the defendant had kept his gun."
Weiss' team was responding to a motion filed by Hunter Biden's lawyers last month to dismiss the gun charges. In their rebuttal, the prosecution team presented evidence to support their claim that Hunter Biden was using illicit drugs when he completed a background check to purchase the pistol. They allege that he falsely stated he was not addicted to any illicit substance, thereby committing a federal crime.
The prosecution also referenced Hunter Biden's 2021 memoir, "Beautiful Things," in which he openly discusses his prolonged drug usage. According to Weiss' team, "The defendant's choice to sell a book containing these admissions not only made the governments case against him stronger but also increased a potential prosecutions general deterrence value."
Prosecutors highlighted that Hunter Biden proceeded to write his book despite being aware that local authorities had recovered the discarded weapon and that a federal investigation was underway. They also pointed to messages exchanged between Hunter and Hallie Biden, who had disposed of the weapon approximately 11 days after its purchase.
Hunter Biden's legal team, led by attorney Abbe Lowell, has accused Weiss of succumbing to "political pressure" by bringing the firearm charges in Delaware. In July, Hunter Biden was prepared to enter a plea agreement for two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay taxes and enter a diversion program for the felony federal firearms charge. However, the deal fell through when it became apparent that it would not provide immunity from prosecution for other offenses.
In August, Weiss was granted special counsel status by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Hunter Biden now faces three federal gun-related felony charges, along with three felony and six misdemeanor counts in Los Angeles for allegedly evading $1.4 million in taxes between 2016 and 2019.
Lowell argued last month, "Based on the facts and the law, if Hunters last name was anything other than Biden, the charges in Delaware, and now California, would not have been brought." Prosecutors vehemently disputed this claim on Tuesday, stating, "This theory is a fiction designed for a Hollywood script."
Hunter Biden has frequently cited his struggles with drug addiction and recovery efforts to counter congressional and legal scrutiny. In a USA Today op-ed last year, he wrote, "My struggles and my mistakes have been fodder for a vile and sustained disinformation campaign against [President Biden], and an all-out annihilation of my reputation."
Last month, Hunter Biden declined to testify before the GOP-led House impeachment inquiry, despite a subpoena, after demanding a public appearance, which Republicans refused. He is now reportedly in negotiations to appear before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees. Lowell's firm has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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