Name: Defense Says Hunter Biden Was in 'Denial' About Drug Addiction in Gun Trial
Uploaded: 2024-06-05T05:16:40.000Z
Description: WILMINGTON, Del.—Jurors heard opening arguments in the federal gun case for President Joe Biden's son Hunter on June 4, with prosecutors focusing on self-admissions of drug use and bank statements they say implicate Mr. Biden in the alleged crime.

Sam Wang is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Sam covers politics on Capitol Hill, and U.S.-China relations. 

Sam Wang

NTD Plus

News

News with integrity, from the U.S. and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

Citizens React to Communist Cuba in Crisis

Arleen Richards is NTD's legal correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers all major legal stories. Arleen holds a Doctor of Law (J.D.).


Arleen Richards

Federal Agencies Announce ‘Summer Surge’ of Law Enforcement into DC Ahead of 250th Anniversary

Christina Corona is a California-based reporter for NTD News. She primarily covers California news, politics, and entertainment.  

Christina Corona

Trump Administration Reports Zero Border Releases

Arian Pasdar is an international correspondent for NTD News based in South America. His reporting focuses on immigration and key events in Latin America.

Arian Pasdar

US to Host First Ever World Cup Final Halftime Show, Featuring Shakira, Madonna

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Californians React as Trump Calls for Gas Tax Suspension

Jack Bradley is a Washington correspondent for NTD News based in Washington, D.C. Jack previously anchored "NTD Newsroom" and worked as an assistant producer for the show. 

Jack Bradley

China’s Broken Promises Loom Over New Trade Deals

Chris Bob is a reporter for NTD and a host of "Profiles of Service." He is also a small business owner. Chris graduated from Union College with a concentration in politics and religion in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Chris Bob

House Passes First Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations Bill

Dave Martin is NTD's Senior Sports Reporter and sports analyst. He also hosts "Data Hub" segments during NTD's special election coverage, "The Nation Decides."

Dave Martin

Cavs, Spurs Can Clinch as NBA Playoffs Resume

Savannah Pointer is a politics reporter for The Epoch Times. She can be reached at savannah.pointer@epochtimes.us

Savannah Hulsey Pointer

Jason Perry is an Army veteran and NTD's National Security Correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Jason primarily covers border security, national defense, foreign wars, and veterans' issues.

Jason Perry

Health News

Texas Children's Hospital to Open First-Ever Detransition Clinic Under Deal With DOJ

Citizens Honor Police for Their Service and Sacrifice

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 16)

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 15)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 14)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 13)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 12)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 11)

Don Ma is an anchor and senior business correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Don is the anchor and producer of NTD's "Business Matters," which airs weekdays at 4:30 pm ET.

Don Ma

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 10)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 9)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 8)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (May 7)

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

China Sends Warships to Pacific Drill as Tensions With Japan Rise

Reuters is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide writing in 16 languages.

Reuters

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

2 US Embassy Personnel Assigned to Cartel Case Killed in Car Accident

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

US News

Gunman Kills 8 Children, Including 7 of His Own, in Louisiana Mass Shooting

Flora Hua is a reporter based at NTD's global headquarters in New York City, where she covers China news, U.S.-China relations, and human rights issues. Flora primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus."  

Flora Hua

Trump: Seized Iranian Ship May Have ‘A Gift From China’

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Aldgra Fredly is a freelance writer covering U.S. and Asia Pacific news for The Epoch Times.

Aldgra Fredly

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition: Spokesman

Wildfires Across Georgia and Florida Have Destroyed Nearly 50 Homes and Are Forcing Evacuations

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

US Warns of China Hacks via Routers, Smart Devices

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

2 Americans Among Suspected Communist Rebels Killed in Clashes With Troops, Philippine Officials Say

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Mari Otsu is NTD's White House correspondent based in Washington. 

Mari Otsu

World News

Middle East

Iran

3 US Warships Fend Off Iranian Attacks, Trump Says Ceasefire Still Holds

3 Dead in Suspected Hantavirus Outbreak on Cruise Ship in Atlantic Ocean: WHO

WILMINGTON, Del.—Jurors heard opening arguments in the federal gun case for President Joe Biden's son Hunter on June 4, with prosecutors focusing on self-admissions of drug use and bank statements they say implicate Mr. Biden in the alleged crime.

Prosecutors argue that Mr. Biden was, by his own admission, actively using crack cocaine between 2015 and 2019 when the firearm purchase was made and, therefore, lied on his federal application form. They also scrutinized pages of bank statements that show he withdrew roughly $399,000 in cash in 2018 alone.

The defense acknowledges Mr. Biden's drug use before and after the purchase but maintains he was in "denial" about being a drug addict at the time. If, in his mind, he was not a drug addict when he filled out the form, he could not have lied, his attorneys argue. They also say his cash withdrawals were required to pay for rehab stints.

Mr. Biden is facing three felony charges from an Oct. 12, 2018, firearm purchase. Authorities accuse him of lying to the federally licensed gun store by illegally claiming on his application that he was not a drug user at the time and then unlawfully possessing the gun for 11 days.

Prosecutors discussed the events leading up to Oct. 12, 2018, when Mr. Biden purchased the .38 special revolver. His girlfriend at the time, Hallie Biden, widow of deceased brother Beau, threw the gun away after she found it in his car. Mr. Biden owned it for 11 days.

Prosecutors played audio excerpts from Mr. Biden's self-narrated memoir that details his crack cocaine use between 2015 and 2019. At one point, Mr. Biden said he was up smoking crack every 15 minutes, seven days a week, and called his ability to find the drug anywhere a "superpower." He said he slept roughly 10 hours a week, on average, and lived in $59-a-night motel rooms while in the throws of addiction.

The defense claimed that it's impossible to be a "functional" crack cocaine addict, suggesting that if Mr. Biden was functioning enough to communicate with family and purchase a gun, then he could not have been an "addict" at the time of the sale. Prosecutors then pinpointed a memoir excerpt where Mr. Biden said he was a "functional abuser" of the drug.

Prosecutors called FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, who was assigned to Mr. Biden's case, to testify. The FBI took roughly 18,000 pages of data from Mr. Biden's iCloud account, including text messages, photos, videos, and WhatsApp messages, and compressed it into 75 pages of evidence for the court.

Videos and photos depicted alleged drug use, including an image of a white substance on a green credit and another on a scale. In an August 2018 message, Mr. Biden talked about his "hope of getting clean" before he reportedly entered rehab. Prosecutors also highlighted a day in February 2019 when Mr. Biden's phone had 62 messages about drug deals alone.

They also referenced a text message he sent close to the gun purchase where he asks the recipient, "Can you get baby powder, the really soft stuff?" which prosecutors say is coded language for cocaine.

During the prosecution's afternoon presentation, Mr. Biden's sprawling cash withdrawals came into focus. Bank statements show he withdrew roughly $399,000 in cash in 2018 alone, including $151,640 between Sept. 18, 2018 and Nov. 18, 2018. Prosecutors also reviewed statements showing a $5,000 withdrawal on Oct. 5, 2018, and another on Oct. 12, 2018, the day he purchased the gun for $886.81.

Mr. Biden's defense attorneys claim he did not lie when he purchased the gun because he did not believe he was a drug addict at the time, alleging that he had gone days without using the drug.

While prosecutors acknowledged he entered rehab in August 2018, they quoted his memoir, where he claimed to relapse after leaving rehab. His attorneys argue the cash withdrawals were needed to pay for rehab.

Prosecutors pointed out that the leather gun case had cocaine on it when police found it, but the defense said the drug traces could have come from Ms. Hallie Biden or another source after it was thrown out.

During their opening remarks, Mr. Biden's attorneys appeared to stumble and lose their place multiple times while maintaining his innocence.

Mr. Biden has pleaded not guilty and argues the Justice Department is unfairly targeting him after Republicans labeled his failed plea deal a form of special treatment due to his father's position as president.

Mr. Biden will also face a September trial in California over his failure to pay $1.4 million in taxes. That case would have also been resolved through a plea deal in July 2023 before it eventually fell apart.

Mr. Biden is facing up to 25 years in prison if he is convicted in the federal gun case, although first-time offenders typically receive less than the maximum sentence. It is also unclear if the judge will give him prison time.

<em>Joseph Lord and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/hunter-bidens-gun-case-opens-after-jury-selection-wraps-5662363">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Latest

Videos

Politics

04_Top Stories

joe biden

case

Latest Clips

Hunter Biden

Management

02_Second Lead

Jacob Burg reports on the state of Florida for The Epoch Times. He covers a variety of topics including crime, politics, science, education, wildlife, family issues, and features. He previously wrote about sports, politics, and breaking news for the Sarasota Herald Tribune.

Jacob Burg

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.