Hallie Biden, widow of the president’s late son Beau, plays a key role in the backstory Hunter Biden’s trial about the federal gun indictment starting this week. And her potential testimony is expected to be crucial in his trial.
Jury selection for Hunter Biden’s trial began Monday in Delaware. The president’s surviving son is accused of making a false statement in a firearms sale, making a false statement in a firearms transaction file and violating a law that prohibits drug users from possessing a firearm. Prosecutors at the time claimed Hunter was addicted to crack cocaine, but claimed otherwise. Hunter Biden’s history with drug addiction is a source of pain for his family, but also a political headache for President Biden.
How Hallie Biden is connected to Hunter Biden’s gun trial
Hallie Biden, now 50, was dating Hunter Biden in 2018 when she found a new Colt Cobra .38 pistol in his truck outside her home, according to federal prosecutors. Hallie Biden drove to a nearby supermarket and threw the gun in a trash can, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors are expected to include testimony from Hallie and Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle. Buhle has spoken to investigators about her ex-husband’s business dealings.
Hunter and Hallie Biden started dating just months after Buhle filed for divorce and after Beau Biden’s death in 2015.
Charges against Hunter Biden
Hunter biden, 54, was indicted by a federal grand jury in september after a diversion agreement on felony charges and a plea deal related to felony tax charges, unraveled when U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika questioned whether the agreement would allow him to avoid potential future charges.
In a separate case in California, Hunter Biden faces charges of failing to file taxes, evading taxes and filing a false or fraudulent tax return. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
The president will not attend his son’s trial Monday morning, but first lady Jill Biden did appear. The first lady is not Hunter’s biological mother, but she raised him from an early age after the death of the president’s first wife and daughter in a car crash in 1972.
“I am the president, but I am also a father,” the president said in a statement. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us. Many families have loved ones who overcome addiction and know what we mean. As President, I do not comment on ongoing federal matters, but as a father, I have boundless love for my son, trust in him, and respect for his strength. The family has been through a lot together, and Jill and I will continue to be there with our love and support. Hunter and our family.
Hallie Biden and Beau Biden
Hallie Biden was married to Beau Biden from 2002 to 2002 Death of Beau Biden from glioblastoma in 2015. They had two children, Natalie Biden and Robert Biden II.
Hallie and Beau were childhood friends and started dating in 1998 while Beau was working at the U.S. Department of Justice in Philadelphia. The two got engaged over Thanksgiving weekend 2001 in Nantucket, which has long been a memorable place for the Bidens.
Hallie Biden, a native of Delaware, has worked as a school counselor in the past. She now chairs the board of directors of the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children and is working to preserve her late husband’s legacy as attorney general of Delaware.
Mel Evans/AP
Biden family relationship
Hallie Biden has remained close to the Biden family and the president often speaks about her children, his grandchildren. The president visited Hallie’s home last week on the ninth anniversary of Beau’s death, which was also a week before the trial began.
Patrick Semansky/AP
Hunter is now married to Melissa Cohen Biden. They have a son, Beau, 4.
Erica Brown contributed to this report
