Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial resumed Wednesday in Wilmington, Del., where his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan were called by prosecutors to testify about his drug use.
President Biden’s 54-year-old son is facing three charges over whether he lied about his crack addiction six years ago when he applied to purchase a firearm. He has pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Biden falsely claimed in the filing that he was not a drug user and had the gun illegally in his possession for 11 days. He faces up to 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine if found guilty of all three charges.
This is what happened in court on Wednesday.
Hunter Biden’s ex-wife took the stand
Buhle was called to the witness stand after the prosecution’s first witness, FBI Special Agent Erika Jensen, completed her testimony.
Under direct examination, Buhle, who had been married to Biden for more than two decades, testified that she first learned of his drug use in July 2015 when she found a crack pipe in an ashtray on the side porch of their home.
Buhle said she had found drugs in Biden’s car several times — including in 2018, the year he bought the gun — and that she would check his car for paraphernalia before their daughters used it. She described his behavior at the time as “angry” and “short-tempered.”
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Abbe Lowell, Buhle admitted that she didn’t know exactly when she checked Biden’s car and found drug paraphernalia — and that she never saw him use drugs.
Biden’s ex-girlfriend testified that she helped him buy drugs
Zoe Kestan, Hunter Biden’s ex-girlfriend, was called to the witness stand by prosecutors after Buhle. Kestan recalled how she first met him at a gentlemen’s club where she worked in December 2017.
Kestan said she found Biden “charming,” playing her a Fleet Foxes song while the music was turned off in the club.
That same evening, she said she witnessed him smoking crack cocaine from a pipe that she “assumed” was crack cocaine.
As their relationship progressed, Kestan testified that Biden’s crack use became more frequent, and that she once saw him smoking “about every 20 minutes.”
Kestan also testified that she helped him buy drugs, brought a drug dealer to his hotel and used his mobile banking app to withdraw money from an ATM.
First lady Jill Biden was back in court today
First lady Jill Biden returned to the court for the third day in a row to support Hunter Biden.
Jill Biden left Tuesday’s session early to travel back to Washington, D.C., to attend the White House’s annual congressional picnic. But she was back at the federal courthouse in Wilmington, Del., early Thursday.
Hunter Biden’s current wife Melissa Cohen Biden and younger sister Ashley Biden were also in court this week to support him.
President Biden does not plan to attend the trial, but did release a rare statement on the case on Monday.
“I’m the president, but I’m also a father,” Biden said. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.”
Jury selection ended Monday with 12 jurors and four alternates after they were questioned about their relationships with people struggling with addiction. One juror was dismissed before opening arguments Tuesday.
Hunter Biden’s trial comes just days after former President Donald Trump was found guilty on 34 charges of falsifying corporate records to cover up a hush money payment to a porn star whose alleged affair with him threatened to torpedo his 2016 election campaign.
