WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter BidenThe legal troubles are not over after his conviction on three firearms charges in a trial that spotlighted his drug-fueled past.
Now, Chairman Joe BidenHis father’s son faces a conviction and retrial on tax charges in the middle of his father’s re-election campaign.
Jurors found Hunter Biden guilty Tuesday after just three hours of deliberations over two days in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. The case stemmed from a gun Hunter Biden bought in 2018 while, prosecutors say, he was in the grip of a crack cocaine addiction.
Here’s a look at what’s next for Hunter Biden:
CONVICTION
He was convicted of lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
The three charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 25 years. But whether the president’s son is actually behind bars depends on U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. The judge, who was nominated to the court by former Republican President Donald Trump, did not immediately set a sentencing date.
In the federal system, first-time offenders do not face anywhere near the maximum sentence. Federal sentencing guidelines — which judges use when weighing sentences for defendants — are expected to recommend a much lighter sentence. And judges aren’t bound by the guidelines, so she could decide not to send him to jail at all. Other options include probation or house arrest.
In urging the judge not to put him behind bars, defense attorneys are likely to note that, unlike many cases of illegal firearms possession, Hunter Biden’s gun was not used in a crime. Hunter Biden didn’t even fire the gun, which he had in his possession for 11 days before it was thrown in the trash, his lawyers say.
The defense is also likely to emphasize that Hunter Biden has since turned his life around. He has said he has been sober since 2019. There have also been no reported violations of his release conditions, including remaining abstinent from drugs and alcohol and participating in a recovery program.
APPEAL PROBABLY
Attorney Abbe Lowell said in a written statement Tuesday that they “will continue to vigorously pursue all available legal challenges.” It is unclear on what grounds Hunter Biden will appeal the verdict, but he unsuccessfully challenged the case several times before trial.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have, among other things, questioned the constitutionality of the gun law at the center of the case in the wake of a landmark Supreme Court ruling that upended gun laws across the country.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have also argued that the president’s son was prosecuted for political purposes. Lowell has alleged that prosecutors caved to political pressure after a plea deal fell apart in court and was publicly pilloried by Republicans, including Trump, as a “cute deal.”
Under that deal last year, Hunter Biden would have pleaded guilty to tax crimes and avoided prosecution in the gun case if he had stayed out of trouble. Prosecutors planned to recommend two years of probation. But the deal fell apart after the judge raised concerns about it.
On Friday, lawyers urged the judge to acquit Hunter Biden of the charges, arguing that prosecutors had not met their burden of proof. Noreika did not rule on the motion before the jury reached a verdict.
OTHER LEGAL ISSUES
Hunter Biden’s California tax trial is set to begin on September 5. He was initially scheduled to stand trial in that case later this month, but the judge recently granted a defense request for a postponement.
He is charged with nine felonies and tax crimes in the California case. The charges stem from what federal prosecutors say was a four-year scheme to skip paying the $1.4 million he owed to the IRS. Prosecutors allege he instead used the money to finance an extravagant lifestyle, which, he said, also included drugs and alcohol. The president’s son has now repaid the back taxes.
Hunter Biden’s attorney said at a recent hearing that he was having difficulty lined up expert witnesses willing to testify in the high-profile Los Angeles case. Prosecutors said they plan to call about 30 witnesses.
Republicans have also indicated they will continue to pursue Hunter Biden after their impeachment inquiry into the president stalled.
Last week, Republicans in the House of Representatives filed criminal referrals against Hunter Biden and the president’s brother James, accusing them of making false statements to Congress as part of the GOP’s yearlong impeachment inquiry . The president has not been accused or charged of any wrongdoing by prosecutors investigating his son.
Hunter Biden’s attorney said in a statement last week that the references are “nothing more than a desperate attempt by Republicans to distort Hunter’s testimony so they can distract from their failed impeachment investigation” and disrupt his criminal trial.
A presidential pardon?
President Biden said Tuesday he would accept the verdict and “continue to respect the legal process as Hunter considers an appeal.” The president has said in recent interviews that he would not pardon his son.
The president’s reaction to the verdict is in stark contrast to that of Trump, who labeled the justice system as “rigged” after his conviction on 34 crimes in New York. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was convicted of a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who claimed the two had sex. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has portrayed himself as the victim of a politically motivated justice system seeking to deny him another term in office.
While in the White House, Trump used his pardon power to benefit a wide range of allies, Republican supporters in Congress convicted of crimes and others whose causes were championed by friends.
The beneficiaries included four associates convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russian election interference investigation, but notably excluded two others — former campaign aide Rick Gates and former personal attorney Michael Cohen — who cooperated with prosecutors as part of that investigation .
In a statement Tuesday, Trump’s campaign called Hunter Biden’s judgment “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.” Trump and his allies have long pushed unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that Joe Biden — while serving as vice president — acted to advance the foreign business interests of his relatives.
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Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker and Colleen Long in Washington contributed.
