President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, plans to plead not guilty to federal gun charges, his attorney stated in a Tuesday filing, according to The New York Times.
Last week, Hunter Biden was indicted on three counts related to possessing a firearm while under the influence of narcotics. He is requesting to hold his initial court hearing over video instead of in person, per the filing.
“Mr. Biden also will enter a plea of not guilty, and there is no reason why he cannot utter those two words by videoconference,” Biden’s lawyer Abbe Lowell said in a letter to Judge Christopher J. Burke.
The first two counts in the indictment allege that on Oct. 12, 2018, Biden “provided a written statement on Form 4473 certifying he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious.”
A third count accused Biden of unlawfully possessing a firearm between “October 12, 2018, through on or about October 23, 2018,” while “knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance.”
Earlier this month, Special Counsel David Weiss indicated that he was preparing to indict Biden on charges related to unlawful gun possession. Weiss was appointed special counsel after a D.C. judge rejected a plea deal that would have allowed Biden to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges related to his taxes and the possession of the weapon.
In 2018, the Justice Department opened an investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances amid allegations of money laundering. The FBI was ultimately unable to find evidence indicating Biden had engaged in money laundering, and the case transitioned into an investigation of Biden’s tax history. Further charges related to Biden’s taxes remain a possibility.
Hunter Biden has long been a focus of Republican efforts to dig up dirt on President Biden. Three separate congressional committees are currently investigating the younger Biden in the hopes of proving allegations of corruption against the president. Both the House Judiciary and House Ways and Means Committee alleged that the Biden administration had improperly interfered with the IRS and Justice Department’s investigation into Hunter Biden in order to secure him a favorable plea deal.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy previously announced that he would move to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. The inquiry is set to be led by James Comer (R-Ky.) chair of the House Oversight Committee, who has been investigating Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings since 2022.
This article was updated at 7:54 p.m. on Sept. 19 to include Hunter Biden’s plan to plead not guilty.
