Hunter Biden’s federal gun case was brought to a close by a judge Tuesday following the presidential pardon by his father.
In a terse order, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika terminated all proceedings in the case, citing President Biden’s executive grant of clemency to his son.
Hunter Biden, 54, was found guilty in June of lying about his use of illicit drugs while applying to buy a gun six years ago and unlawfully possessing it thereafter.
When purchasing a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver in 2018, the president’s son checked “no” on a federal gun purchase form that asked whether he used or was addicted to illegal drugs. He then unlawfully possessed the firearm for 11 days.
The jury’s guilty verdict marked the first criminal conviction of a sitting president’s child.
On Sunday, Biden wiped his son’s slate clean. He granted Hunter Biden a “full and unconditional pardon” dating back to January 2014, a stark reversal from previous vows to let his son’s conviction in the gun case and a separate federal tax case remain.
In a statement announcing the pardon, Biden expressed belief in the justice system but said he also thinks “raw politics … infected” his son’s case.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden said.
Special counsel David Weiss refuted any assertion that politics swayed his prosecution of Hunter Biden, writing in court filings that claims of selective prosecution were “nonsensical.”
Weiss opposed outright dismissal of the charges, instead suggesting the court should end all proceedings and close the case by merely reflecting a pardon as the final disposition. The difference appears largely procedural.
He argued the pardon does not absolve Hunter Biden of his guilt nor point to any defect in his indictment.
Hunter Biden’s roughly weeklong gun trial this summer spotlighted his addiction to cocaine, which he and his father, the president, have openly addressed as a struggle worsened by the 2015 death of Beau Biden, his brother.
He faced a maximum of 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines, though first-time offenders rarely receive the highest penalty. A sentence of between 15 months and 21 months in prison more closely aligned with federal sentencing guidelines.
His sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 12, was adjourned by the judge.