Biden's son convicted on all charges in gun case

AFP | Wilmington, United States

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A jury found Hunter Biden guilty yesterday of federal gun charges in a historic first criminal prosecution of the child of a sitting US president.

The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was convicted on all three of the counts facing him, CNN and other US media reported.

Hunter Biden was accused of lying about his illegal drug use when he bought a handgun in 2018, a felony.

The verdict comes as his father is seeking reelection and on a day when the president is scheduled to give a speech about gun violence.

It also comes less than two weeks after the conviction on business fraud charges of Donald Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee in November.

The jury met for about three hours over two days before reaching a guilty verdict. Hunter Biden did not take the stand during the one-week trial held in the Biden hometown of Wilmington, Delaware.

First Lady Jill Biden attended several days of the trial. The president did not, but said he and Jill were "proud" of their son.

"As the President, I don't and won't comment on pending federal cases, but as a Dad, I have boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength," Biden said in an earlier statement.

The proceedings, along with another case in which Hunter Biden faces tax evasion charges in California, have complicated Democrats' efforts to keep the election focus on Trump, the first former president ever to be convicted of a crime.