In a historic first for the child of a sitting US president, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty on Tuesday of federal gun crimes.
The 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was found guilty on all three felony counts pertaining to his drug-addled 2018 firearm purchase.
The decision is made on a day when the Democratic president is expected to address gun violence in Washington and when his father is running for reelection.
After the trial concluded in Wilmington, Delaware, the hometown of Biden, the president gave a statement through the White House expressing his “love and support” for his son.
“I am the President, but I am also a Dad,” Biden said. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.”
“So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery,” he said.
“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” Biden added.
Before returning a verdict, the twelve-member jury deliberated for almost three hours over the course of two days.
During the one-week trial, Hunter Biden did not take the witness stand. First Lady Jill Biden spent multiple days there.
Hunter Biden may spend up to 25 years in prison, though this is unlikely given that he is a first-time offender.
The decision was made less than two weeks after Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s probable Republican opponent in the November presidential contest, was found guilty of business fraud.
The legal procedures, coupled with another case involving accusations of tax cheating against Hunter Biden in California, have made it more difficult for Democrats to maintain the emphasis of the election on Trump—the first former president to be found guilty of a crime.
