The federal gun trial of Hunter Biden resumed Thursday in Wilmington, Del., where Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau, testified for the prosecution about the discovery and disposal of the firearm at the center of the criminal case.
President Biden’s 54-year-old son faces three criminal charges over whether he lied about his crack addiction when applying to purchase the firearm six years ago. He pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors allege that Biden falsely claimed he was not a drug user on the application and illegally possessed the gun for 11 days. He faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines if he is found guilty of all three charges.
Here’s what happened in court on Thursday.
Beau Bidenthe widow takes a stand
Hallie Biden was called to testify for the prosecution on Thursday, one day after Hunter Biden’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhleand ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan testified against him.
Under direct questioning, Hallie Biden, who had a romantic relationship with Hunter Biden after Beau’s death in 2015, testified that their romance was “gradual.”
Hallie Biden told the court that Hunter Biden first introduced her to crack cocaine in 2018 and that she also abused the drug. “It was a terrible experience that I went through,” she said. “I am embarrassed and ashamed and regret this period of my life.”
Hallie Biden says she found the gun – and threw it away
She testified that on October 23, 2018, she went to clean Hunter Biden’s truck while he was sleeping and discovered a gun, as well as drug paraphernalia.
“I panicked,” Hallie Biden said. “I took it to a supermarket down the road and threw it away… in a trash can.”
The jury saw surveillance footage of Hallie Biden in the parking lot of the Jansen’s grocery store in Wilmington, Del., throwing the gun into a dumpster.
“I was so nervous,” she said, adding, “Now I realize it was a stupid idea.”
Hallie Biden testified that Hunter Biden was angry with her for throwing away the gun and made her go back to the grocery store to look for it.
The jury then saw security footage of Hallie Biden looking through trash cans outside. Hallie Biden said she went in to ask employees if the trash had been removed and then filed a report.
Under cross-examination by defense attorney Abbe Lowell, Hallie Biden admitted that she did not witness Hunter Biden taking drugs between October 6 and 22, 2018, while he was in Delaware.
The defense argued that to prove its case, the prosecution must present evidence that Hunter Biden was using drugs at the time he filled out the federal firearms application saying he was not.
First Lady Jill Biden was not in court today
First lady Jill Biden, who attended the first three days of Hunter Biden’s trial, did not appear in court Thursday.
The first lady traveled overnight to Paris to attend D-Day ceremonies with President Biden.
The president does not plan to attend the trial, but released a rare statement Monday about the case.
“I am the president, but I am also a father,” Biden said. “Jill and I love our son and are so proud of the man he is today.”
Hunter Biden’s trial comes just days after former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 charges of falsifying business records to cover up a secret payment to a porn star whose alleged affair with him threatened to torpedo his 2016 election campaign.
