HUNTER Biden smiled when asked if his father would forgive him as he left lunch with Hollywood star Sean Penn.
President Joe Biden’s son and the Oscar-winning actor were escorted by Secret Service agents as they left a Thai restaurant in Malibu on Tuesday.
It comes after Joe recently made the bombshell announcement that he would not run for a second term.
Hunter, 54, was convicted of three gun crimes in Delaware in June and is awaiting sentencing.
He faces up to 25 years in prison, although as a first-time offender he is unlikely to receive the maximum sentence.
Experts said it was more likely he would be sentenced to 15 to 21 months in prison for the crimes, which occurred while he was at the height of his hard drug addiction.
Hunter is also scheduled to stand trial in California in September on allegations that he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.
He faces up to 17 years in prison if found guilty in that case.
When asked how he was doing amid all the chaos, Hunter responded, “Great man.”
He just smiled when he was asked if he expected forgiveness as he left Colada Thai Cuisine.
As sitting president, his 81-year-old father has the power to pardon anyone convicted in federal court.
In June, President Biden told the media at the G7 summit in Italy that he was pleased his son had received a fair trial and promised not to pardon him.
“I’m not going to do anything,” President Biden said.
“I will abide by the jury’s decision.”
Penn, 63, revealed in an interview with New York Times in June that he met Hunter in 2022.
Then, in the fall of last year, his friend Congressman Eric Swalwell of California suggested he connect with Hunter in Penn’s hometown of Malibu.
“I had no idea he lived here,” Penn said.
“I thought he was somewhere with the judicial focus we see on TV.”
He referred to Hunter as a “very, very insightful guy” and revealed that the president’s son gave him one of his paintings.
The sale of Hunter’s art caused controversy after it was discovered that 10 buyers had purchased artwork for $1.5 million.
The White House stated in July 2021 that a system had been established to ensure that the identities of those who purchased Hunter’s art remained anonymous for ethical reasons.
But his art dealer later told lawmakers on Capitol Hill in a closed-door interview that Hunter knew the identities of approximately 70 percent of the buyers.
“The Biden White House appears to have misled the American people by facilitating an ethics agreement governing the sale of Hunter Biden’s art,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said in January.
What are the charges against Hunter Biden?
In September 2023, Hunter Biden was indicted on three felony gun charges after a plea agreement with federal prosecutors fell apart. Prosecutors claim that on October 12, 2018, Hunter purchased a .38 Colt Cobra revolver at a Delaware gun store and lied on the ATF firearm form when he said he was not abusing drugs.
- Count 1: Hunter is accused of ‘knowingly making a false and fictitious written statement’ on a form used for firearm purchases.
- Count 2: Hunter allegedly knowingly made false statements and representations to the Wilmington gun store.
- When a person purchases a gun, they must fill out a form with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and confirm that they are legally authorized to purchase the gun.
- The buyer must state that he or she has not been convicted of a crime, is not a fugitive, is in the United States legally, and is not addicted to or uses illegal drugs.
- Count 3: Hunter is accused of illegally possessing a gun while using drugs. He owned the gun for 11 days in 2018.
- Counts one and two carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, while the third count carries a maximum sentence of five years.
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison. However, first-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence. It is unclear whether Judge Maryellen Noreika will impose a prison sentence.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story