Will Hunter Biden testify in his gun trial?

Hunter Biden the son of current president Joe Biden, will not testify in the trial he is facing on a gun charge. Hunter Biden is charged with three felonies related to purchasing a Colt Cobra revolver from a federally licensed firearms dealer in October 2018. The first count alleges that he knowingly made a false statement when he filled out the Firearm Transaction Record, stating that he was not an unlawful user of a controlled substance nor an addict. The second count is knowingly making that false statement to a federally licensed dealer.

You might be interested in: What has President Biden’s son been charged with? Federal gun trial updates

Why is what Hunter Biden did illegal?

Possessing a gun while using or addicted to illicit drugs is illegal in the US, which is the third charge against him in the Delaware case. He had the gun for 11 days before his ex-girlfriend and sister-in-law, Hallie Biden, threw away the gun in a dumpster. It was later recovered by a homeless man searching for cans to recycle and eventually turned over to authorities.

Full screen

Hunter Biden has a long history of substance abuse, which has only been brought to light further by the current proceedings. It remains unclear whether having him testify would help convince the jury of his innocence. The court has heard from three key witnesses so far: Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, his ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, and the man he purchased the gun from, Gordon Cleveland.

Who is the special counsel overseeing the case?

The case dates back to 2018 when Delaware United States attorney David Weiss began investigating the younger of the Biden sons. Weiss was officially appointed as a special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Though Congressional Republicans had called for a special counsel to be appointed, many were not satisfied with Weiss, even though he is a registered Republican and was appointed by Donald Trump.