Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is turning to former President Donald Trump in a bid to defend himself against federal gun charges, asserting that the charges are politically motivated, according to a Newsweek report on November 15, 2023.
Biden’s legal team has taken an unusual approach, filing a motion to seek a court subpoena for documents they believe will expose the alleged political motivations behind the Department of Justice’s investigation into his federal gun charges.
This strategy draws a parallel to Trump’s own claims during his numerous legal entanglements, though legal experts are skeptical of its effectiveness in Biden’s case.
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In response to three felony charges related to a 2018 firearm acquisition, Hunter Biden has entered a not guilty plea. Federal prosecutors allege that he falsely denied drug addiction during the gun purchase, rendering the transaction illegal, as per a September indictment.
The timing of these charges, amidst Biden’s father seeking reelection next November, adds a political dimension, with Republicans aiming to leverage the situation to influence the upcoming election.
Biden’s legal team has requested subpoenas targeting not only the ex-president, Trump, but also several former Department of Justice officials, including William Barr, Jeffrey Rosen, and Richard Donoghue.
The court document contends that Trump exerted inappropriate and biased influence on DOJ officials during the 2018 investigation, citing instances such as the former president’s social media statements.
One notable example includes Trump’s statement on December 12, 2020, where he asserted on Twitter that if Joe Biden assumes office, there will be no repercussions for Hunter or Joe.
Trump’s legal team argues that he and his congressional supporters conducted a continuous public campaign, criticizing the Department of Justice’s handling of the case. They claim that this pressure compelled prosecutors to file charges against Hunter Biden instead of adhering to an earlier agreement for lesser charges.
The filing states, “It is clear no measure of charges against Mr. [Hunter] Biden will ever be enough to appease Chairmen Comer and Smith and their MAGA allies… it is also incessant, unrelenting outside interference from congressional Republicans and their allies in the prosecutorial process.”
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani notes that proving selective prosecution in Hunter Biden’s case is challenging. Biden’s lawyers must demonstrate that the prosecution had an impermissible motive or was based on improper factors, a burden Rahmani deems unlikely to be met.
Rahmani questions the logic of issuing subpoenas to former officials, considering the ongoing nature of the investigation under Hunter Biden’s father’s Department of Justice.
Hunter Biden’s legal team is adamant about obtaining various documents from Trump and other former Department of Justice officials to support their claims.
