1 of 2 | Hallie Biden, widow of the late Beau Biden, arrives at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on the fourth day of Hunter Biden’s trial on criminal gun charges in Wilmington, Del. on Thursday. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI | License Photo
Hunter Biden’s gun trial entered its fourth day on Wednesday with the cross-examination of the man that sold him the gun in question and testimony from his late brother’s widow.
Hallie Biden, widow of the late Beau Biden, testified that she found Hunter Biden’s gun, along with drugs, while cleaning his truck on Oct. 23, 2018. She took the gun to a nearby grocery store to throw it away in a trash can but later returned to try to retrieve it. Advertisement
The jury viewed surveillance footage from the store showing Hallie Biden disposing of the gun.
“I didn’t want him to hurt himself,” she said, adding that she also did not want her children to find the gun and hurt themselves.
She also said Hunter Biden introduced her to crack in 2018. She said she then abused the drug, something that she regrets.
Hallie Biden said she first discovered Hunter Biden’s drugs in 2015 or 2016. They were dating at the time. She identified those drugs as crack cocaine. She later confronted him about his drug use between 2017 and 2018. He would sometimes acknowledge that he had an addiction but told her “I’ll figure it out my way,” according to her testimony. Advertisement
Gordon Cleveland, a gun salesman who testified that he sold Biden the gun, was asked by defense attorney Abbe Lowell about the phrasing of questions on the form Biden completed when he purchased the gun.
Cleveland confirmed that one question was posed in the present tense: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to,” drugs.
Lowell highlighted that there was not more guidance about how to truthfully answer some of the questions on the form. She was suggesting that asking someone if they “are” a drug user, rather than if they “have ever been,” could be unclear for someone who was not currently using drugs.
Cross-examination of Cleveland was completed within an hour of court coming into session. He also testified on Wednesday.
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines if convicted on all counts related to illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm.
For more on drug and alcohol addiction, head to the American Psychiatric Association.
