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After Hunter Biden’s plea agreement with federal prosecutors collapsed last month, it seemed quite likely that he’d face a new indictment. As NBC News reported, that’s precisely what has now happened: Newly available court documents show that President Joe Biden’s son is now facing gun-related charges.
Biden was indicted in Delaware federal court on three counts tied to the possession of a gun while using narcotics. Two counts are tied to Biden allegedly filing a form claiming that he was not using illegal drugs at the time he purchased a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges that he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic.
I remain mindful of the fact that it’s generally best not to focus too much attention on the family members of politicians. If elected officials’ kids enter the political arena — serving in positions of public power or influence, for example — the standards change, but as a rule, I still believe the fact that someone is related to a politician does not mean he or she necessarily deserves extra scrutiny.
But as regular readers know, when it comes to Hunter Biden, this rule has largely been thrown out the window. The president’s son has never worked in the White House, does not appear to have any influence in any area of public policy, and has never sought public office. He’s nevertheless been the subject of intense Republican interest for several years.
Whether one sees this news as worthy of national attention or not, it’s certainly historic: No child of a sitting president has ever before been prosecuted by the Justice Department.
And ultimately, these are the circumstances that strike me as remarkable: In the United States, we take the rule of law so seriously that Justice Department officials felt comfortable prosecuting a sitting president’s kid without fear of retribution and without interference from the White House.
What’s more, the prosecutor in this case was appointed, not by the Democratic incumbent, but by Donald Trump. Joe Biden kept David Weiss, the U.S. Attorney in Delaware, in his position so that he could continue the investigation into his son.
It’s a reminder as to how the system should work.
In theory, given the Republicans’ fixation on Hunter Biden, these developments would be celebrated in GOP circles. In practice, we know such merriment is unlikely to occur. In fact, The Hill reported last week:
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-K.Y.) criticized special counsel David Weiss after the prosecutor said he would seek to indict Hunter Biden on a gun charge by the end of September, saying the charge is the “least of all the crimes” that Biden has committed.
In other words, Republicans are likely to complain that the charges simply aren’t good enough for them.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.