Jurors in Hunter Biden’s gun trial begin deliberating whether he’s guilty of federal firearm charges

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Jurors in Hunter Biden’s gun trial began deliberating Monday to decide whether the president’s son is guilty of federal firearms charges over a revolver he bought when prosecutors say he was addicted to crack cocaine.

Hunter Biden is facing three felony charges stemming from the purchase of the gun in 2018. Prosecutors say he lied on a federal form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

The case has put a spotlight on a turbulent time in Hunter Biden’s life after his brother, Beau, died of brain cancer in 2015.

Since the trial began last week in Delaware’s federal court, jurors have heard emotional testimony from Hunter Biden’s former romantic partners, read personal text messages and seen photos of him with drug paraphernalia or partially clothed.

Hunter Biden has publicly detailed his struggle with a crack cocaine addiction before getting sober more than five years ago. But the defense sought to show that that he did not consider himself an “addict” when he filled out the form.

It’s the first of two trials Hunter Biden is facing in the midst of his Democratic father’s reelection campaign. The younger Biden is also charged with failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes in a case scheduled to go to trial in September.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty and has accused the Justice Department of bending to political pressure from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans to bring the gun case and the separate tax charges after a deal with prosecutors fell apart last year.