Hunter Biden has been in and out of headlines over recent years due to a colourful love life, a history of drug abuse, and tax and gun charges. On Tuesday 3 October, Hunter appeared at a courthouse in Delaware for another arraignment hearing for more charges he was hit with last month.
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This time around, it’s three counts for lying on a federal form to purchase a handgun in 2018 - and for being unlawfully in possession of a gun while under the influence of illegal drugs.
Over the summer, Hunter pleaded guilty to charges regarding his failure to pay income taxes as part of a plea deal that would see the President’s son avoid jail time. However, a judge overseeing the case took issue with the scope of the plea deal, which forced Hunter to switch to a not-guilty plea.
Now, in order to avoid spending time in jail, Biden must meet a set of conditions laid out by a judge in advance of his trial on gun charges.
Hunter's arraignment hearings
The hearing on Tuesday 3 October lasted 25 minutes, according to Reuters, and saw Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell enter a plea of not guilty on behalf of the President’s son. As part of the arraignment, conditions were outlined for Hunter’s pre-trial release. He has been instructed to clear all travel plans with a probation officer, abstain from alcohol and illegal drugs, and - surprisingly - look for a job.
If he doesn’t meet these conditions, Hunter could be sent to prison ahead of his trial. U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke, who set out the conditions, has confirmed that Hunter has completed several drug tests recently, all of which came back negative.
Hunter Biden’s trial marks the first time that the child of a current President has faced a criminal trial.
Hunter Biden’s employment history
The President’s son has been mocked by Donald Trumpin the past for being an unemployed ‘loser’. Trump claimed Hunter Biden ‘didn’t have a job until his father became vice president’. However, CNN’s Facts First check shows this is far from the truth.
Hunter is a Yale Law School lawyer and had several jobs before Joe Biden became vice president in 2009. He worked at financial services company MBNA, and even rose to senior vice president. President George W. Bush appointed him to the board of directors of Amtrak, The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and in 2014, he was appointed to the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian natural gas company.
Hunter has held several other positions since then but acknowledges that the Biden name has helped him in his career. He has even said that he would ‘probably not’ have got the Burisma job if it weren’t for his family name.
Let's see where the Biden name takes him next...
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Sources used:
Newsweek: Hunter Biden Forced to Get a Job or Go to Jail
CNN: Did Hunter Biden have a job before his father became vice president?
