(WILMINGTON, Del.) — Hunter Biden has become the first child of a president to be convicted of a federal crime and those charges are likely to stick.
President Joe Biden’s son has been convicted on two counts related to false statements in purchasing the firearm and a third count of illegally obtaining a firearm.
The charges carry serious penalties.
The two counts of making false statements carry prison sentences of up to 10 years and five years, respectively, while the possession charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years.
After Judge Maryellen Noreika excused jurors following the verdict Tuesday, she said she would get back in touch with the parties to schedule a sentencing date in the next 120 days.
Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement Tuesday that they “will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter.”
President Joe Biden told “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir that he would not pardon his son if convicted.
He also told Muir that he would accept the verdict.
President Biden reiterated his stance in a statement released later Tuesday.
“I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that,” he said.
For a first offender, who didn’t use the gun it would be highly unlikely for Hunter Biden to see prison time, according to ABC News’ chief legal analyst Dan Abrams.
“Here we have an isolated crime with nothing else, it would be very surprising for Hunter Biden to serve time,” Abrams said on ABC News Live.
Hunter Biden faces more federal charges in his tax case which goes to trial in September.
Special Counsel David Weiss accused Hunter Biden in a December 2023 indictment of failing to pay taxes on income he earned from overseas business ventures.
Hunter Biden and prosecutors also tried to arrange a plea deal along with the gun charges, but those fell through.
The back taxes and penalties were subsequently paid in full by a third party, identified by ABC News as Hunter Biden’s attorney and confidant Kevin Morris. Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include six misdemeanor charges and three felonies.
The tax charges carry a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison if convicted.
ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman contributed to this report.
(MIAMI) — A 73-year-old Miami man is suspected of shooting a worker at the apartment building where he lives and intentionally starting a fire that quickly engulfed the complex, according to court documents.
The fire was reported around 8:15 a.m. ET on Monday at Temple Court Apartments, according to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. More than 125 firefighters battled the blaze for approximately eight hours, he said during a press briefing Monday evening announcing the suspect’s apprehension.
First responders found a man who had been shot inside the building. He was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the torso in critical condition, authorities said. The victim is an employee of the complex, according to the property’s manager, Atlantic Housing Foundation, which said it was “shocked and saddened” by the fire and shooting.
A resident of the apartment building, Juan Francisco Figueroa, was arrested in connection with the shooting and fire, according to an arrest affidavit. He faces multiple charges — including attempted felony murder, first-degree arson and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon — and was ordered held on no bond during a hearing on Tuesday, online court records show. Attorney information was not immediately available.
Figueroa was allegedly seen running from the scene by a resident of the building the morning of the shooting, according to an arrest affidavit.
Another resident came out of his apartment after hearing gunshots and found the victim on the first floor suffering from a gunshot wound and referring to Figueroa by his apartment number, according to the affidavit. The resident also saw an “explosion” following the gunshots, the affidavit said.
Detectives conducted a traffic stop on Figueroa’s vehicle around 4 p.m. ET and he was allegedly found carrying a revolver, according to the affidavit. He allegedly told detectives that he “knew what he had done and expected to be in prison for the rest of his life,” the affidavit stated.
The three-alarm fire was the first of that level in the city in 25 years, according to Suarez.
Responding firefighters rescued more than 40 people, including some from their balconies, the mayor said, calling their actions “heroic.” Firefighters conducted seven ladder rescues, he said.
Firefighters discovered the fire on the third floor of the apartment building, according to Miami Fire-Rescue spokesperson Lt. Pete Sanchez.
The building is a wood-frame structure, which “explains the intensity and the rapid spread of the fire,” he said.
All residents of the building, most of whom are elderly, have been accounted for, Suarez said.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Three firefighters were transported to a local hospital in stable condition for further evaluation, according to Sanchez. Two have since been released, he said Monday afternoon.
A resident was also transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation, Sanchez said.
The property’s management company is renting a hotel for the next two weeks for the 43 residents displaced by the fire, according to the mayor.
“We are still determining the cause of these events, and we are checking for other injuries,” Atlantic Housing Foundation said in a statement. “Police are investigating, and we will help in whatever ways we can.”
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — President Joe Biden, in his first comment after Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun trial, expressed love for his son and vowed to accept the verdict handed down by the jury on Tuesday.
Biden reiterated much of his statement from when the trial kicked off on June 3.
“As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad,” Biden said. “Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.
“As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal,” the president added. “Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that.”
Hunter Biden was indicted in September by special counsel David Weiss on two counts related to false statements in purchasing a firearm and a third count of illegally obtaining a firearm while addicted to drugs.
His indictment and conviction mark a historic first for the child of a sitting U.S. president.
Biden’s statement vowing to respect the trial’s outcome stands in contrast with former President Donald Trump’s many criticisms of the judicial system following his historic conviction in New York. Trump and his allies continue to call his hush money trial “rigged.”
The weeklong trial in Delaware focused heavily on details of Hunter Biden’s struggle with drug addiction, his fraught relationships and other emotional aspects of his past.
President Biden did not make an appearance at his son’s trial, but first lady Jill Biden was a fixture at the hearings and walked out of the courthouse hand-in-hand with Hunter Biden after the guilty verdict was announced.
Last week, Biden told ABC News “World News Tonight” anchor David Muir he would accept the result of the proceeding and would not pardon his son.
In his first statement after the verdict was handed down, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude for the familial support shown throughout the proceedings.
“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome,” Hunter Biden said. “Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time.”
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and United States Courthouse on July 26, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Mark M
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is on trial in Delaware on three felony charges related to his efforts to obtain a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs.
The younger Biden, who pleaded not guilty last October after being indicted by special counsel David Weiss, has denied the charges. The son of a sitting president has never before faced a criminal trial.
The trial comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump’s conviction on felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment made to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
The frequency of updates may be limited due to federal court restrictions:
Jun 11, 11:54 AM Trial followed dramatic unraveling of plea deal
In July 2023, a plea deal struck between Hunter Biden and prosecutors that could have precluded this week’s trial dramatically fell apart amid the judge’s concerns over the terms of the agreement.
For the better part of three hours, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika scrutinized nearly every facet of the plea deal. Noreika acknowledged that her probing threw “a little bit of a curveball” into the proceeding.
Hunter Biden had originally agreed to a pretrial diversion on the gun charges, with the charges being dropped if he adhered to certain terms. He had also agreed to acknowledge his failure to pay taxes on income he received in 2017 and 2018. In exchange, prosecutors would have recommended probation on those charges.
Democrats had hailed the deal as a sign of accountability while Republicans panned the details as a “sweetheart deal.”
Jun 11, 11:43 AM Hunter Biden leaves court with wife, first lady
After the reading of the verdict, Hunter Biden left court holding hands with his stepmother, first lady Jill Biden, and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden.
His aunt and uncle, Valerie Biden and James Biden, were also at the courthouse on Tuesday.
Jun 11, 11:37 AM Hunter Biden unlikely to serve time, expert says
Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though legal experts believe he would not serve time as a first-time and nonviolent offender.
ABC News chief legal affairs anchor Dan Abrams said that while it’s unlikely he will serve time, “the judge will have a lot of discretion.”
“This is technically a very serious crime with a very serious potential sentence,” Abrams said.
President Joe Biden told ABC News last week that he would not pardon his son. But the president also has the option to commute the sentence, Abrams noted.
“So if there is a sentence that comes down, even if he’s not officially pardoned,” there is the option to commute the sentence “down the road,” Abrams said.
Jun 11, 11:32 AM President Biden said he wouldn’t pardon son
President Joe Biden said he would not pardon his son Hunter Biden during an exclusive interview with ABC News anchor David Muir last week.
Muir asked President Biden on Thursday if he would accept the outcome of his son’s trial, to which the president said, “Yes.”
The president also said “yes” when asked by Muir if he would rule out a pardon for Hunter Biden.
Jun 11, 11:30 AM No sentencing date set
Hunter Biden sat expressionless as a court officer read the jury’s verdict form aloud to the court. After the third “guilty” rang over the courtroom speakers, he turned and hugged a member of his legal team and remained seated until jurors stood to leave.
Prosecutors Leo Wise and Derek Hines sat equally motionless throughout the short proceeding.
After Judge Maryellen Noreika excused jurors, she said she would get back in touch with the parties to schedule a sentencing date in the next 120 days. Biden could face up to 25 years in prison, though legal experts believe he would not serve time as a first-time and nonviolent offender.
Jun 11, 11:20 AM Hunter Biden found guilty on all three counts
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has been found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun case.
Jun 11, 11:05 AM Jury reaches verdict
The jury in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial has reached a verdict after several hours of deliberation.
Jun 11, 9:19 AM Jury resumes deliberations
The jury has resumed its deliberations in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial.
Before sending them back to deliberate, Judge Maryellen Noreika asked jurors if they had discussed the case with anyone.
They all promised that they had not.
Jun 11, 9:13 AM Hunter Biden arrives in court
Hunter Biden entered the Wilmington, Delaware, courthouse as jurors prepared to resume deliberations in his federal gun trial.
He was accompanied, as he has been each day of the trial, by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
Jun 11, 7:13 AM Jury to resume deliberations
The 12 jury members who for the past week heard vivid and personal details about President Joe Biden’s family are set to continue their deliberations this morning in the federal gun trial of his son, Hunter Biden.
In their closing arguments yesterday, prosecutors argued that Hunter Biden lied on a federal gun-purchase form when he said he was not a drug addict, telling jurors “if this evidence did not establish that Hunter Biden was a crack addict and an unlawful user, then no one is a crack addict or an unlawful user.”
But defense attorney Abbe Lowell urged the jury to acquit his client, telling them, “We have had Hunter’s life in our hands. And now we have to give it to you.”
If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison — though legal experts believe he would not serve time due to his being a first-time, nonviolent offender.
Deliberations are scheduled to resume today at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 5:57 PM Transcript shows Hunter Biden affirmed decision not to testify
Hunter Biden, in court today, affirmed his decision not to testify in his own defense, telling the judge “I do” when she asked him if he understood it was his own decision to make, according to the transcript of the proceedings released after court was dismissed for the day.
“Did you make a decision not to testify voluntarily?” Judge Maryellen Noreika asked him, according to the transcript.
“I did,” he said.
The questioning from Noreika occurred during a sidebar with Hunter Biden, his attorneys, and prosecutors that was conducted out of earshot of reporters but released as part of the transcript.
“You understand you have the right to testify in your own defense?” the judge asked Hunter Biden, per the transcript.
“I do,” he said.
“If you don’t testify, you understand your decision not to testify cannot be held against you and I will instruct the jury to that effect?” she asked.
“Agreed,” he responded.
“It’s your decision and yours alone to make, do you understand that?” the judge asked.
“I do,” he responded.
“It’s not your attorney’s decision, it’s not the government’s decision, it’s not my decision, you understand all that?” she asked.
“I do,” he said.
Jun 10, 4:44 PM Day 1 of jury deliberations ends with no verdict
The jurors in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial have been dismissed for the day, after deliberating for one hour with no verdict.
Hunter Biden left the courthouse after the jury was dismissed.
The jurors will be back tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET to resume their deliberations.
Jun 10, 3:44 PM Jury begins deliberations
The jury has begun deliberations on the three felony counts Hunter Biden faces in his federal gun case.
Prior to the jury getting the case, the government rebutted defense attorney Abbe Lowell’s closing argument by asserting again that Hunter Biden was a drug addict when he bought the gun at the center of the case and that he knew it — beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are “seven ways to Sunday” to show Hunter Biden was an addict and it was “preposterous” that he — a “Yale-educated lawyer” — didn’t know he was buying a gun while knowingly addicted, prosecutor Derek Hines argued.
Hines rebutted Lowell’s characterization of the government’s treatment of Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden as “cruel.”
Naomi Biden was “completely uncomfortable” because “she couldn’t vouch for the defendant’s sobriety,” Hines argued.
Hines closed by saying that if the jury doesn’t determine Hunter Biden is a crack addict based on the evidence in the case, “then no one is a crack addict of unlawful use.”
Judge Maryellen Noreika then delivered the final portion of her instructions and sent jurors to begin their deliberations.
The judge indicated that she would not keep jurors past 4:30 or 4:45 p.m. ET today.
Jun 10, 3:00 PM Defense calls government’s case ‘conjecture and suspicion’
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell, in his closing argument, urged jurors to dispense with the government’s “conjecture and suspicion” and find his client not guilty on all three counts.
“We have had Hunter’s life in our hands” until now, Lowell said, referring to his legal team. “And now we have to give it to you.”
Lowell repeatedly referred to prosecutors’ case as a “magicians’ trick” — to “watch this hand and pay no attention to that one,” as he said — arguing that prosecutors failed to “fill in the gaps” about Hunter Biden’s drug use around the time of his firearm purchase “because they don’t have the proof.”
Lowell also referred to prosecutors’ strategy of showing Hunter Biden’s pattern of drug use as an “accordion,” meant to “compress” the timeline and make it seem to jurors that he was actively using drugs in October 2018, when he said on a government form that he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun.
The defense attorney also attacked some of the tactics prosecutors used, calling their treatment of Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden “extraordinarily cruel” and saying that many of their questions and evidence were introduced with the intention of “embarrassing Hunter.”
He also asked jurors to recall gaps in the recollections of Hunter Biden’s then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, and suggested they should remember the immunity agreement she struck with prosecutors for her testimony.
“These are serious charges that will change Hunter’s life,” he said of the three felony charges the president’s son faces, adding that “it’s time to end this case.”
Following Lowell’s closing, the government was scheduled to have a short rebuttal, at which point the judge was to finish her jury instructions before the jury gets the case.
Jun 10, 1:40 PM Evidence supports ‘only one verdict’ prosecutor tells jury
Prosecutor Leo Wise used witness testimony and Hunter Biden’s own words from his memoir and text messages to argue that the president’s son “knew exactly what he was doing” when prosecutors say he falsely claimed he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun in 2018.
“Take the defendant’s word for it,” Wise said as he showed the jury excerpts from Hunter Biden’s book that described his drug use and addiction.
Wise, showing the jurors a side-by-side comparison of testimony regarding his truck from his daughter Naomi Biden and then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, said their testimony is “circumstantial evidence ” that shows “the defendant used crack in the truck” days after purchasing the firearm.
Naomi Biden testified that she returned the truck to her father “clean” on Oct. 19, 2018, and Hallie Biden testified that a few days later she found Hunter Biden’s gun in the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and drug remnants.
Wise also showed the jury a calendar of the month of October 2018 that showed the cash withdrawals made by Hunter Biden. “None of the cash was for rehab,” Wise said.
The evidence, Wise told jurors in conclusion, “supports only one verdict.”
Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell then began his closing arguments.
Jun 10, 1:23 PM Hunter Biden ‘knew he was using drugs,’ prosecutor argues
Prosecutor Leo Wise, continuing his closing argument, laid out his case for conviction by telling jurors that the evidence in the case was “ugly” but “necessary” to establish Hunter Biden’s drug use during the time in question — as well as in the months before and after.
“He knew he was using drugs,” Wise told the jury, a reference to the standard the jury must reach for conviction — that Hunter Biden had to “knowingly” lie on the gun-purchase form on which he said he was not addicted to drugs.
“That’s what the evidence shows,” Wise said.
Wise emphasized repeatedly to the jury that the government is not required to show specifically that Hunter used drugs when he owned the gun from the Oct. 12-23, 2018 — but rather they must “establish that pattern.”
To that end, Wise referenced the text messages spanning back to 2015 in which Hunter Biden appeared to purchase drugs or reference his addiction, as well as the testimony from his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and ex-girlfriend Hallie Biden, who said they either found his drug paraphernalia, saw him use drugs, or talked to him about it.
Wise also pointed to the testimony of ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, who testified she saw Hunter Biden using drugs in late September 2018 — just two weeks before he bought the gun.
“You can convict on that alone,” Wise told the jury.
Wise also referenced Hunter Biden’s memoir, “Beautiful Things,” saying it was a “searingly painful” but “honest” description of himself and his addiction.
The evidence showed Hunter Biden “habitually used,” Wise said.
Jun 10, 12:34 PM ‘None of that matters’ prosecutor says of large Biden contingent
Prosecutor Leo Wise began his closing argument by referencing the many Biden family members packed into the courtroom galley today.
“All of this is not evidence,” Wise said to the jury as he gestured toward the gallery where First lady Jill Biden and other members of the Biden family are jammed into the front three rows.
“You may recognize them from the news, from the community,” Wise told them. “None of that matters.”
Wise then reiterated the government’s opening remarks that no one is above the law, telling the jury that the case is no different from others — regardless “of who the defendant is.”
Jun 10, 12:14 PM Biden family members jam into courtroom
Hunter Biden came to court today with what appears to be the largest number of friends and family members yet to appear at his trial.
The first row of the gallery was so packed with members of the Biden family this morning that the security guard on the end nearly fell off. The entire first three rows and some of the fourth row were filled with friends and family members — about 25 in total.
First Lady Jill Biden, her daughter Ashley Biden, and Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden sat together in the front row, with Ashley Biden at one point comforting the others by putting her arm around her mother and then patting Melissa Biden’s back.
Through the morning’s lengthy sidebars and delays, Hunter Biden repeatedly engaged with them, chatting with them and exchanging hugs when he could.
When the defense rested its case, he stood up and hugged his uncle James Biden in the front row and appeared to say, “Love you.”
After another break, he returned to the courtroom holding the first lady’s hand.
Jun 10, 11:54 AM Jury told not to judge Hunter Biden for not testifying
Judge Maryellen Noreika, in her initial instructions to jurors, explained how they are to apply the law to the facts of the case for the three criminal counts Hunter Biden faces.
“You must not attach any significance to the fact that the defendant did not testify,” she read aloud in the courtroom, after the defense decided not to call Hunter Biden to the stand.
The judge defined “knowingly,” the central term by which jurors must determine if Hunter Biden bought the gun at the center of the case “knowing” he was an addict or user of drugs, after he stated on the gun-purchase form that he was not.
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m. ET, after which the judge will give the jury her final instructions and their deliberations will begin.
Jun 10, 11:36 AM Closing arguments up next after Hunter Biden does not testify
Closing arguments will begin at about noon ET after Hunter Biden chose not to testify in his federal gun case.
The defense rested without him taking the stand, after which prosecutors presented a brief rebuttal case, then the judge gave the jury their initial instructions.
Jun 10, 11:17 AM Judge reads initial jury instructions
Following the prosecution’s rebuttal case, the judge read the jury their initial instructions.
Court is then expected to break for lunch, with closing arguments currently scheduled for the afternoon.
The judge will then give the jury their final instructions before they begin deliberations.
Jun 10, 11:05 AM Prosecutors rest rebuttal case
The government rested its rebuttal case after a brief cross-examination of FBI special agent Erika Jensen, who testified about location and text message data relevant to the case.
Attorneys then gathered for another sidebar conference.
Jun 10, 10:54 AM FBI witness returns to witness stand
After a lengthy sidebar, overflow room cameras suddenly turned on to show prosecutors questioning a previous witness, FBI agent Erika Jensen, suggesting that the defense has rested its case and prosecutors are introducing a rebuttal case before the trial moves on to closing arguments.
If so, that would indicate that Hunter Biden did not testify in his own defense.
Jun 10, 8:40 AM Judge reviews motions regarding jury instructions
This morning’s proceedings are underway.
Judge Maryellen Noreika began by reviewing with both parties motions by the defense to change proposed jury instructions.
The jury is expected to be brought back into court at 9 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 8:14 AM Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse
Hunter Biden has arrived at the courthouse for Day 6 of his federal gun trial, accompanied by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
First lady Jill Biden arrived shortly afterward.
President Joe Biden’s brother James Biden and sister Valerie Biden also arrived.
The two waited outside until the court opened at 8 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 7:17 AM The big question: Will Hunter Biden take the stand this morning?
As the second week of Hunter Biden’s gun trial gets underway this morning, defense attorneys will confront their most consequential decision: whether to put their client on the witness stand.
To allow Hunter Biden to testify in his own defense would carry myriad risks, as the president’s son would likely face a grueling cross-examination from a prosecution team that has shows itself adept at eliciting testimony supporting their central contention in the case — that Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs at the time he purchased the handgun at heart of the case.
Jurors witnessed that on Friday, when Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, struggled to explain text messages she sent her father in October 2018 after he had purchased the gun — in which she seemed to express concern about his addiction, despite testifying moments earlier about how “great” her father seemed at the time.
If Hunter Biden decides not to take the stand, jurors could possibly have the case by the end of the day, after closing arguments and jury instructions.
Court is scheduled to get underway earlier than usual today, at 8:15 a.m. E.T.
Jun 07, 2:07 PM Defense to decide if Hunter takes stand as court breaks for weekend
In an unexpected move, court recessed for the day following the lunch break, with the defense telling the judge they are “down to that last decision” — suggesting that they will determine over the weekend if Hunter Biden takes the stand Monday in his own defense.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the court the defense decided not to call one of its expert witnesses.
It also appears defense attorneys reversed course on testimony from Hunter Biden’s uncle James Biden, who was already at the courthouse and who Lowell had earlier indicated would be testifying. James Biden was subsequently seen leaving the building.
Prosecutors said they are “still considering” whether they will put on a rebuttal case after the defense rests.
Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the jury, telling them to “enjoy a long weekend.”
“We are starting to wrap the evidence in this case,” she said.
The parties are scheduled to be back in court Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Jun 07, 1:19 PM Naomi Biden says her dad ‘seemed great’ after gun buy
Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, testified that her father “seemed great, he seemed hopeful” when she saw him on Oct. 18 or 19, 2018, in New York, where she was returning his vehicle to him — several days after he purchased the gun at the center of the case and just days before his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden discovered and discarded it.
Earlier, in August, Naomi Biden described visiting him in Los Angeles, where he was in a drug rehab program. “He seemed the clearest I’d seen him since my uncle died,” she said, referring to Hunter Biden’s brother Beau Biden.
It was important testimony for the defense in their attempt to show that Hunter Biden was not using drugs around the time of the gun purchase.
Defense counsel Abbe Lowell asked Naomi Biden about the car trip she and her then-boyfriend took from Washington, D.C., to New York in mid-October 2018 to return her father’s truck — a Ford Raptor — to him.
On cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise asked Naomi Biden if she ever witnessed her father using drugs — she said she had not — or whether she would know if he was using drugs based on his behavior.
“I guess not,” she said.
Wise also established that Naomi Biden did not leave any drugs or drug residue in the vehicle before returning it to her father — suggesting that the drug residue and paraphernalia Hallie Biden observed in the car days later arrived there after Hunter Biden retrieved the truck.
Jurors also saw some emotional text messages between Naomi Biden and her father during that mid-October timeframe.
“I’m really sad, I can’t take this,” she wrote her father, adding that “I really want to hang out with you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so unreachable,” Hunter Biden replied. “It’s not fair to you.”
On the stand, Naomi Biden spoke quietly, at one point saying, “Sorry, I’m nervous.” Her husband, Peter Neal, sat in the gallery next to first lady Jill Biden, and had his hand over his mouth for much of the testimony.
Hunter Biden appeared emotional and was seen at times touching his face during her testimony.
When her testimony concluded, she embraced her father before leaving the courtroom, and court recessed for lunch.
Jun 07, 12:22 PM Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi takes the stand
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi took the stand as the defense’s third witness.
In this March 7, 2019 file photo, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito testifies about the court’s budget during a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee’s Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE)
(WASHINGTON) — Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts had no comment Tuesday after a woman posing as a conservative Catholic allegedly secretly recorded them at a black-tie event last week.
Lauren Windsor — seeking out the justices at the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual gala — apparently attempted to engage them in the nation’s culture wars.
At one point, the liberal filmmaker started a conversation with Justice Alito, a well-known staunch conservative on the court.
She posted what appears to be edited audio of that exchange on X, detailed in an account first published by Rolling Stone.
ABC News has not authenticated the audio.
In one exchange, Windsor poses a leading question to Alito, suggesting that there can be no compromise between the right and the left.
Alito appears to agree, saying there are fundamental differences that are difficult to resolve.
In the edited recording, Windsor keeps pushing Alito, saying, “people in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that, to return our country to a place of godliness.”
Alito responds, saying, “I agree with you, I agree with you.”
Windsor also posted an exchange with Chief Justice Roberts, a moderate conservative, at the same event, in which she suggests to him that America is a Christian nation.
Roberts pushes back, saying, “Yeah. I don’t know that we live in a Christian nation. I know a lot of Jewish and Muslim friends who would say, maybe not. And it’s not our job to do that. It’s our job to decide the cases as best we can.”
The Supreme Court Historical Society on Tuesday condemned the surreptitious recording of Roberts and Alito at the private gala, where Windsor said tickets cost $500 each.
“The Annual Dinner of the Supreme Court Historical Society is an occasion to recognize and support the educational and historical work of the Society over the last year. Society members are allowed to purchase two tickets, one for themselves and one for a guest,” James C. Defer, the society’s executive director, said in a statement.
“Our policy is to ensure that all attendees, including the Justices, are treated with respect. We condemn the surreptitious recording of Justices at the event, which is inconsistent with the entire spirit of the evening. Attendees are advised that discussion of current cases, cases decided by this Court, or a Justice’s jurisprudence is strictly prohibited and may result in forfeiture of membership in the Society,” he said.
ABC News has reached out to the chambers of the Chief Justice, Justice Alito and the court itself and received no response.
The secret recording controversy comes as the court prepares to release more than a dozen major decisions in the next three weeks and remains under close public scrutiny for its ethical practices and transparency.
(WASHINGTON) — An extensive search of Justice Department records uncovered no contacts between senior DOJ officials and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office relating to their state prosecution of former President Donald Trump, a top department official informed House Republicans in a letter Tuesday.
“The Department does not generally make extensive efforts to rebut conspiratorial speculation, including to avoid the risk of lending it credibility,” assistant attorney general Carlos Uriarte said in the letter to the House Judiciary Committee. “However, consistent with the Attorney General’s commitment to transparency, the Department has taken extraordinary steps to confirm what was already clear: there is no basis for these false claims.”
Since Trump’s conviction in the Manhattan DA’s case last month, House Republicans have attempted in various ways to tie his investigation to the Justice Department and GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has called Bragg to testify.
In a hearing last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland repeatedly rebuked the allegations as baseless and dangerous, pointing to an uptick in threats department officials have seen directly stemming from such conspiracy theories.
Republicans specifically pointed to a former top DOJ official, Matthew Colangelo, who departed the department in December 2022 and later joined Bragg’s prosecution team.
In the letter Tuesday, DOJ said their search included Colangelo’s email account and “did not identify any instances of Mr. Colangelo having email communications with the District Attorney’s office during his time at the Department.”
“Department leadership did not dispatch Mr. Colangelo to the District Attorney’s office, and Department leadership was unaware of his work on the investigation and prosecution involving the former President until it was reported in the news,” Uriarte said.
The letter further notes that any interaction DOJ had with the case was already a matter of public record well before Trump’s conviction at trial — both former President Trump’s legal team and DA Bragg’s office requested documents from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office which were produced under a protective order.
“In any event, information-sharing between a U.S. Attorney’s Office and local prosecutors is standard and happens every day all over the country,” Uriarte said.
The letter comes as Republicans set the stage for a full House vote this week to hold Garland in contempt for refusing to turn over audio recordings of President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
In stern language rebuking their efforts to undermine the department, Uriarte echoes language from Garland’s appearance before the committee last week, as well as a Washington Post op-ed by Garland out Tuesday morning.
“The self-justifying “perception” asserted by the Committee is completely baseless, but the Committee continues to traffic it widely,” Uriarte said. “As the Attorney General stated at his hearing, the conspiracy theory that the recent jury verdict in New York state court was somehow controlled by the Department is not only false, it is irresponsible. Indeed, accusations of wrongdoing made without—and in fact contrary to—evidence undermine confidence in the justice system and have contributed to increased threats of violence and attacks on career law enforcement officials and prosecutors.”
FILE – Governor Andrew Cuomo holds press briefing and makes announcement to combat COVID-19 Delta variant at 633 3rd Avenue Aug. 2, 2021. (Lev Radin, Pacific Press, LightRocket via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is speaking Tuesday before a congressional subcommittee about his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including its highly-scrutinized handling of nursing homes.
The transcribed interview is taking place behind closed doors with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The GOP-led panel issued a subpoena in March for Cuomo, a Democrat, to sit for a deposition.
The former governor arrived at the O’Neill House Office Building shortly before 10 a.m. ET.
“Today is is an opportunity to actually get the truth and the facts out, and I welcome that opportunity,” he told reporters.
He went on to accuse Republicans of weaponizing the justice system to target Democrats over the pandemic, and said he was “proud” of how New York handled the health crisis.
Cuomo’s appearance comes on the heels of the subcommittee’s hearing last week with Dr. Anthony Fauci as Republicans continue to try to put the country’s response to COVID-19 in the spotlight amid a contentious 2024 presidential election cycle.
Fauci defended against Republican criticisms of his leadership and pushed back on their assertions about the origins of the virus.
The questioning of Cuomo is expected to largely focus on his administration’s instruction to nursing homes in the early days of the pandemic to accept residents recovering from the virus after they were discharged from hospitals.
The directive was issued in March 2020 and rescinded weeks later. Cuomo has long defended the policy as having been based on federal guidance, but the move faced criticism that it led to increased deaths in nursing homes.
Cuomo’s administration was also pilloried for having allegedly misreported the overall number of COVID-related deaths at New York nursing homes. At first, officials counted only residents who had died in such facilities, excluding residents who died in hospitals.
Cuomo attributed the discrepancy to a delay as his office prioritized federal requests for data over state requests. Though one of his top aides at the time admitted his office withheld certain numbers due to concerns it would be used against them by the Trump administration.
Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said Cuomo’s testimony is “crucial to uncover the circumstances that led to his misguided policies and for ensuring that fatal mistakes never happen again.”
“It appears that politics, not medicine, was responsible for these decisions,” Wenstrup said in a in a statement ahead of Tuesday’s testimony. “Former Governor Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s spokesperson, pushed back on the chairman’s characterizations in a statement to ABC News.
“The Department of Justice has looked at this issue three times, as have the Manhattan District Attorney, the Attorney General and the New York State Assembly, all determining that the actual facts and evidence did not support any claim of wrongdoing, and no MAGA farce of a congressional hearing is going to change that,” Azzopardi said in a statement.
“Despite the politicization of people’s real pain, the facts remain: DOH medical professionals issued its March 25th admissions advisory based on federal CDC and CMS guidance — just as 11 other states — Democrat and Republican — did,” Azzopardi added.
Cuomo, who gained national attention for his often combative performances at multiple COVD-related briefings, was once heralded for his political leadership during COVID but became a pariah in his own party both over the nursing home controversy and later sexual harassment allegations that forced his resignation.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building and United States Courthouse on July 26, 2023 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Photo by Mark M
(WILMINGTON, Del.) — President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is on trial in Delaware on three felony charges related to his efforts to obtain a firearm in 2018 while allegedly addicted to drugs.
The younger Biden, who pleaded not guilty last October after being indicted by special counsel David Weiss, has denied the charges. The son of a sitting president has never before faced a criminal trial.
The trial comes on the heels of former President Donald Trump’s conviction on felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment made to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
The frequency of updates may be limited due to federal court restrictions:
Jun 11, 9:19 AM Jury resumes deliberations
The jury has resumed its deliberations in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial.
Before sending them back to deliberate, Judge Maryellen Noreika asked jurors if they had discussed the case with anyone.
They all promised that they had not.
Jun 11, 9:13 AM Hunter Biden arrives in court
Hunter Biden entered the Wilmington, Delaware, courthouse as jurors prepared to resume deliberations in his federal gun trial.
He was accompanied, as he has been each day of the trial, by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
Jun 11, 7:13 AM Jury to resume deliberations
The 12 jury members who for the past week heard vivid and personal details about President Joe Biden’s family are set to continue their deliberations this morning in the federal gun trial of his son, Hunter Biden.
In their closing arguments yesterday, prosecutors argued that Hunter Biden lied on a federal gun-purchase form when he said he was not a drug addict, telling jurors “if this evidence did not establish that Hunter Biden was a crack addict and an unlawful user, then no one is a crack addict or an unlawful user.”
But defense attorney Abbe Lowell urged the jury to acquit his client, telling them, “We have had Hunter’s life in our hands. And now we have to give it to you.”
If convicted, Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison — though legal experts believe he would not serve time due to his being a first-time, nonviolent offender.
Deliberations are scheduled to resume today at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 5:57 PM Transcript shows Hunter Biden affirmed decision not to testify
Hunter Biden, in court today, affirmed his decision not to testify in his own defense, telling the judge “I do” when she asked him if he understood it was his own decision to make, according to the transcript of the proceedings released after court was dismissed for the day.
“Did you make a decision not to testify voluntarily?” Judge Maryellen Noreika asked him, according to the transcript.
“I did,” he said.
The questioning from Noreika occurred during a sidebar with Hunter Biden, his attorneys, and prosecutors that was conducted out of earshot of reporters but released as part of the transcript.
“You understand you have the right to testify in your own defense?” the judge asked Hunter Biden, per the transcript.
“I do,” he said.
“If you don’t testify, you understand your decision not to testify cannot be held against you and I will instruct the jury to that effect?” she asked.
“Agreed,” he responded.
“It’s your decision and yours alone to make, do you understand that?” the judge asked.
“I do,” he responded.
“It’s not your attorney’s decision, it’s not the government’s decision, it’s not my decision, you understand all that?” she asked.
“I do,” he said.
Jun 10, 4:44 PM Day 1 of jury deliberations ends with no verdict
The jurors in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial have been dismissed for the day, after deliberating for one hour with no verdict.
Hunter Biden left the courthouse after the jury was dismissed.
The jurors will be back tomorrow at 9 a.m. ET to resume their deliberations.
Jun 10, 3:44 PM Jury begins deliberations
The jury has begun deliberations on the three felony counts Hunter Biden faces in his federal gun case.
Prior to the jury getting the case, the government rebutted defense attorney Abbe Lowell’s closing argument by asserting again that Hunter Biden was a drug addict when he bought the gun at the center of the case and that he knew it — beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are “seven ways to Sunday” to show Hunter Biden was an addict and it was “preposterous” that he — a “Yale-educated lawyer” — didn’t know he was buying a gun while knowingly addicted, prosecutor Derek Hines argued.
Hines rebutted Lowell’s characterization of the government’s treatment of Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden as “cruel.”
Naomi Biden was “completely uncomfortable” because “she couldn’t vouch for the defendant’s sobriety,” Hines argued.
Hines closed by saying that if the jury doesn’t determine Hunter Biden is a crack addict based on the evidence in the case, “then no one is a crack addict of unlawful use.”
Judge Maryellen Noreika then delivered the final portion of her instructions and sent jurors to begin their deliberations.
The judge indicated that she would not keep jurors past 4:30 or 4:45 p.m. ET today.
Jun 10, 3:00 PM Defense calls government’s case ‘conjecture and suspicion’
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell, in his closing argument, urged jurors to dispense with the government’s “conjecture and suspicion” and find his client not guilty on all three counts.
“We have had Hunter’s life in our hands” until now, Lowell said, referring to his legal team. “And now we have to give it to you.”
Lowell repeatedly referred to prosecutors’ case as a “magicians’ trick” — to “watch this hand and pay no attention to that one,” as he said — arguing that prosecutors failed to “fill in the gaps” about Hunter Biden’s drug use around the time of his firearm purchase “because they don’t have the proof.”
Lowell also referred to prosecutors’ strategy of showing Hunter Biden’s pattern of drug use as an “accordion,” meant to “compress” the timeline and make it seem to jurors that he was actively using drugs in October 2018, when he said on a government form that he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun.
The defense attorney also attacked some of the tactics prosecutors used, calling their treatment of Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi Biden “extraordinarily cruel” and saying that many of their questions and evidence were introduced with the intention of “embarrassing Hunter.”
He also asked jurors to recall gaps in the recollections of Hunter Biden’s then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, and suggested they should remember the immunity agreement she struck with prosecutors for her testimony.
“These are serious charges that will change Hunter’s life,” he said of the three felony charges the president’s son faces, adding that “it’s time to end this case.”
Following Lowell’s closing, the government was scheduled to have a short rebuttal, at which point the judge was to finish her jury instructions before the jury gets the case.
Jun 10, 1:40 PM Evidence supports ‘only one verdict’ prosecutor tells jury
Prosecutor Leo Wise used witness testimony and Hunter Biden’s own words from his memoir and text messages to argue that the president’s son “knew exactly what he was doing” when prosecutors say he falsely claimed he was not addicted to drugs in order to purchase a Colt handgun in 2018.
“Take the defendant’s word for it,” Wise said as he showed the jury excerpts from Hunter Biden’s book that described his drug use and addiction.
Wise, showing the jurors a side-by-side comparison of testimony regarding his truck from his daughter Naomi Biden and then-girlfriend Hallie Biden, said their testimony is “circumstantial evidence ” that shows “the defendant used crack in the truck” days after purchasing the firearm.
Naomi Biden testified that she returned the truck to her father “clean” on Oct. 19, 2018, and Hallie Biden testified that a few days later she found Hunter Biden’s gun in the vehicle along with drug paraphernalia and drug remnants.
Wise also showed the jury a calendar of the month of October 2018 that showed the cash withdrawals made by Hunter Biden. “None of the cash was for rehab,” Wise said.
The evidence, Wise told jurors in conclusion, “supports only one verdict.”
Hunter Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell then began his closing arguments.
Jun 10, 1:23 PM Hunter Biden ‘knew he was using drugs,’ prosecutor argues
Prosecutor Leo Wise, continuing his closing argument, laid out his case for conviction by telling jurors that the evidence in the case was “ugly” but “necessary” to establish Hunter Biden’s drug use during the time in question — as well as in the months before and after.
“He knew he was using drugs,” Wise told the jury, a reference to the standard the jury must reach for conviction — that Hunter Biden had to “knowingly” lie on the gun-purchase form on which he said he was not addicted to drugs.
“That’s what the evidence shows,” Wise said.
Wise emphasized repeatedly to the jury that the government is not required to show specifically that Hunter used drugs when he owned the gun from the Oct. 12-23, 2018 — but rather they must “establish that pattern.”
To that end, Wise referenced the text messages spanning back to 2015 in which Hunter Biden appeared to purchase drugs or reference his addiction, as well as the testimony from his ex-wife Kathleen Buhle and ex-girlfriend Hallie Biden, who said they either found his drug paraphernalia, saw him use drugs, or talked to him about it.
Wise also pointed to the testimony of ex-girlfriend Zoe Kestan, who testified she saw Hunter Biden using drugs in late September 2018 — just two weeks before he bought the gun.
“You can convict on that alone,” Wise told the jury.
Wise also referenced Hunter Biden’s memoir, “Beautiful Things,” saying it was a “searingly painful” but “honest” description of himself and his addiction.
The evidence showed Hunter Biden “habitually used,” Wise said.
Jun 10, 12:34 PM ‘None of that matters’ prosecutor says of large Biden contingent
Prosecutor Leo Wise began his closing argument by referencing the many Biden family members packed into the courtroom galley today.
“All of this is not evidence,” Wise said to the jury as he gestured toward the gallery where First lady Jill Biden and other members of the Biden family are jammed into the front three rows.
“You may recognize them from the news, from the community,” Wise told them. “None of that matters.”
Wise then reiterated the government’s opening remarks that no one is above the law, telling the jury that the case is no different from others — regardless “of who the defendant is.”
Jun 10, 12:14 PM Biden family members jam into courtroom
Hunter Biden came to court today with what appears to be the largest number of friends and family members yet to appear at his trial.
The first row of the gallery was so packed with members of the Biden family this morning that the security guard on the end nearly fell off. The entire first three rows and some of the fourth row were filled with friends and family members — about 25 in total.
First Lady Jill Biden, her daughter Ashley Biden, and Hunter Biden’s wife Melissa Cohen Biden sat together in the front row, with Ashley Biden at one point comforting the others by putting her arm around her mother and then patting Melissa Biden’s back.
Through the morning’s lengthy sidebars and delays, Hunter Biden repeatedly engaged with them, chatting with them and exchanging hugs when he could.
When the defense rested its case, he stood up and hugged his uncle James Biden in the front row and appeared to say, “Love you.”
After another break, he returned to the courtroom holding the first lady’s hand.
Jun 10, 11:54 AM Jury told not to judge Hunter Biden for not testifying
Judge Maryellen Noreika, in her initial instructions to jurors, explained how they are to apply the law to the facts of the case for the three criminal counts Hunter Biden faces.
“You must not attach any significance to the fact that the defendant did not testify,” she read aloud in the courtroom, after the defense decided not to call Hunter Biden to the stand.
The judge defined “knowingly,” the central term by which jurors must determine if Hunter Biden bought the gun at the center of the case “knowing” he was an addict or user of drugs, after he stated on the gun-purchase form that he was not.
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin at 12:05 p.m. ET, after which the judge will give the jury her final instructions and their deliberations will begin.
Jun 10, 11:36 AM Closing arguments up next after Hunter Biden does not testify
Closing arguments will begin at about noon ET after Hunter Biden chose not to testify in his federal gun case.
The defense rested without him taking the stand, after which prosecutors presented a brief rebuttal case, then the judge gave the jury their initial instructions.
Jun 10, 11:17 AM Judge reads initial jury instructions
Following the prosecution’s rebuttal case, the judge read the jury their initial instructions.
Court is then expected to break for lunch, with closing arguments currently scheduled for the afternoon.
The judge will then give the jury their final instructions before they begin deliberations.
Jun 10, 11:05 AM Prosecutors rest rebuttal case
The government rested its rebuttal case after a brief cross-examination of FBI special agent Erika Jensen, who testified about location and text message data relevant to the case.
Attorneys then gathered for another sidebar conference.
Jun 10, 10:54 AM FBI witness returns to witness stand
After a lengthy sidebar, overflow room cameras suddenly turned on to show prosecutors questioning a previous witness, FBI agent Erika Jensen, suggesting that the defense has rested its case and prosecutors are introducing a rebuttal case before the trial moves on to closing arguments.
If so, that would indicate that Hunter Biden did not testify in his own defense.
Jun 10, 8:40 AM Judge reviews motions regarding jury instructions
This morning’s proceedings are underway.
Judge Maryellen Noreika began by reviewing with both parties motions by the defense to change proposed jury instructions.
The jury is expected to be brought back into court at 9 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 8:14 AM Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse
Hunter Biden has arrived at the courthouse for Day 6 of his federal gun trial, accompanied by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden.
First lady Jill Biden arrived shortly afterward.
President Joe Biden’s brother James Biden and sister Valerie Biden also arrived.
The two waited outside until the court opened at 8 a.m. ET.
Jun 10, 7:17 AM The big question: Will Hunter Biden take the stand this morning?
As the second week of Hunter Biden’s gun trial gets underway this morning, defense attorneys will confront their most consequential decision: whether to put their client on the witness stand.
To allow Hunter Biden to testify in his own defense would carry myriad risks, as the president’s son would likely face a grueling cross-examination from a prosecution team that has shows itself adept at eliciting testimony supporting their central contention in the case — that Hunter Biden was addicted to drugs at the time he purchased the handgun at heart of the case.
Jurors witnessed that on Friday, when Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, struggled to explain text messages she sent her father in October 2018 after he had purchased the gun — in which she seemed to express concern about his addiction, despite testifying moments earlier about how “great” her father seemed at the time.
If Hunter Biden decides not to take the stand, jurors could possibly have the case by the end of the day, after closing arguments and jury instructions.
Court is scheduled to get underway earlier than usual today, at 8:15 a.m. E.T.
Jun 07, 2:07 PM Defense to decide if Hunter takes stand as court breaks for weekend
In an unexpected move, court recessed for the day following the lunch break, with the defense telling the judge they are “down to that last decision” — suggesting that they will determine over the weekend if Hunter Biden takes the stand Monday in his own defense.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell told the court the defense decided not to call one of its expert witnesses.
It also appears defense attorneys reversed course on testimony from Hunter Biden’s uncle James Biden, who was already at the courthouse and who Lowell had earlier indicated would be testifying. James Biden was subsequently seen leaving the building.
Prosecutors said they are “still considering” whether they will put on a rebuttal case after the defense rests.
Judge Maryellen Noreika dismissed the jury, telling them to “enjoy a long weekend.”
“We are starting to wrap the evidence in this case,” she said.
The parties are scheduled to be back in court Monday at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Jun 07, 1:19 PM Naomi Biden says her dad ‘seemed great’ after gun buy
Naomi Biden, the 30-year-old daughter of Hunter Biden, testified that her father “seemed great, he seemed hopeful” when she saw him on Oct. 18 or 19, 2018, in New York, where she was returning his vehicle to him — several days after he purchased the gun at the center of the case and just days before his then-girlfriend Hallie Biden discovered and discarded it.
Earlier, in August, Naomi Biden described visiting him in Los Angeles, where he was in a drug rehab program. “He seemed the clearest I’d seen him since my uncle died,” she said, referring to Hunter Biden’s brother Beau Biden.
It was important testimony for the defense in their attempt to show that Hunter Biden was not using drugs around the time of the gun purchase.
Defense counsel Abbe Lowell asked Naomi Biden about the car trip she and her then-boyfriend took from Washington, D.C., to New York in mid-October 2018 to return her father’s truck — a Ford Raptor — to him.
On cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise asked Naomi Biden if she ever witnessed her father using drugs — she said she had not — or whether she would know if he was using drugs based on his behavior.
“I guess not,” she said.
Wise also established that Naomi Biden did not leave any drugs or drug residue in the vehicle before returning it to her father — suggesting that the drug residue and paraphernalia Hallie Biden observed in the car days later arrived there after Hunter Biden retrieved the truck.
Jurors also saw some emotional text messages between Naomi Biden and her father during that mid-October timeframe.
“I’m really sad, I can’t take this,” she wrote her father, adding that “I really want to hang out with you.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so unreachable,” Hunter Biden replied. “It’s not fair to you.”
On the stand, Naomi Biden spoke quietly, at one point saying, “Sorry, I’m nervous.” Her husband, Peter Neal, sat in the gallery next to first lady Jill Biden, and had his hand over his mouth for much of the testimony.
Hunter Biden appeared emotional and was seen at times touching his face during her testimony.
When her testimony concluded, she embraced her father before leaving the courtroom, and court recessed for lunch.
Jun 07, 12:22 PM Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi takes the stand
Hunter Biden’s daughter Naomi took the stand as the defense’s third witness.
(NEW YORK) — Another round of life-threatening heat is slamming the West before heading to the East Coast.
Temperatures are expected to skyrocket Tuesday to 103 degrees in Sacramento, California; 108 in Las Vegas; and a scorching 110 in Phoenix.
By Wednesday and Thursday, the record heat will become more widespread, stretching into Colorado and Texas.
By Friday, the dangerous heat will move to the East Coast. New York City is forecast to reach 90 degrees and Washington, D.C., could hit 93 degrees.
Record highs will be possible in the north and south, including 96 degrees in Atlanta and 89 degrees in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Heading into next week, significant heat is possible for the Midwest and the Northeast. This could become the first heat wave of the season for the Interstate 95 corridor.
Doctors recommend taking excessive heat warnings seriously. There are hundreds of deaths each year in the U.S. due to excessive heat, according to CDC WONDER, an online database, and scientists caution that the actual number of heat-related deaths is likely higher.
(NEW YORK) — Twelve years ago, the lives of students in the first-grade classrooms of Sandy Hook Elementary School were forever changed when a gunman opened fire, killing 20 of their classmates and six of their teachers and administrators.
This week, the young students who survived the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut — one of the deadliest school shootings in American history — will graduate from high school. ABC News’ Good Morning America co-anchor George Stephanopoulos spoke with six of the students.
Henry Terifay was 7 years old when he fled his classroom after hearing gunshots.
When he walks onstage to receive his high school diploma, he’ll have with him a constant reminder of what happened in his classroom on Dec. 14, 2012.
“I have my friend’s name tattooed on my shoulder so he stays with me every day,” Terifay, now 18, told Stephanopoulos, adding of all his classmates who were killed, “I just try and remember them every day.”
Emma Ehrens, now 17, was 6 years old and reading a book with her classmates when the shooter, a 20-year-old who went on to kill himself, entered her classroom.
“I remember being at the front of the classroom, and he came in and stood right next to me. And I watched all my friends drop,” Ehrens said. “One of the victims [who] did not make it, he told me and a couple other people to run, and we did. We ran out of the classroom, out of the school, and on the way we saw bodies in the hallways and doors blown off the hinges. And we just ran and ran and ran, out of the school, out of the parking lot.”
For another graduating senior, Matt Holden, his memory of Dec. 14, as a 6-year-old, centers on seeing his mom cry in a way she never has before or since.
“Once we finally got out of the school, I remember we were walking to the firehouse and my mom ran up to me crying, and I didn’t know what happened at the time,” he said. “I didn’t understand the gravity of the whole thing, but I knew if my mom was crying, my mom was so, so scared that, you know, something horrible had happened. I’d never seen her like that before and I never have since. I hope I never do.”
Ella Seaver, who was 7 at the time of the shooting, said that even as she prepares to graduate high school and begin a new chapter, it remains hard to talk about what happened in her first-grade classroom all those years ago.
“It’s still, even over 10 years later, just so difficult to try and dig up those memories because of how traumatic and painful it is,” Seaver said, adding that it does provide comfort to share memories with fellow survivors. “For me personally, when I get to talk to these five other people, it’s comforting in a way, because you have this connection that’s never gonna go away.”
Seaver said her experience as a Sandy Hook survivor helped her decide the career she plans to pursue after college.
“I’ve basically known that I wanted to be a therapist since I was eight, which was really only a year after the shooting,” Seaver said. “I have been in and out of therapy almost my whole life, especially after the shooting, and it’s really just helped me cope and helped me learn about myself, so I want to try and pay that forward and help people who have gone through gun violence, or even people who haven’t, who are just struggling in their daily life.”
Others said they plan to pursue careers in politics and law.
Since the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook, more than 1,600 school shootings have taken place in the United States, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, an independent, nonpartisan research project.
“I really thought Sandy Hook would, you know, shock people and wake everybody up,” said Terifay, adding that he is tired of hearing “I’m sorry” from people without any action. “But it just keeps happening over and over and over again.”
Holden said that over one decade after a school shooting devastated his elementary school, things can feel “hopeless” as the number of school shootings continues to grow.
“The tragedy never ends,” said Holden. “The friends, family who were lost that day, the smiling faces that should be filling the seats in your classroom, the parents who should be able to watch their kids graduate, get married, the kids will never be able to hug their parents again. It’s never over.”
Lilly Wasilnak, who was 6 at the time of the shooting, said the increase in school shootings since Sandy Hook make her worried for the safety of her own future kids.
“As unfortunate as it is, it’s going to happen to someone else, and it’s going to keep happening to someone else until people like us have to make the change,” said Wasilnak, now 17. “We worry about one day when we’ll have kids, and I don’t want to send my kids to school in the way our world is.”
On June 7, Wasilnak joined five of her fellow Sandy Hook survivors in traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris for National Gun Violence Prevention Day.
Just months earlier, in December, Wasilnak, Ehrens and a fellow classmate, Grace Fischer, had also been in D.C., to meet with legislators and attend the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.
“When I went there it was very eye-opening to me,” Fischer said. “We sat down with senators, representatives and their staffers, and that opportunity of me being able to go to Congress and speak to these people in such high positions of power … made me really want to fight for something that I wish to change.”
The last major action from Congress on gun laws, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, came in June 2022, nearly one month after the Robb Elementary School massacre in Uvalde, Texas, that killed 19 students and two teachers.
Seaver said if she could see one change on gun reform it would be to establish “regulations on AR-style assault weapons.”
“I think one of the hardest things is getting people to see eye-to-eye on it,” Seaver said. “And I think that stops a lot of regulations and legislation, which unfortunately is costing more and more lives every day.”
