There is a lot of chatter this morning about the interview of Hunter Biden with Axios before his appearance in Congress for testimony on the alleged corrupt activities of his family. The interview has powerful moments as Hunter describes his struggle with addiction and the pressure that he feels to stay sober in light of the election. However, one line stood out in the interview where Hunter confirms that he has been sober since June 1, 2019. That is notably after the date that he signed the gun form at the heart of his federal indictment.
Hunter states that his “initial sobriety date” was on May 17, 2019. That was the date of his marriage and the day before his father declared for the presidency.
The relapse is no surprise and Hunter’s struggle resonates with many in this country. His recovery is a huge personal accomplishment and the trauma for his entire family, including President Joe Biden, was obviously horrible through these years.
The admission, however, reaffirms what has long been known. Hunter’s recovery came long after he signed the form. The Firearm Transaction Record, ATF Form 4473, expressly asked if he was an unlawful user of, or addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance. He answered that he was not. The date was October 12, 2018.
Previously, Hunter’s counsel Abby Lowell pushed a defense that the statement was truthful because Hunter may have been sober at that time. Lowell maintained that “at the time that he purchased this gun, I don’t think there’s evidence that that’s when he was suffering.” Lowell said that Biden had already emerged from rehabilitation when he signed the form.
That defense is further contradicted by testing on the pouch of the gun that showed a coating of cocaine.
It is becoming more and more difficult to claim a window of sobriety for the signing of the form when he is claiming that his sobriety date came over eight months later.
Hunter is now reconfirming what was obvious in his book: his addiction continued to rage until after his father announced for the presidency.
That may be why the defense is moving now to adopt some surprising arguments used by gun rights organizations and potentially challenging the gun control law that his father supports.
It would not be surprising if this interview finds its way into filings by the government as the court considers defense pre-trial motions.
