It appears that presidential son Hunter Biden may escape charges from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) over allegedly lying on a form to purchase a weapon.
According to the New York Times, officials are skeptical of filing charges against the younger Biden due to his seeking of treatment. They also noted that he had no prior record, according to a source close to the situation.
It was March 25, 2018, when the future first son filled out ATF Form 4473 to purchase a firearm. He apparently lied about drug use, and that offense carries fines up to $250,000 and/or fifteen years in prison.
The yes/no question asked, “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?
It further warned that residing in a state that legalized marijuana does not exempt a person from federal restrictions on being a user and possessing firearms.
Officials at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were reportedly “skeptical” of bringing gun-related charges against Hunter Biden. https://t.co/FQkaRoTo9O
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) June 1, 2023
It then listed stiff penalties for untruthfulness.
Apparently, Hunter Biden will avoid those penalties, though some Republicans have publicly questioned why he has not been charged for lying. After all, he is an admitted former drug user.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) drew the ire of Democrats in March when he asked why the younger Biden was not charged with falsifying the document. The hearing was titled “ATF’s Assault on the Second Amendment: When is Enough Enough?”
Tiffany asked anti-gun advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety’s Rob Wilcox about the federal law. “If a person lies on ATF Form 4473 and is a user of unlawful drugs, you can get between five and 10 years for that. Is that correct?”
Wilcox noted that the maximum penalty had grown to 15 years.
The Republican then followed up by asking why Hunter Biden had not been prosecuted for his crime. Wilcox denied knowledge of the case, and several Democrats voiced their displeasure with the question.
Tiffany was undeterred, asking who needs to be spoken with to determine why the case is not being pursued. After all, Hunter clearly stated in his book that he used illegal drugs, and he was discharged from the Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine.
The representative noted an incident where a gun owned by the first son was discarded in a trash can outside of a Delaware market. Records showed Biden purchased the firearm earlier the same month.
