Hunter Biden was indicted by the Justice Department Thursday, but legal experts suggest the rarely brought charges are incredibly weak.
Biden, the son of president Joe Biden, was hit with weapons charges, including that he lied on a gun form while he was abusing drugs. But some lawyers are suggesting these types of charges are rarely filed as they were here, and that Hunter wouldn't have been charged if his last name was not "Biden."
Former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti said:
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"It is very unlikely that Hunter Biden would be charged with any of these crimes if his last name wasn’t Biden. Charges for possessing a firearm while under the influence of narcotics are rarely brought. False statement charges in this context are also rare."
Adding context to Mariotti's remarks, associate law professor Jake Charles shared government sentencing data that purportedly shows that "fewer than 350 people nationwide were sentenced for violating 922(g)(3) in 2021."
Former DOJ inspector general Michael R. Bromwich also chimed in to answer the question of how many people have been federally indicted for purchasing a gun while dealing with substance abuse issues.
"It doesn't happen," he said. "DOJ will need to produce data in discovery, which will show that this is the most selective of prosecutions."
Former prosecutor Harry Litman added that the "false statement charges against Hunter Biden are a raw deal."
"There appears to be nothing that happened since the plea deal unraveled (through no fault of Biden) other than Republican ignorant potshots," the analyst added. "And it's a freestanding charge that DOJ basically never brings."
Former White House ethics czar Norm Eisen also said the DOJ has a tough hill to climb.
"The Hunter Biden indictment has multiple weaknesses I know his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, well — & he will put up a furious fight," the attorney added.
Andrew Weissmann, a former senior prosecutor for special counsel Robert Mueller, said:
"The only positive of the new Hunter Biden charges is that it should (in a rational world) squash the Fox attacks that DOJ is affording him favorable treatment. But it won't stop the attacks and instead demonstrates the Special Counsel bending to the mob and abusing his position."
