Hunter Biden’s ex-wife testified on Wednesday about first discovering his drug use, speaking at a criminal trial where prosecutors are trying to prove that US president Joe Biden’s son lied about his addiction to illegally buy a gun.
Prosecutors called Kathleen Buhle to bolster their case at the first trial of a US president’s son or daughter that Mr Biden lied about his drug use on screening paperwork when he purchased a revolver in October 2018.
She began her testimony about how she first discovered he was using drugs. “I found a crack pipe on July 3rd, 2015,” she told the jury, saying it was in an ashtray on the porch of their Washington, DC, home.
Prosecutors want Ms Buhle’s testimony to add to evidence, including text messages, bank records and clips of the audiobook version of Mr Biden’s memoir, Beautiful Things, that they say prove he was routinely using crack around the time he bought the gun, including the day after he made the purchase.
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Mr Biden (54) has pleaded not guilty to three felony charges accusing him of failing to disclose his use of illegal drugs when he bought the gun and of illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.
He has publicly acknowledged his past drug use, including in his memoir. He told the judge in the case at a 2023 hearing that he had been sober since 2019.
"Addiction is not a crime. Lying is," prosecutor Derek Hines said.
Mr Biden’s defence lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said he was not using drugs at the time of the gun purchase and did not intend to deceive.
The trial follows another historic first – last week’s criminal conviction of Donald Trump, the first US president to be found guilty of a felony. Mr Trump is the Republican challenger to Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5th presidential election.
Mr Hines told jurors they would also hear from Hunter Biden’s former girlfriend Zoe Kestan, and Hallie Biden, the widow of his late brother Beau Biden. All three could speak to Mr Biden’s years-long struggles with drugs and alcohol, Mr Hines said.
On Wednesday, Mr Lowell elicited testimony from an FBI agent acknowledging the bulk of text messages from Mr Biden about drug use preceded his return to Delaware after a drug treatment stint in California, or were sent months after the gun was taken.
Much of Mr Lowell’s cross-examination of Erika Jensen, the FBI agent who was called by the prosecution, tried to undercut suggestions that Mr Biden used $151,000 in cash withdrawals around the time of the gun purchase to buy drugs.
Ms Jensen acknowledged she did not know if the money was spent on accommodation, for example.
Mr Hines, the prosecutor, noted that Mr Biden was using debit cards, not cash, for alcohol and other expenses at the time.
“Do drug dealers accept cards?” Mr Hines asked Ms Jensen. “Not in my experience,” she responded. – Reuters
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