WILMINGTON, Delaware, June 5 (Reuters) – In a gripping courtroom drama, Hunter Biden’s former girlfriend detailed his relentless crack cocaine use in extravagant hotels, as prosecutors aim to prove President Joe Biden’s son falsified addiction details to unlawfully purchase a firearm.
Jurors were told how Hunter Biden would smoke crack at the luxurious Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles or lock himself in hotel rooms for days on end in the lead-up to his 2018 gun acquisition, according to testimony from his ex-girlfriend.
“He would want to smoke as soon as he woke up,” Zoe Kestan recounted, describing encounters with intimidating drug dealers and their searches for online guides to turn powder cocaine into crack. Her testimony came in the first trial involving a child of a sitting U.S. president, focusing on allegations that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use on the paperwork for his October 2018 revolver purchase.
Kathleen Buhle, Hunter’s ex-wife who divorced him in 2017, also testified briefly, revealing her initial discovery of his drug habits. Prosecutors plan to call Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter’s late brother Beau Biden, to the stand as well.
Hunter Biden, 54, maintains his innocence against three felony charges related to his alleged failure to disclose illegal drug use when buying the gun and the subsequent illegal possession of the weapon for 11 days. Publicly acknowledging his past drug use, Biden claims sobriety since 2019, as noted in a 2023 hearing.
Defense Counters: No Intent to Mislead
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell contended that Hunter Biden was not under the influence at the time of the gun purchase and had no intention of deceiving authorities. Lowell pressed an FBI agent to concede that evidence of Biden’s drug addiction was from periods before or after his ownership of the gun, not during.
The courtroom also heard about a message from Hunter a month after the October 2018 gun purchase, where he mused about potential sobriety but admitted, “I’ll always be an addict.” Lowell argued this was typical language for someone in recovery, not necessarily indicative of current use.
Further questioning revealed Kestan had not seen Hunter in the weeks surrounding the gun purchase. Lowell highlighted that most of the introduced messages about drug use were from before or long after the gun incident.
Lowell also challenged the narrative that Hunter Biden’s significant cash withdrawals, totaling $151,000 around the gun purchase period, were used to buy drugs. FBI agent Erika Jensen could not confirm if the money went toward accommodation expenses instead. Prosecutor Derek Hines pointed out that Biden used debit cards for alcohol and other expenses, asking Jensen, “Do drug dealers accept cards?” Jensen replied, “Not in my experience.”
In a related political twist, top House Republicans leading an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden urged the Justice Department to prosecute both Hunter and his brother James for allegedly lying to their investigation.
This trial follows closely on the heels of another unprecedented event: last week’s criminal conviction of Donald Trump, marking the first time a former U.S. president was found guilty of a felony. Trump remains the Republican contender against Joe Biden in the upcoming November 5 election.
