Biden's son indicted on gun charges

US President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, has been indicted by special counsel David Weiss in connection with a gun he purchased in 2018, the first time in US history the Justice Department has charged the child of a sitting president, CNN reported. 

The three charges include making false statements on a federal firearms form and possession of a firearm as a prohibited person.

It’s an extraordinary turn of events after his original plea deal collapsed and potentially sets up a dramatic trial in the middle of his father’s 2024 reelection bid.

The White House thought the Hunter Biden legal drama would end this summer, but a plea deal reached with Weiss to resolve the matter without charges collapsed over the summer amid scrutiny from a federal judge. House Republicans have also announced an impeachment inquiry into the president in relation to Hunter Biden’s business ventures.

Court filings show that a summons was issued Thursday for him to appear in court for an initial appearance on the charges, though it is unclear when and where the initial appearance would take place.

Hunter Biden is currently in California, a source familiar told CNN, adding that any plan for a self-surrender or initial appearance, including the date and location, still needs be worked out.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Thursday evening, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, claimed the indictment was a result of political pressure.

Republican politicians, Lowell told CNN’s Erin Burnett on “OutFront,” “have been pressuring this US attorney to do something to vindicate their political position.”

“And guess what? They succeeded,” he added.

Lowell defended his client in a statement earlier in the day, saying, “Hunter Biden possessing an unloaded gun for 11 day was not a threat to public safety, but a prosecutor, with all the power imaginable, bending to political pressure presents a grave threat to our system of justice.”