Hunter Biden gun case: jury seated as opening statements expected on Tuesday

A jury was seated on Monday in the federal gun case against the president’s son, Hunter Biden. The legal proceedings seriously complicate Joe Biden’s re-election campaign while handing political grist to Republicans searching for a distracting issue in the wake of Donald Trump’s 34-count conviction last week.

In a show of support, Jill Biden, the first lady, also arrived at the federal courthouse in Delaware where her stepson is facing trial. In a statement, the president said that as a father he has “boundless love for my son, confidence in him, and respect for his strength”.

By the end of the day, 12 jurors and four alternates had been selected, with opening statements expected to begin on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors allege that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use on application forms when he purchased a handgun in 2018, while in the throes of addiction. He has pleaded not guilty.

In theory, he could face a hefty jail sentence, but it is widely seen as highly unlikely.

“I am the president, but I am also a dad,” Biden said, noting that he would not comment further on the case. The president’s youngest and only surviving son, Hunter Biden, has long struggled with drug addiction and a troubled private life, which is now at the center of the federal case.

“Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today,” said Biden, known for his reputation as a close family man. “Hunter’s resilience in the face of adversity and the strength he has brought to his recovery are inspiring to us.”

The president’s son has acknowledged being addicted to crack cocaine during that period in 2018, but his lawyers have said he didn’t break the law. In his memoir Beautiful Things, he described becoming consumed by drugs and alcohol after his older brother, Beau, died in 2015 at age 46 from brain cancer. The brothers were very close, having survived a car crash when they were young that killed their mother and baby sister.

Related: Hunter Biden gun trial to begin next month after judge denies bid to delay

Hunter Biden has said he has been sober since 2019. But prosecutors intend to use his memoir to make the case that he knew he was addicted to drugs when he denied it on the form that every person must fill out when buying a gun.

Hunter Biden, spent the weekend with his family in Delaware, attending church and riding bikes with his father.

Republicans will no doubt be motivated by Trump’s host of legal travails. The former president seen as a lock to be the party’s 2024 nominee was found guilty last week of falsifying business records linked to hush-money payments to the adult film actor Stormy Daniels to cover up an affair that was seen as potentially harming his 2016 election prospects. Like Hunter Biden, Trump could face jail, though that also is seen as unlikely.

The timing of the trial is unfortunate for Democrats, who are seeking to highlight Trump’s historic first of being the only US president to become a felon. But the case could also undermine one of Republicans’ key lines of attack against the guilty verdict returned by a New York jury last week: that Biden has weaponized the criminal justice system against Trump, a claim that lacks evidence.

However, the Hunter Biden trial is expected to delve into potentially embarrassing family details.

David C Weiss, special counsel overseeing the prosecution, has signaled he will call Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, to the stand. Prosecutors also may call Hallie Biden, the widow of Joe Biden’s son Beau. Hallie Biden was dating Hunter Biden when he bought a handgun in 2018.

In the Delaware courtroom, the pool of prospective jurors was winnowed with questions that tested jurors’ knowledge of the case, their views on gun ownership and whether they or anyone close to them had struggled with abuse or addiction, the AP reported.