Hunter Biden trial: Beau’s widow Hallie details drug addiction as she attends court with new husband
Hallie Biden showed up to testify in Hunter Biden’s federal gun trial charges on Thursday, hand-in-hand with her new husband John Hopkins Anning.
Hallie, the widow of Beau Biden, told jurors she and Hunter were in an “on and off” romantic relationship from 2015 until 2019. During that time, she witnessed Hunter use drugs and at one point, did them with him.
She is a key witness for prosecutors as she testified she saw a “dusting” of drugs in the car where she found the firearm.
Prosecutors allege Hunter unlawfully purchased a gun in October 2018 by lying on a federal gun form about his drug use. Biden is charged with three gun-related counts. He has pleaded not guilty.
Hallie found the gun while cleaning out Hunter’s truck and later discarded the firearm in a grocery store garbage bin out of fear he would hurt himself.
Hallie’s testimony will come one day after Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle, and ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, testified about his substance use disorder and desire to get sober in the months leading up to the gun purchase.
Joe Biden says he won’t pardon Hunter
President Joe Biden said he would not pardon his son, Hunter, if he’s found guilty of criminal gun charges, he told David Muir on ABC News.
When asked if he would accept the outcome of Hunter’s trial, President Biden said, “Yes”.
Muir asked President Biden if he would rule out a pardon, to which the president responded, “Yes”.
The president criticized Donald Trump for refusing to accept the outcome of his own trial thus undermining the justice system.
“He’s trying to undermine it,” President Biden told Muir. “He got a fair trial. The jury spoke.”
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 20:00
Next up: Joshua Marley a Delaware State Police officer
Hallie Biden is off the stand and now the prosecution has called Joshua Marley, a Delaware State Police officer, to the stand.
Marley is the officer who responded to calls of a missing firearm at the grocery store where Hallie Biden discarded it.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 19:58
Defense uses phone logs to to recount day Hallie found gun
Hallie Biden testified on Thursday that she could not recall the exact events on the day when she discovered a firearm in Hunter Biden’s truck.
After discarding the gun in a grocery store garbage bin, Hallie said Hunter frantically texted her.
However, Hallie had trouble remembering exactly what happened on that day – which at this point is more than five years ago.
Lowell showed phone logs indicating Hallie and Hunter called each other to help reconstruct the day’s events.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 19:53
Hallie testifies she saw “dusting” of drugs
During cross-examination, Hallie Biden told jurors she saw a “dusting” of drugs in the truck where she found Hunter Biden’s firearm.
In October 2018, Hallie discovered the firearm that Hunter bought while cleaning out his truck. She told jurors she could recall what exactly she saw – whether that was drugs or drug paraphernalia.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell underlined the fact that Hallie could not recall exactly.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 19:49
Court is back from lunch
Hallie Biden has returned to the stand as court proceedings resume.
Defense is continuing cross-examining her
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 19:24
Hunter Biden looks down during Hallie’s testimony
As Hallie Biden testified to the on-again-off-again relationship she had with her brother-in-law, Hunter Biden looked down at his hands more often than previously.
On the stand, Hallie detailed how she witnessed Hunter use crack cocaine from 2015 until 2018. She told jurors Hunter introduced her to drugs during the summer of 2018 and she was “ashamed” of that period of her life.
Hunter looked down more often than he had in previous testimonies, occasionally chatting to his lawyer, Abbe Lowell.
Gustaf Kilander is reporting from inside the courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware
Gustaf Kilander, Ariana Baio6 June 2024 19:00
Hallie accompanied to court by new husband John Hopkins Anning
Hallie Biden walked into the federal building in Wilmington, Delaware hand-in-hand with her new husband, John Hopkins Anning.
Anning, a financial broker according to Page Six, confirmed to NBC News that the two got married last week.
“It’s not a great way to start the honeymoon,” Anning said jokingly.
He said that testifying was “very hard” on Hallie and he was proud of her.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 18:19
Court is on lunch break
Proceedings are adjourned for the next hour while court takes lunch
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 17:56
Hallie and Hunter had an ‘on-again off-again’ relationship
Under cross-examination, Hallie Biden said she and Hunter had a “complicated” relationship that was on-again off-again.
She described their relationship as full of ups and downs.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 17:39
Hallie Biden did not see Hunter use drugs in 2018
Hallie Biden testified that she did not see Hunter use drugs in October 2018 – when he bought the gun.
During cross-examination, Hallie said she and Hunter planned to go to a treatment facility together in Pennslyvania which is why he returned to Wilmington from Los Angeles.
But Hallie did not see Hunter use drugs during the time nor did she find any remnants of drugs.
She admitted that it was “difficult” to remember details during that hard time in her life.
Ariana Baio6 June 2024 17:16