Republicans want everyone to have a gun … except Joe Biden’s son.
They’re up in arms about what they claim is a falsified background check form submitted by Hunter Biden when he purchased a gun in October 2018. They claim he committed a felony by answering “no” to a question about drug use, and they want President Biden’s ATF nominee to order an investigation. Read story here.
It’s unclear whether this is the same gun his then-girlfriend confiscated from him and tossed in a dumpster a year later. It might be.
The form cited by these background check vigilantes, ATF Form 4473 (see it here), includes the following Question 21e:
“e. Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?
Warning: The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized
for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”
Thus, unless he was using illegal drugs at the time, a “no” answer was truthful and didn’t violate any law.
As “proof” he lied on Form 4473, his rightwing detractors point out he was discharged from the Naval Reserve after failing a drug test. But that was in June 2014, nearly 4½ years before he applied for the gun purchase. However, according to Page Six, the gossip column of the tabloid New York Post, in November 2018 employees of a Washington D.C. strip club “suspected” him of smoking crack, although a manager said, “We didn’t see anything illegal.” (See story here.)
That wouldn’t stand up in any court.
It’s unclear what they think an investigation at taxpayer expense might turn up. To proving he falsified the Form 4473, investigators would have to find evidence that he was using illegal drugs at that time; and barring an admission by him, that would require witnesses. If any such witnesses exist, you’d think that rightwing internet vigilantes would’ve dug them up by now.
It’s no secret that Hunter Biden has a history of drug addiction. He’s admitted it. If they want to ban former drug users from buying guns, they need to tighten gun possession laws. That’s not likely to be something which Republicans are willing to do.
Photo: Armed Trump supporters in the Michigan state capitol on April 30, 2020
Because our drug laws are born out of a racist policy, and there has always been a bias to keep firearms out of the hands of those who are not white and male the important phrase is “addicted to.” Once someone is found to be addicted you are forever addicted. Depending on Hunter Biden’s complete administrative discharge there is in fact a possibility he was found to be addicted to a drug or drugs, it is sometimes in the boiler plate that includes such discharges.
Typically no one goes through administrative discharges to determine if a discharged military member can still get a gun. Itis a classic Catch 22, as it may not get caught until the DA adds it in as an additional charge or daddy happens to become President of the United States. Now the Republicans can make some political hay. Of course those racist drug and gun laws should not mean a privileged white man should be denied owning a gun, but when it happens it is irony.