A name synonymous with controversy, the fifty-four-year-old son of President Biden has finally drawn enough attention from the US judicial system to be convicted of charges that carry a potential sentence of 25 years behind bars.
Hunter Biden was charged with three felony counts revolving around a gun purchase in 2018 while he was a drug abuser. He lied on a mandatory form meant to prevent purchased guns from going into the wrong hands.
In this crucial election year, both the presumptive Republican party nominee and the president’s son are convicted by American jurors.
As a Yale graduate lawyer, Hunter Biden’s career path led him to be a legal advisor to lobbying firms, a venture capitalist, banker, hedge fund principal, and private equity fund investor. These are all enviable positions that one can hold in the US, and on top of that, being the son of a prominent senator, later vice president, and now president, one might've expected a more reasonable outcome from his life’s journey.
Deception on all fronts
Hunter Biden’s gun purchase violation case emanated from a previous case of tax evasion when a federal criminal investigation was launched against him in 2018. He first pleaded guilty and then entered a not guilty plea. In his initial guilty plea, he admitted to purchasing a gun while he was a drug abuser. This led to his violation of legally owning a gun, as his application to purchase a gun did not mention his illegal drug use. That investigation led to his recent convictions.
However, controversy and criticism have been stacked upon him over the years, first as the founding board member of BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, and then as a board member of the largest Ukrainian private oil and gas company, Burisma Holdings. He embroiled himself and his father in controversy with his later responsibilities, while then-President Trump raised a hue and cry about corruption and abuse of power.
Hunter Biden’s very name also evokes recent memories of misinforming US policymakers against Bangladesh
Hunter Biden's episodes don’t stop there. The prestigious law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore is now charged with belatedly registering as a “foreign agent” for Burisma Holdings linked with Hunter Biden. Another lobbying firm, that Hunter Biden was directly involved with, was also linked to lobbying for Burisma to evade corruption charges while then-Vice President Biden led a team to force Ukraine to sack its chief prosecutor, who launched a corruption investigation against Burisma. Although no misconduct was found in the end, this led to the impeachment inquiry last year against President Biden by House Republicans.
Hunter Biden’s very name also evokes recent memories of misinforming US policymakers against Bangladesh through the lobbying firm Blue Star Strategies, allegedly on behalf of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. This writer, along with prominent Bangladeshi Americans, worked tirelessly for the last few years to disseminate and disprove all the false allegations against Bangladesh.
Upholding the American dream
It is poignant to note that this is the first time in US history that a sitting president’s direct relative, in this case, his own son, has been convicted of federal crimes.
President Biden’s response to the conviction against his son was dignified simply because the underlying strength of American institutions is strong. The fundamental principles of its democratic values are vibrant. America is still the greatest experiment mankind has ever embarked upon. Despite its past marred with the history of the annihilation of the native population, persecution of black people, involvement in many wars, and habitual foreign policy mishaps, this is the only nation-state that is constantly in formation to uphold the rights of its citizens of every colour, creed, ethnicity, and religious denomination.
The upcoming election, especially the presidential debates, will focus significantly on the convictions of the president’s political foe and his son. America will recover from this wound with the strength of its constitution.
As for the Bangladeshi diaspora in the US, our continual quest to improve relations between our two nations will continue despite the internal dynamics of both nations.
Rana Hassan Mahmud is a political analyst based in Los Angeles, California, and General Secretary of USA Bangabandhu Parishad.