“7 stories to know” is a new Monday series showcasing stories that may have been ignored in the crush of news over the past few weeks, and stories that have continued to evolve over the weekend. Expect to read coverage about health, science, and climate that frequently take second chair to what’s happening at the top of the page, plus information from local sources that the national media may have overlooked.
1. Republicans are really hoping that Hunter Biden’s trial will distract from their criminal nominee
Jury selection begins Monday in Hunter Biden’s trial for three felony indictments all related to his purchase of a gun while allegedly making false claims to the dealer and on his federal firearms application. And Fox News will begin continuous live coverage of trial proceedings, including the jury selection.
The trial dominates the top of Fox News’ homepage, with multiple front page stories. It is also currently on the front page of The New York Times and Washington Post, and the Post is even providing live updates. But for Fox and other conservative outlets, this trial holds a special significance: They hope it will distract from Donald Trump’s conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to deceive the public and protect his 2016 campaign.
As the Post points out at the beginning of its coverage, there’s a fundamental difference between these two trials over paperwork “because one defendant is seeking the presidency and the other is a private citizen.”
That doesn’t mean Republicans aren’t going to hop on every nugget of information that emerges from the trial to swoon over how devastating it is both for Hunter Biden and for President Joe Biden.
CNN runs through the basics of the charges of Hunter Biden’s case. It also notes that, unlike the Trump case, the potential sentencing is much more serious. Should Hunter Biden be found guilty, Judge Maryellen Noreika could sentence him to as many as 25 years in federal prison, even if that is unlikely.
A year ago, the gun charges were to be wiped from the record as part of a plea deal between Hunter Biden and U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Delaware prosecutor appointed by Trump. However, that deal fell apart after Noreika—also appointed by Trump—expressed concerns that ultimately resulted in the deal being withdrawn.
On Sunday, Norieka blocked a key piece of evidence that Hunter Biden’s legal team had hoped to use in his defense. The judge also granted a request from Weiss to block a defense expert witness from appearing.
The blocked evidence is reportedly an altered version of the form that Hunter Biden filled out in 2018, which the defense believes is exculpatory and shows that the form was changed at a later date.
Unlike Trump’s trial in New York, in front of a judge and prosecuted by an attorney who had nothing to do with Joe Biden, Hunter Biden actually is being tried before a Trump-appointed judge by a Trump-appointed prosecutor.
Despite the way that Republicans are hoping to use this trial to tarnish Joe Biden, the president has not shied away from spending time with his son and has repeatedly expressed pride in his son and made it clear he supports him as this trial begins.
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