Republicans criticize Hunter Biden verdict as a ‘mockery’ of equal justice

Republicans are not setting aside their allegations of a two-tiered justice system following the guilty verdict of first son Hunter Biden, arguing Tuesday’s conviction is an “illusion” of fair treatment under the law.

Hunter Biden was found guilty on three felony charges related to a 2018 gun purchase, marking the first time in history the son of a sitting president has been criminally convicted. The verdict comes after the first son’s plea deal fell through last year that would have allowed him to plead guilty to tax misdemeanor charges and avoid felony gun charges.

Democrats pointed to the conviction on Tuesday as evidence that the Justice Department has not been “weaponized” against former President Donald Trump, who faces federal prosecution over his handling of classified documents and role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

However, Republicans pointed to what they called the “sweetheart” plea deal Hunter Biden was nearly granted, plus corruption allegations at the center of the House GOP’s impeachment inquiry into the president, to counter the messaging.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) said the plea deal was “smoked out” by a federal judge before relitigating the claims of the impeachment inquiry, which has stalled out in recent weeks. The White House denies all allegations of influence-peddling by the Biden family.

“Today’s verdict is a step toward accountability but until the Department of Justice investigates everyone involved in the Bidens’ corrupt influence peddling schemes that generated over $18 million in foreign payments to the Biden family, it will be clear department officials continue to cover for the Big Guy, Joe Biden,” Comer wrote.

“Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict is nothing more than the Left’s attempt to create the illusion of equal justice,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) added in a post to X. “Don’t fall for it.”

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who faces a competitive primary on Tuesday, said “timing is everything” and blasted the verdict as a “veil of fairness in the Justice System” under Joe Biden.

Republicans had been bracing for the possibility of a guilty verdict even before it was announced. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) argued the Justice Department followed through with its prosecution of Hunter Biden because it was “backed into” a corner.

“Let’s remember, Hunter Biden would be enjoying his sweetheart deal right now, that the Justice Department negotiated with him, had the judge in the case not posed questions in open court,” Hawley said last week.

However, one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), seemed to disagree with the verdict in a statement to X.

“Hunter might deserve to be in jail for something, but purchasing a gun is not it,” Massie said. “There are millions of marijuana users who own guns in this country, and none of them should be in jail for purchasing or possessing a firearm against current laws.”

On the other side, Democrats believe Hunter Biden’s guilty verdict rebuts GOP accusations that the Justice Department is politically biased.

“The MAGA GOP tried to tell us the Justice Department had been ‘weaponized’ against them,” Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said. “The evidence says otherwise.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) posted that “unlike MTG and MAGA no Democrat will call for Civil War” following the verdict, alluding to comments made by Trump and his allies after he was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money trial last month.

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Joe Biden previously said he would not pardon his son. On Tuesday, he said in a statement he would accept the outcome of the case and “respect the judicial process” as Hunter Biden considers an appeal.

“Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support,” the president said. “Nothing will ever change that.”