Both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, are under a legal magnifying glass because of their questionable legal behavior.
Two legal matters dominated TV news headlines in the United States on Tuesday: Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was found guilty of committing two federal crimes, while a judge set a date in August for the beginning of the trial of former President Donald Trump, who has been accused of keeping classified government documents at his private residence.
Both have previously engaged in questionable legal behavior. The particular documents Trump held in his home included information relating to war plans and responses to international conflict; one of the issues was that he refused to hand them over. Trump is the first former president in history to be prosecuted for a federal crime; however, the fact that he is also a potential candidate in the next presidential election has generated questions about the motivations for bringing him to court.
The Hunter Biden case is more complex. Heavily questioned about possible influence peddling over the years, he has now been found guilty of tax evasion, failing to declare or pay taxes for two consecutive years, as well as illegal possession of a firearm. The president’s son seems to be a rather dark figure who has taken advantage of the shadow cast by his father to do business inside and outside the United States, including in Ukraine.
The United States is typically a leader when it comes to due process and criminal prosecution, and so the prosecutors will have to prove the charges against both men before a judge. However, the fact that their respective crimes will not be tolerated — in both situations — serves as an example for wider society and for the rest of the world that often sees itself in America’s mirror. We now await the outcome of both cases.