Hunter Biden trolled after his lawyers claim prosecutors confused ‘lines of sawdust’ with cocaine
DOVER, DELAWARE: Attorneys representing Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, have lambasted federal prosecutors for what they claim is mishandling of evidence in his upcoming weapons trial.
Abbe Lowell and Bartholomew Dalton, part of the defense team, accused special counsel David Weiss of not furnishing their client with sufficient evidence to adequately prepare for a fair trial.
They pointed to a specific instance, citing a misrepresented photograph as a particularly egregious example.
Controversy over 'misrepresented' photograph
The controversy stems from a photo included in a filing by Weiss's office, purportedly depicting cocaine and drug paraphernalia.
Contrary to the defense's claim, attorneys representing Biden argue that the photograph in question actually shows sawdust from a carpenter's shop.
They assert that this sawdust was sent to Hunter Biden by his former psychiatrist, Dr Keith Ablow, as a symbolic gesture intended to illustrate the potential for overcoming addiction.
Hunter asserted that the photo depicted "lines of sawdust sent to me by a master carpenter who was a coke addict," as part of an attempt "to convey that Mr Biden, too, could overcome any addiction."
Lowell and Dalton assert that this misrepresentation underscores broader issues with the prosecution's handling of evidence.
"The prosecution's latest filing amplifies why Mr Biden and the Court cannot take the prosecution's assertions at face value," remarked Lowell and Dalton in their Tuesday filing, per the New York Post.
“Multiple sources have pointed out, and a review of discovery confirms, this is actually a photo of sawdust from an expert carpenter and it was sent to Mr Biden, not vice versa,” Lowell and Dalton wrote.
They accused the prosecution of making "hyperbolic and sensational" claims in public filings, which they argue could prejudice Hunter Biden in the court of public opinion.
“The prosecution was reckless in making such a hyperbolic and sensational claim in a public filing, which it surely realized would prejudice Mr Biden in the public eye,” Lowell and Dalton wrote.
“Mistaking sawdust for cocaine sounds more like a storyline from one of the 1980s Police Academy comedies than what should be expected in a high-profile prosecution by the US Department of Justice," they continued.
Lawyers question the timing and nature of evidence
Moreover, Biden's defense team raised concerns about the timing and nature of the evidence presented by the prosecution.
They contested the significance of cocaine residue allegedly found on a gun holster belonging to Hunter Biden, pointing out the delayed testing of the evidence and the failure to retrieve fingerprints from it.
“The prosecution treats this evidence as its smoking gun but, if that were so (despite the pouch’s questionable provenance), it is dumbfounding that the prosecution waited five years before testing it for narcotics residue and never chose to retrieve fingerprints from it,” they said.
According to Lowell and Dalton, these discrepancies call into question the prosecution's narrative and its handling of critical pieces of evidence.
The defense's criticism extends beyond the treatment of individual pieces of evidence to encompass broader procedural concerns. They raised doubts about the integrity of grand jury proceedings and called for additional information from the Department of Justice regarding the initiation of the case against Hunter Biden by officials from the Trump administration.
Additionally, they raised doubts about the credibility of a confidential FBI informant whose testimony may have played a pivotal role in the case.
“The role played by the [informant’s] allegations may reveal flaws worse than mistaking sawdust for cocaine,” they wrote, alleging that Weiss’ office had “gotten much wrong” about the case and that it “provides good cause for Mr Biden to question whether it has gotten its discovery obligations right.”
Social media reacts after Hunter Biden's lawyers' assertion
Despite the claims made by Hunter Biden's defense team, social media erupted with mockery directed towards him.
"He probably snorts sawdust too. Parmesan cheese anyone?" one posted on X.
"From the guy constantly smoking crack on camera and weighing it in pics?" another wrote.
"If anyone was going to rack up and snort lines of sawdust..." someone else quipped.
"Happens all the time to average Americans. Someone sees sawdust and thinks it's your Cocaine. Totally normal," another commented.
From the guy constantly smoking crack on camera and weighing it in pics?
— Forever Evolving (@Unkommonsensei) February 20, 2024
If anyone was going to rack up and snort lines of sawdust...
— Chris Boyle (@heyChrisBoyle) February 20, 2024
Happens all the time to average Americans. Someone see’s sawdust and thinks its your Cocaine. Totally normal.
— The Real Johny DePlorable (@JohnyDeplorable) February 20, 2024