Special counsel David Weiss has emphatically rejected Hunter Biden's plea for the dismissal of gun-related criminal charges in Delaware, according to court documents filed on Tuesday.

The prosecutors, under Weiss's authority, assert that they possess "overwhelming" evidence supporting the allegations that President Joe Biden's son illicitly acquired and possessed a firearm in 2018 while grappling with drug addiction.

Special counsel David Weiss cites ‘overwhelming’ evidence against Hunter Biden in gun case #NewsBreak https://t.co/kRMCbm6fuf

— Frances (@Shadowtails54) January 17, 2024

The case

In a notable revelation, prosecutors disclosed that federal investigators, in 2023, retrieved Hunter Biden's gun from a sealed evidence bag and subjected a powdery white substance found on the gun case to testing.

The substance was identified as cocaine by an FBI chemist, marking a pivotal development in the case.

The filings also underscore instances in which Hunter Biden openly admitted to excessive and illicit drug use in his 2018 memoir.

The background

To further substantiate their case, Weiss's team revealed that federal investigators, armed with a search warrant, gained access to Hunter Biden's Apple iCloud account in 2019 and subsequently to his laptop.

The data retrieved from these sources allegedly contained incriminating evidence, including photos of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia, messages pertaining to drug dealing, and an admission of crack use shortly after the alleged illegal gun purchase.

In response to Hunter Biden's defense team, which sought the case's dismissal on various grounds, Weiss submitted four comprehensive court filings on Tuesday.

Hunter's response

The defense argued that the charges were "selective and vindictive," contending that Weiss breached the separation of powers by pursuing charges against their client.

They pointed to prior indications in emails from Weiss's office suggesting a lack of intent to bring charges against Hunter Biden. The defense further alleged that Weiss succumbed to pressure from congressional Republicans conducting a high-profile investigation into the first son.

Hunter Biden's defense team also challenged Weiss's legitimacy as a special counsel, questioned the alignment of gun charges with Second Amendment tests established by the Supreme Court, and argued that a portion of a defunct plea agreement from the summer of 2023 remained in effect.

Weiss countered each of these arguments in his filings on Tuesday, dismissing them as "meritless."

The legal battle now awaits Hunter Biden's responses, due by January 30, marking the next chapter in a case that has garnered significant attention and raised questions about the intersection of legal proceedings, political dynamics, and familial ties at the highest levels of government.