Fact Check: Was Biden Family Acquaintance Picked for Hunter Biden Jury?

Hunter Biden is standing trial this week on federal charges of illegally possessing a firearm after allegedly lying about his status as a drug user when buying a pistol in 2018.

President Joe Biden's son has previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying that he entered a rehab program before purchasing the firearm and checked off "no" on a federal form that asked whether he was an "unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance."

The trial, which began on Monday, quickly seated jurors, although the selection process and the reporting around it was questioned by commentators following proceedings.

The Claim

A post on X, formerly Twitter, by Fox News columnist Tammy Bruce, posted on June 3, 2024, said: "Biden family acquaintance kept in jury pool for Hunter federal trial as others dismissed over stances on gun rights, DOJ."

Another post on X by user @pepesgrandma, also posted on June 3, 2024, quoting Bruce's tweet, adding: "Welp, we already know how this is going to end.

"One man, juror 25, was let into the pool after he said he was 'an acquaintance with the first lady' and had met Joe Biden at several events.

"One woman, juror 2, qualified for the pool after saying she had donated to and volunteered for the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2008.

"One qualified woman, juror 5, revealed she had once worked for the Secret Service and her husband was still employed by the protective agency."

The Facts

While it is true that a juror who claimed to be acquainted with the Biden family was selected for the jury pool, they were not then later seated on the final panel.

Without this additional context, one might conclude that this juror was not dismissed, a misunderstanding that was shared after the jury was selected.

A live blog by NBC News of the selection process mentioned one juror who said he was "an acquaintance of the first lady," adding that he had met Joe Biden at several events and that he had donated to the RNC.

While that person was put in the pool, they were not later selected. Six men and six women were selected in addition to four women chosen to serve as alternates. The names and personal information of the jurors and alternates have not been made public.

As stated by NBC, the final list of jurors were 3, 5, 16, 19, 20, 26, 31, 33, 34, 37, 38, and 39.

While it is not clear how well acquainted the person initially selected for the jury pool was to the first lady, if at all, they were not among those seated for the trial.

One jury member is a former employee of the Secret Service, a federal law agency whose agents are tasked with protecting current and former political leaders, including the president.

Some on social media took issue with Ashley Biden, Hunter Biden's sister, who was present in the courtroom, reportedly smiling at the agent, along with the presence of the Biden family at the trial.

The Ruling

Needs Context.

While it is true that someone who claimed to be acquainted with the Bidens was added to the jury pool, they were not then selected for the trial. While the posts about this are not necessarily incorrect, additional information confirms that this juror was not seated.

FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team