These Children of Presidents Have Had Run-ins With the Law
On Wednesday, Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, when a twelve person jury found him guilty of lying on a government background check about his history with substance abuse in order to buy a gun in 2018.
President Biden released a statement on Wednesday expressing support for his son but nevertheless promising to respect the court’s decision. "As I said last week, I am the president, but I am also a dad," the president said in his statement. "Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction… As I also said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal."
But Hunter isn’t the only child of a U.S. president to have encounters with the law. Here is a list of all the children of modern presidents who have found themselves in some legal trouble.
Donald Trump Jr.
Over a decade before his father was elected president in 2016, Donald Trump Jr., age, was arrested for public intoxication in downtown New Orleans. The dates of Trump Jr.’s arrest align with Mardi Gras, a Christian holiday in which people celebrate and consume rich and fatty food before the fasting season of Lent. Trump Jr. was arrested in the evening and spent 11 hours in jail before being released on a $300 bond.
In a 2004 interview with New York Magazine, Trump Jr. admitted that he “used to drink a lot and party pretty hard.” He told reporters that he struggled to drink in moderation, ultimately leading him to decide to cut back on alcohol. “About two years ago, I quit drinking entirely. I have too much of an opportunity to make something of myself, be successful in my own right. Why blow it?” he said.
Jenna and Barbara Bush
Twin sisters Jenna and Barbara Bush, the daughters of president George W. Bush, were both cited for underaged drinking while their father was in office.l
While Jenna Bush was a freshman at the University of Texas, she was cited for two misdemeanors within the span of five weeks in 2001. The first was for possession of alcohol as a minor and the second was for attempting to use a fake ID to buy alcohol at a restaurant. She pleaded no contest for the first misdemeanor and was ordered to pay $51.25 in court costs, spend eight hours doing community service, and spend six hours taking alcohol awareness classes. For her second misdemeanor, she was ordered to pay $600 and her drivers’ license was suspended for 30 days.
Similarly, Barbara Bush also ran into trouble with alcohol while she was a student at Yale University. In 2001, she pleaded no contest to a possession of alcohol charge and was ordered to attend an alcohol awareness class, complete eight hours of community service, and pay $100 in court fines.
Neil Bush
Neil Bush, the fourth child of president George H.W. Bush and brother of president George W. Bush was sued by federal regulators in 1990 for serving on the board of a financial institution called Silverado Savings and Loan that collapsed in 1988. They accused him of engaging in business deals that should have been flagged as conflicts of interest while he was on the board of directors, ultimately contributing to the institution's collapse.
The collapse of Silverado cost taxpayers over a billion dollars. Neil ultimately settled the lawsuit outside of court and agreed to pay $50,000 but was not indicted on any criminal charges. "I regret that the institution's failure cost taxpayers so much money,” he wrote in a 2003 email to the Washington Post.
Michael Reagan
Michael Reagan, the adopted son of president Ronald Reagan and his first wife Jane Wyman was accused of violating California securities laws in 1981. A Los Angeles County District Attorney said that he had promised to invest money on the behalf of investors in the stock market without being officially registered as a securities salesman as required by law. He was ultimately cleared of the charges later that same year.
Amy Carter
Amy Carter, the daughter of president Jimmy Carter, has had multiple run-ins with the law due to her involvement in political activism. In 1985, she was arrested for participating in an anti-apartheid demonstration in front of the South African embassy Washington D.C. according to the New York Times. She was just 17 at the time and protested with her father’s permission. ''This is a fundamental wrong being committed,'' she said, in reference to South Africa’s apartheid laws at the time. ''This is the first hurdle to overcome in fighting it.''
Carter was arrested a second time in 1987 in anti-CIA protests at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Protestors occupied an administrative building to protest the presence of a CIA recruiter on campus. When police began arresting some of the protesters, Carter and other activists sat down in the road to block the buses carrying the arrested students from passing through. Carter and the other protesters were subsequently arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct, though they were ultimately acquitted in a jury trial five months later.
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