President Trump was inaccurate Tuesday night when he said Hunter Biden, the former vice president’s son, received a dishonorable discharge from the Navy for drug use.
Hunter Biden was separated administratively from the Navy in February 2014 after testing positive for cocaine when he entered service as an ensign in May 2013.
Officers do not receive dishonorable discharges or bad conduct discharges, which are deemed punitive actions only a court martial can administer to enlisted personnel.
Mr. Biden, according to experts contacted by The Washington Times, likely received one of three separations: honorable; general under honorable conditions; or general under other than honorable.
There is another exit called “entry level separation” which can apply to someone serving six months or less. The time between Mr. Biden’s entry and separation is 9 months.
Lawyers told The Times that “general under honorable conditions” is the most likely.
It does not appear Mr. Biden has publicly disclosed the type of discharge. He gave an interview to the New Yorker for a July 2019 story that discussed his brief Navy stint. The type of discharge was not disclosed.
The Washington Times obtained a copy of his “separation order” through the Freedom of Information Act.
“You have been discharged from the United States Navy Reserve effective 18 February 2014,” says the letter from commander, Navy Personnel Command. Most of the order is redacted.
Mr. Hunter entered the Navy on an age waiver and was sworn in by his dad, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, at the White House.
Mr. Trump brought up Hunter Biden during Tuesday night’s presidential debate. He focused on the millions of dollars he has received during his father’s vice presidency from oligarchs in Russia and Ukraine, and from communist-linked Chinese businessmen
“Hunter got thrown out of the military,” Mr. Trump said. “He was thrown out, dishonorably discharged for cocaine use.”
“That’s not true, he wasn’t dishonorably”––––Mr. Biden said before being cut off by Mr. Trump..
Mr. Biden denied that his son received millions of dollars from Russian, Ukraine and China.
But in fact he did, according to Treasury bank wire reports obtained by Republican senators who say Hunter Biden “cashed in” on his father’s vice presidency. Some were contained in Treasury Department suspicious activity reports (SARS) that suggests there may have been a crime committed.
For example, Hunter Biden received a one-time $3.5 million wire transfer from a Russian woman oligarch whom the U.S. considers corrupt. She made her fortune from contracts awarded by her husband, the since deceased mayor of Moscow, a Republican Senate report said.
All Russian oligarchs report to President Vladimir Putin.
• Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com.
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