Bill Clark/Roll Call/Getty ImagesVice President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden was kicked kicked out of the Navy in February, it was revealed Thursday.
The reason? Per NBC News, the 44-year-old former public-affairs ensign tested positive for cocaine in a 2013 drug test. According to a U.S. official, Hunter's dismissal from the Naval Reserves wasn't made public "because he was treated like any other sailor who fails a drug test and is thrown out of the Navy." The official noted cases of this nature are not reported routinely due to the Privacy Act.
Hunter, who joined the Navy Reserves back in 2012, issued a statement Thursday, saying, "It was the honor of my life to serve in the US Navy, and I deeply regret and am embarrassed that my actions led to my administrative discharge. I respect the Navy's decision. With the love and support of my family, I'm moving forward."
When Hunter joined the Navy Reserves as an Ensign in 2012, he had to get a waiver because of his age—at the time of the commissioning he was 42, eight years older than the maximum 34 for an individual enlisting for the first time.
The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news of Hunter's dismissal, reported that "people familiar with the matter" said that upon joining in 2012, Hunter "received a second Navy waiver because of a drug-related incident when he was a young man." This type of waiver, according to military officials, is not "uncommon."
Per The WSJ, the vice president's office declined to comment.
Hunter, who is married with three children, is now a managing partner an Rosemont Seneca partners, an investment company. He's also an adjunct assistant professor at Georgetown University and serves as chairman of World Food Program USA, a humanitarian agency fighting hunger around the world.