The Real Reason Ashley Biden Was Arrested Twice

Amid the 2020 presidential race, there's an understandable and renewed interest in the candidates' families. As such, some members of the public have questions about the now official Democratic nominee Joe Biden's clan, which includes his wife, Jill Biden; his two living children; and a gaggle of grandkids. It's important to note here that Joe's first wife, Neilia Biden, and their infant daughter, Naomi "Amy" Biden, died in a 1972 car crash, while his son, Beau Biden, passed away at age 46 in May 2015 due to brain cancer, according to The Guardian.

As is the case with many large political families, the Bidens have faced a few scandals throughout the years. Although Joe's second son, Hunter Biden, is arguably the family member with the most controversies, thanks to his past work in Ukraine and the fact that he dated his late brother's widow, he's not the first Biden to garner attention. Ashley Biden — the baby of the family and Joe Biden's only child with his second wife, Jill — ran into some trouble back in the day.

Although Ashley has since gone on to found a nonprofit clothing company and is known for her commitment to charitable causes, it wasn't too long ago that she faced arrest. So, what trouble has Ashley encountered? Let's take a look.

Ashley Biden's first run-in with the law took place in September 1999 when she was a student at Louisiana's Tulane University. According to court records obtained by Page Six, Ashley got arrested for possession of marijuana. She got released on bond, and the case got dropped. 

Then in 2001, Ashley found herself on the wrong end of law yet again when she got caught drinking underage. Court docs obtained by Gawker show the now-activist was cited for possession of an alcoholic beverage back when she was 20 — a year before the legal drinking age. She pled guilty and paid a $125 fee, the outlet noted. 

Ashley faced trouble again when in 2002, she "was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a police officer outside a Chicago bar," according to HuffPost. The charge was eventually dropped, the Associated Press later reported.

Joe Biden's daughter has since left her legal issues in the past, getting a job as a social worker before securing a role in 2012 as the Delaware Center for Justice's associate director. She left the gig in March 2019, according to Delaware Online. "It was very important to Ashley to carry on Beau's legacy—the reforms in criminal justice, his work with children," Jill Biden told Delaware Today in August 2018 about her daughter's passion in life.

In addition to her charity work and carrying on her brother's legacy, Ashley Biden is also very supportive of her father and has learned a lot from him. She said in a 2018 interview with Delaware Today, "My dad always taught me that silence is complicity, and that I must stand up for anyone who was being treated unfairly. That has stayed with me through adulthood, and is the guiding principle in my professional life."

So much so that in addition to her social work, she's started her own company, Livelihood. The company designs and sells all American-made clothes and the proceeds go to community organizations. Giving back to others and being grateful for what she has is something she seems to live by. She said in the same interview, "Everyone struggles with something. Some simply struggle more. I've had a lot of advantages, but that didn't prevent my life from spinning out of control or the devastation of losing my brother. But what I had was support and the safety of being vulnerable. I am comfortable in my own skin. And sure, it sounds esoteric, but when you're comfortable in your own skin, you're kinder. And I think we all can agree, the world needs a lot more kindness."

It's not all fighting for social justice when it comes to Ashley Biden, although she is dedicated to being a "change agent" as she puts it in an interview with a University of Delaware newsletter. She does spend a lot of time working with her clothing line, and, per Newsweek, she stepped down from her position as the executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice when her dad announced his run for the presidency.

Because she's been so supportive of Joe Biden's campaign, it's possible that Ashley will accompany him on the campaign trail or at least make appearances in the name of supporting her father. In August 2020, she appeared at the beginning of her dad's sit-down with none other than Cardi B for Elle magazine. Ashley popped up in the background and told Cardi that she was a fan.

The 39-year-old has clearly been through a lot, but she hasn't let it stop her from working to help other people and giving back to her community. And that's all that counts at the end of the day.