US President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Biden ahead of his sentencing on charges related to tax evasion and firearms offenses.
The presidential pardon, granted just weeks before Hunter Biden was set to face sentencing for felony convictions, marks a significant reversal from earlier statements made by the President.
In June, Biden had publicly ruled out any plans to use his executive power to intervene in his son’s legal case, pledging to abide by the judicial process. However, on Sunday, Biden announced that his decision was based on what he described as “selective” and “unfair” prosecution due to Hunter’s family name.
“There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober – even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden said in a statement issued by the White House. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”
Hunter Biden, 54, had faced up to 25 years in prison for failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes and up to 17 years for making a false statement about his drug use during a firearms background check. Despite the severity of the charges, Biden’s statement emphasized that individuals in similar situations typically do not face criminal prosecution.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” President Biden continued, defending his decision to grant clemency. “Once I made this decision, there was no sense in delaying it further.”
The timing of the pardon, which coincides with the final days of Biden’s presidency, has ignited intense debate about the independence of the US.
justice system. Critics, particularly those aligned with former President Donald Trump, have seized on the issue to accuse Biden of using his presidential powers for personal and political gain. Trump, who has been embroiled in numerous legal battles, took to social media to denounce the move, calling it an “abuse of power” and accusing Biden of prioritizing his family over the law.
“Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice!” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. He also drew a comparison to those involved in the January 6 Capitol riot, questioning why the justice system did not offer similar clemency to individuals involved in the event.
Hunter Biden has publicly acknowledged his struggles with addiction and his past mistakes. In a statement following his father’s pardon, he expressed remorse for his actions and emphasized his commitment to sobriety.
“In recovery we can be allowed to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives,” Hunter Biden said. “I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
The presidential pardon covers not only Hunter Biden’s tax and firearms convictions but also any potential offenses he may have committed during the period from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024. This broad clemency has sparked further controversy, effectively clearing any unresolved legal issues Hunter may face during this timeframe.
Biden’s decision follows the collapse of a previously negotiated plea deal, which a judge scrutinized and ultimately rejected. Special Counsel David Weiss, who had been overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden’s activities, brought the charges after political pressure and public scrutiny intensified.
The Department of Justice had considered the plea deal a fair and reasonable resolution before it unraveled.
The pardon has also reignited political battles, particularly with Republicans who had long targeted Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings as part of a failed impeachment effort against President Biden. According to Biden, his political opponents had exploited his son’s legal troubles in an attempt to undermine his presidency.
