President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, reversing an earlier commitment as he prepares to leave office.
According to CNN, Biden’s pardon, encompassing federal tax and gun convictions, comes as Hunter was facing sentencing this month. The president declared it a “full and unconditional pardon,” as confirmed by the executive grant of amnesty, which President-elect Donald Trump cannot rescind.
President Biden has repeatedly broken a public promise by deciding to pardon his son, despite previously committing both before and after withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race that he would not do so. He took this action even after top White House spokespersons, and he had stated that no pardon or sentence commutation would occur, especially following Trump’s election victory in 2024. Consequently, Hunter Biden will not undergo sentencing for his crimes, eliminating any possibility of imprisonment. The courts will likely cancel the scheduled sentencing hearings in December for the gun and tax cases.
Breaking News: President Biden pardoned his son Hunter, saying his prosecution was political and designed to hurt him politically. https://t.co/C8D40LCAiQ pic.twitter.com/Wlnnz0xKsF
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 2, 2024This comprehensive pardon also extends clemency for all potential federal crimes committed by Hunter from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024. This period includes his tenure on the Ukrainian gas company Burisma board and his work in China, despite scrutiny over his controversial foreign business dealings.
President Biden signed a sweeping pardon for his son Hunter Biden, reversing his previous stance that he would not use his executive powers to aid his oldest-living child. @gardnerakayla has more on the story https://t.co/X2sSVWdtuV pic.twitter.com/7D82WKNJ2D
— Bloomberg (@business) December 2, 2024On Sunday night, Hunter Biden’s lawyers informed the judges of the pardon in his criminal cases. Court filings indicate the pardon necessitates dismissing the indictment against him and adjourning all future proceedings.
Hunter Biden broke gun laws, he broke the FARA Act, and worst of all, he broke the Mann Act by sex trafficking women across the country.
This pardon is Joe Biden’s admission that Hunter is a criminal.
Biden tried to throw President Trump’s sons in jail, but he lets his son off… pic.twitter.com/QoV3lqfMFe
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) December 2, 2024President Biden cited selective and unfair prosecution as the reason for the pardon, claiming his son was treated differently from others committing similar offences. He attributed the charges to political motives undermining his election prospects, stating, “Raw politics has infected this process, leading to a miscarriage of justice.”
Hunter Biden, reflecting on his journey through addiction, expressed gratitude for the clemency granted and committed to aiding those facing similar struggles.
Congressional Republicans rip Biden for about-face pardon of son Hunter: ‘So corrupt’ https://t.co/kLz9WwyMXl pic.twitter.com/6SBH79wQS7
— New York Post (@nypost) December 2, 2024This pardon marks the end of a six-year saga involving Hunter Biden’s convictions for gun possession as a drug user and failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes. Despite the authority to intervene, President Biden upheld his pledge to remain uninvolved in the matter, which began with investigations in 2018 under Special Counsel David Weiss, a Trump appointee.
Critics, like Jeffrey Crouch from American University, argue that such pardons by presidents for personal connections misuse clemency powers.
Post-Thanksgiving, President Biden finalized the decision to pardon his son, influenced by the belief that Republicans aimed to harm Hunter through ongoing attacks despite his recovery efforts. In the days leading up to the pardon, White House aides speculated about the likelihood of this action, particularly after Trump’s recent election victory.
