President Joe Biden has granted a pardon to his son Hunter Biden who was facing sentencing in connection with two criminal cases.
This move represents a notable departure from the President’s previous assertions that he would not intervene in his son’s judicial matters. The announcement, made on Sunday, comes as President Biden approaches the conclusion of his term early next year. Only months earlier, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that the President would not issue a pardon for Hunter. However, Biden cites political interference and a miscarriage of justice as the driving reasons behind his decision.
“From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” the President says.
Biden has expressed hope that the public would understand his decision through the lens of both his parental and presidential roles. Hunter Biden, 54, acknowledged his past mistakes and noted that they had been manipulated to cause public humiliation for his family. He remarks that he will not take the clemency bestowed upon him for granted and that he will devote his life to helping those who are still sick and suffering. The presidential pardon eliminates federal criminal penalties but does not expunge the record of the offences.
In Hunter Biden’s case, the pardon pertains to his convictions in Delaware and California, covering any federal offences committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. In June, he was convicted of lying on a federal form during a gun purchase in 2018, where he falsely asserted he was not a drug user. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to charges related to evading over $1.4 million in taxes. While pardons provide relief from punishments and prevent future prosecution for the specified crimes, they do not negate the existence of the convictions.
The authority to grant clemency, which includes both pardons and commutations, is vested in the President by the US Constitution, but this power is restricted to federal offences and does not apply to state crimes or impeachment-related charges. Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized President Joe Biden’s recent decision regarding the legal situation of Hunter Biden, referring to it as a “miscarriage of justice.” In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump questions whether the pardon extended to Hunter Biden also includes the individuals known as the “J-6 Hostages,” who have faced extended imprisonment.
He characterized the situation as an “abuse and miscarriage of justice.” This legal fallout comes just months ahead of Trump’s projected return to the White House. In response to the controversy surrounding Hunter’s legal troubles, President Biden expressed his belief in the justice system but indicated that “raw politics” have influenced this legal process, leading to what he perceives as a “miscarriage of justice.”
