United States President Joe Biden on Sunday granted an official pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing for two criminal cases, despite prior assurances that he would not interfere in his son’s legal matters.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” President Biden said in a statement.
The move is likely to reignite debates about the independence of the US judicial system, especially as former president Donald Trump prepares to take office again, with plans to appoint loyalists to key positions in the FBI and Justice Department.
Hunter Biden was convicted earlier this year for lying about his drug use when purchasing a firearm — a felony — and had pleaded guilty to tax evasion in a separate case, but sentencing had not yet occurred.
Biden, who is now in the final weeks of his presidency before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, had consistently stated that he would not pardon his son.
“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,” President Biden said in the statement.
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” he added. “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.”
The pardon comes as Trump’s criminal cases have stalled due to a Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity, effectively protecting him from incarceration despite his historic conviction for falsifying business records in May.
US presidents have a history of using pardons to assist family members and allies. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for old cocaine charges, while Trump pardoned the father of his son-in-law for tax evasion, with both men having already served prison time.
Trump has pledged to pardon those involved in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which resulted in deaths and was an effort to overturn the 2020 election results. On Sunday, he posted on social media, “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles had included a tax evasion case in which he faced up to 17 years in prison and a separate gun charge carrying a potential 25-year sentence.
His legal team has maintained that his prosecution was politically motivated due to his father’s position. Hunter has paid back taxes and penalties and initially reached a plea deal that would have avoided jail time. However, that agreement collapsed at the last minute.
The case has been a persistent issue for the Biden family, especially in the election year when Republicans accused Hunter of receiving overly lenient treatment.
The enthusiasm to make an example of Hunter diminished following President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris. Nevertheless, prosecutors did not show leniency, rejecting Hunter’s “Alford plea,” which would have allowed him to admit guilt due to a high probability of conviction while still maintaining his innocence.
In a statement, Hunter Biden, who has battled drug addiction, said, “I will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
