President Biden Pardons Son Hunter Amid Controversy Over Legal Cases

In a surprising move, President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, clearing him of charges in two federal cases.

The president argued that the charges were politically motivated, stating, “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.”

Hunter Biden faced legal troubles stemming from two cases. In June, he was found guilty on three felony charges related to his 2018 purchase and possession of a firearm, where he concealed his drug use on the required forms.

In September, he pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges, managing to avoid a trial by paying back taxes with interest and penalties. President Biden's pardon now nullifies the consequences of both cases.

The president emphasized the personal and political toll these cases have taken on his family. “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 trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

The decision comes despite earlier assurances from both Biden and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre that no pardon was being considered. As recently as November 7, Jean-Pierre reaffirmed this position, just days after Donald Trump’s election victory.

However, Biden explained that after wrestling with the matter, he concluded that the legal proceedings against his son were a miscarriage of justice influenced by political interference.

“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,” Biden asserted.

He criticized the unraveling of a previously negotiated plea deal in court, which had been brokered by the Department of Justice. Republican lawmakers, he claimed, applied political pressure that disrupted the process and intensified scrutiny on his son.

Biden argued that Hunter was treated differently from others in similar legal situations. He pointed out that felony charges for how someone filled out a gun purchase form are rare, as are criminal prosecutions for individuals who repay taxes with interest and penalties.

“Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process,” Biden said. “It led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further.”

The pardon comes just days before Hunter Biden’s sentencing in his gun case, which was scheduled for Wednesday. Meanwhile, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have used Hunter’s legal troubles and business dealings to attack the Biden family.

House Republicans made Hunter’s overseas business dealings a key part of their impeachment inquiry into President Biden, though their efforts largely relied on disputed testimony and circumstantial evidence that failed to directly implicate the president.

Trump himself, who has repeatedly accused Hunter Biden of receiving preferential treatment, suggested late last month that he would not rule out pardoning Hunter if he wins the 2024 election.