President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he had issued a full pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, ahead of his sentencing for federal gun and tax-related charges. The decision marks a significant reversal from Biden’s previous stance that he would not pardon his son, as he cited “selective prosecution” and political motivations behind the charges.
“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 wrote in a statement announcing the pardon. “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.”
Statement from President Biden
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter…”
Full statement: https://t.co/InKuzm3vMF pic.twitter.com/vhxIjr1xIe
Biden argued that the legal actions against Hunter were harsher than usual for similar cases, particularly given Hunter’s five-year sobriety and efforts to rectify his tax issues. The president claimed political opponents in Congress instigated the charges to undermine his presidency, leading to what he described as a “miscarriage of justice.”
This pardon has sparked controversy, with supporters viewing it as a defense of family, while critics accuse Biden of undermining the legal process. The president had repeatedly denied any plans to pardon his son, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasizing this point as recently as early November.
Karine Jean-Pierre continues to insist that Joe Biden is not going to pardon Hunter Biden: “We’ve been asked that question multiple times and our answer stands — which is no.”pic.twitter.com/NQHJFdDZZ0
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Under the terms of the pardon, Hunter is granted blanket immunity for all “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.”
In June, a Delaware jury convicted Hunter on three felony counts related to an illegal firearm purchase he made in 2018. Then, in September, he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges. These latter charges stemmed from an investigation that IRS whistleblowers later claimed was “slow-walked” by the Biden DOJ in order to avoid more serious charges.
Hunter Biden was previously facing sentencing for gun charges on December 12 and tax charges on December 16. The pardon also notably covers any alleged crimes revealed by the contents of Hunter’s infamous “laptop from hell,” as well as all alleged foreign lobbying and international influence-peddling.
“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,” Hunter said upon learning of the pardon.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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