Why Hunter Biden was pardoned by his father

Hunter Biden He was about to hear his sentences in two criminal cases related to guns and taxes. In other words, until last Sunday, the President of the United States and his father, Joe Biden announced that he had granted him a “total and unconditional forgiveness” .

Biden, who will leave the White House in six weeks, is not the president who uses the pardon power to favor his loved ones, but his decision represents a controversial shift in position.

During his tenure, he watched his son face prosecution and repeatedly insisted he was unwilling to grant him clemency, even after Donald Trump won the presidential election. Despite these promises, Biden still ended up signing the pardon.

In June of this year, Hunter Biden was convicted of three charges for lying about his drug use when purchasing a gun. events that occurred in 2018 in Delaware.

The first charge was related to lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, the second was related to making a false statement on the registry saying he did not use drugs, and the third was related to to illegal possession of a weapon for 11 days. With all this, he risked a sentence of up to 25 years in prison.

Later in September, he agreed to plead guilty at trial to nine tax crimes for evading $1.4 million in taxes. with which he risks 17 years in prison. According to the indictment presented in federal court in California, the son of the Democratic president spent his money on luxury vehicles, hotels and dancers while evading the law.

Hunter’s legal problems arose during a dark period in his life, marked by drug and alcohol addiction which intensified after the death of his brother, Beau Biden, who died of cancer.

According to cnn Sentencing hearings in the gun and tax cases were scheduled for Dec. 12 and 16, respectively. However, these must be canceled when the judges responsible for the cases receive notification of the pardon.

In a press release published on Sunday by the White House, Joe Biden assured that upon his accession to the presidency of the United States, he was committed not to influence the decisions of the Department of Justice.

“I kept my word even though I saw my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” Biden said.

The Democratic president argued that he made his decision to grant clemency after believing that Hunter had been “treated differently” during his prosecution. compared to others who have experienced similar situations. He also emphasized that the charges against him were politically motivated .

“The accusations against them were made only after several of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election,” he described in the statement.

He then added that lately, “there has been an attempt to break Hunter, who has been sober for five and a half years” because of his addictions. And by trying to harm his son, they also sought to harm him, according to the president. “There is no reason to believe they will stop there. “Enough is enough,” he reiterated.

At the end of his statement, Biden assured that “crude policies have infested this process” and caused “a miscarriage of justice.” . “Once I made that decision this weekend, there was no point in delaying it any further. “I hope Americans understand why a father and a president would make this decision,” he said.

Hunter’s pardon includes not only convictions for firearms and tax matters, but also for any other crime. “against the United States that he committed or may have committed or participated in during the period from January 1, 2014 to December 1, 2024.”

In 2023, White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre was asked if there was a “possibility” that the president would pardon his son, to which she responded emphatically “no.”

In June, after Hunter was convicted in the weapons case, Biden himself said he didn’t have in mind making that decision.

“I am very proud of my son Hunter. He overcame an addiction. “He is one of the most brilliant and honest men I know.” he stressed in June this year, during a press conference as part of the G7 summit. “I respect the jury’s decision. “I will and I will not forgive it.” .

Most recently, on November 8, just days after Trump’s election victory, Jean-Pierre again ruled out a pardon for the lawyer. “We have been asked this question several times. Our answer is always no. » he pointed out.

With his decision, Biden joins the list of other presidents who have used their powers to benefit someone close to them.

I had already done it Bill Clinton who pardoned his half-brother in 2001 Roger Clinton convicted of two counts of drug trafficking.

In 2020 asset He did the same with his daughter Ivanka’s stepfather, Charles Kushner convicted in 2005 of tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. Kushner has been chosen as French ambassador when Trump takes office.