WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who had faced convictions for making false statements during a gun background check, illegally possessing a firearm, and pleading guilty to federal tax charges.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son, Hunter. 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 watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
The pardon marks a significant reversal for the Biden administration, which had previously stated the president would not pardon or commute his son’s sentences. Hunter Biden, a recovering drug addict, has been a frequent target of Republican attacks, including from President-elect Donald Trump.
“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than that Hunter was singled out only because he is my son,” Biden asserted.
The president also reflected on the personal toll the legal battles have taken on his family, especially Hunter, who has been sober for over five years. “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.”
Biden revealed that the decision was made over the weekend following Thanksgiving, which he spent with his family in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
“Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but I also believe raw politics has infected this process, leading to a miscarriage of justice. Once I made this decision, there was no sense in delaying it further,” he explained.
In his closing remarks, Biden appealed to the public for understanding: “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.” (Reuters)