President Joe Biden signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, on Sunday. The pardon clears Hunter of charges related to gun crimes and tax violations. As a result, he will not face prison time or sentencing for these offenses.
In his statement, President Biden defended his son. He pointed out that people in similar situations, like those with addiction problems, often receive non-criminal resolutions for tax issues. However, he argued that Hunter was treated differently and faced felony charges despite no aggravating factors. Biden also stressed that he had kept his promise not to interfere with the Justice Department’s decisions, even though he believed his son was unfairly prosecuted.
“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 have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently,” Biden stated.
Biden also explained that the charges against his son were pushed by political opponents. He said that political pressure led to the unraveling of a negotiated plea deal. Biden believed the deal would have provided a fair resolution to Hunter’s case.
“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. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unravelled in the courtroom—with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases,” Biden explained.
Despite his faith in the justice system, Biden argued that politics had influenced the case. He claimed this led to a “miscarriage of justice.” Biden believed Hunter was targeted because of their father-son relationship.
“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. 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. 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 said.
Biden concluded by explaining his decision as both a father and a President. He stated that he believed in the justice system, but also felt politics had interfered. Biden hoped Americans would understand his reasoning.
“For my entire career, I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded. 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, and it led to a miscarriage of justice—and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden concluded.
Hunter Biden had been convicted in June for illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm. His addiction and family issues were discussed during the trial. Additionally, he pleaded guilty to nine tax-related charges in September. These charges were for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending money on personal expenses like escorts, cars, and drugs.
