Biden Pardons Son Hunter in Controversial Move Ahead of Sentencing
U.S. President Joe Biden has granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for federal tax and gun convictions. The announcement came on Sunday, December 1, as Biden prepares to leave office, and he characterized his son's prosecution as “selectively, and unfairly” targeting him due to his family name. Hunter Biden was scheduled for sentencing on December 12 for federal gun charges and December 16 for separate federal tax evasion charges to which he pleaded guilty in September. In his statement, President Biden expressed his belief that the justice system had been compromised by political motivations, stating, “I believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.” The president’s pardon covers any offenses Hunter Biden may have committed from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024, and cannot be rescinded by President-elect Donald Trump. Biden emphasized his son's struggles with addiction and condemned the efforts by political opponents to target Hunter. “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,” he declared. Hunter Biden also released a statement acknowledging his past mistakes during his battle with addiction, saying, “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes... that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport.” He expressed gratitude for his sobriety of over five years and vowed to dedicate his life to helping others in recovery. In response, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for President-elect Trump, criticized the pardon, accusing the Biden administration of weaponizing the justice system. He stated, “The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ and other radical prosecutors are guilty... that system of justice must be fixed.
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