U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he had granted a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, marking a significant reversal from his earlier commitment to remain uninvolved in legal matters concerning his family. Hunter Biden had previously pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on charges related to firearms.
“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,” President Biden stated.
The White House had consistently emphasized that the president would not pardon or commute sentences for Hunter Biden, who has faced intense scrutiny from Republican critics, including former President Donald Trump.
“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,” Biden said in a statement released shortly before departing for a trip to Africa.
Clemency Details
The presidential pardon granted Hunter Biden a “full and unconditional” clemency for offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing for firearms-related charges and false statements, had pleaded guilty in September to failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending heavily on luxury items, drugs, and sex workers. His sentencing was scheduled for December 16.
In his own statement, Hunter Biden acknowledged his past mistakes, attributing them to the depths of his addiction. “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” he said. Hunter noted that he has been sober for over five years and expressed gratitude for the pardon.
“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,” he added.
Republican Backlash
The decision drew sharp criticism from Republicans. Former President Donald Trump questioned the fairness of the pardon in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” he wrote, referring to individuals convicted for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Representative James Comer, chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, accused Biden of dishonesty. “Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities,” Comer stated.
Biden Defends His Decision
President Biden defended the pardon as a response to what he described as a politically motivated prosecution. He noted that felony charges for errors on firearms forms or tax-related issues are rarely pursued in cases where the individual repays what they owe with penalties, as Hunter had done.
“It is clear that Hunter was treated differently. 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,” Biden said.
The president suggested that his adversaries’ actions were not only aimed at his son but at him personally. “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,” he said.
Background and Decision-Making
In August, Hunter Biden’s legal team accused prosecutors of reneging on a plea deal that would have resolved the tax and firearms charges. President Biden described the plea deal as a “fair, reasonable resolution” and criticized its breakdown.
The decision to pardon his son was made over the Thanksgiving weekend, during which the Biden family, including Hunter, gathered in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden explained. “Once I made this decision, there was no sense in delaying it further.”
He concluded by appealing to the public’s understanding. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”
