President Biden pardons son Hunter Biden in final act before leaving office

In a highly controversial move, President Joe Biden announced on December 1 that he had issued a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, for federal tax and gun convictions.

The decision marks a reversal of his previous public assurances and is certain to ignite further political controversy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” the president said in a statement. He described the pardon as a measure to address what he called “selective, and unfair” prosecution, asserting that the legal actions against Hunter Biden were politically motivated.

The clemency order, effective immediately, not only absolves Hunter Biden of his existing convictions but also extends to any potential federal crimes committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. This includes the period when Hunter Biden served on the board of Ukrainian gas company Burisma and conducted other international business ventures, which have been a source of scrutiny and allegations from political opponents.

Reversal of prior commitment

The move stands in stark contrast to repeated promises from Joe Biden that he would not interfere in his son’s legal proceedings. Both he and his White House spokesperson had publicly pledged, even after losing the 2024 election to Trump, that a pardon for Hunter was not under consideration.

Hunter Biden had been facing sentencing hearings later this month — December 12 for his gun case and December 16 for his tax case. Those proceedings are expected to be cancelled in light of the pardon.

A father’s justification

Joe Biden defended his decision, stating, “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. … I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”

The president further claimed his son was “singled out” for prosecution “only because he is my son.” These arguments had previously been dismissed by federal judges, including one who called the selective prosecution theory “nonsensical under the facts here.”

Legal and political reactions

Hunter Biden’s lawyers immediately filed court documents to dismiss all charges, stating, “The pardon requires dismissal of the Indictment against him with prejudice and adjournment of all future proceedings in this matter.”

The pardon has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans, with Donald Trump labelling it “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” on social media. Trump went on to mock the situation, jokingly asking if the pardon extended to his supporters involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.

Critics have accused Joe Biden of abusing presidential clemency powers. “As sympathetic as Hunter Biden’s circumstances might be, a pardon from Joe Biden would still be an abuse of the clemency power,” said Jeffrey Crouch, a professor and clemency expert at American University.

Hunter Biden speaks out

In a statement, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude and vowed to use his experience to help others. “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.

He continued, “In recovery, we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded. 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.”

Broader implications

Joe Biden’s decision has reignited debates over the use of presidential pardon powers, particularly in cases involving family members. This follows a pattern seen with former presidents, including Bill Clinton’s pardon of his brother and Donald Trump’s pardon of his son-in-law’s father.

Hunter Biden’s legal troubles stemmed from his well-documented struggles with substance abuse. He was convicted in June of illegally purchasing a firearm while addicted to drugs and pleaded guilty in September to nine tax offences, acknowledging unpaid taxes on $1.4 million in earnings.

Joe Biden argued that Hunter’s offences were not treated like similar cases, saying, “Few people are charged with the addiction-related gun offences without aggravating factors, such as using the weapon as part of a violent crime. … Many people who pay back all of their late taxes, like Hunter did, are allowed to resolve their problems through civil enforcement, instead of facing criminal charges.”

With this pardon, the outgoing president’s legacy may be overshadowed by the political firestorm it has ignited, ensuring the decision remains a focal point of debate well into the next administration.