WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — President Joe Biden granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden on Sunday, reversing his previous stance of not intervening in his son’s legal troubles. The president cited a “miscarriage of justice” and political motivations behind the legal process that led to Hunter’s federal convictions on gun and tax charges.
“I do believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process,” Biden said in a statement. “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.”
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden, who pleaded guilty to federal gun charges and to one count of tax evasion, had separate sentencing dates on Dec. 12 and Dec. 16, according to court records. Under a statement released by the White House, any crime that Hunter Biden may have committed between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 1, 2024 are now pardoned.
This comes after months of public speculation and mounting pressure from political opponents, who accused the president of using his authority to shield his son. The president had previously ruled out any pardon, telling reporters in June, “I will not pardon him,” after Hunter Biden’s conviction.
A senior White House official told NBC News that Biden made the decision over the weekend after consulting with senior aides. He considered his son a victim of politically motivated prosecution.
The Republicans have also criticized Hunter Biden and his legal issues regarding the businesses he has involved himself with, claiming that they get special treatment because his father is a political leader. Steven Cheung is the spokesman for President-elect Donald Trump, who describes this pardon as an addition to the “weaponization of the justice system” done by the Democrats. “President Trump will restore justice and fairness when he returns to the White House,” Cheung said in a statement.
He mentioned how his son, Hunter, was in a battle in a war with addiction; his son had been sober over five years while suffering under what he termed “unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution.””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,” the president said.
Hunter Biden, in another statement, thanked the president for the pardon, saying that he has been sober for more than five years, “because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.” He said he would devote his life to helping people with addiction.
The pardon is likely to ignite political controversy as President Biden draws near the end of his term, with no future election to face. Republicans have cited Hunter Biden’s legal troubles as a double standard for justice in America, and the pardon will likely incite further debate over presidential clemency.