President Biden signed a pardon for his son Hunter on Sunday after the younger Biden was convicted earlier this year on federal gun charges and tax evasion offenses, the outgoing Democratic leader revealed. The 82-year-old president claimed that he took the controversial decision after seeing his son being "selectively and unfairly prosecuted."
The about-face comes after Biden earlier claimed that he would not grant a pardon to Hunter, 54, despite his own involvement in the Chinese and Ukrainian business dealings linked to the tax case. The decision comes just weeks after The White House dismissed speculation that Biden might take such a step during the final months of his presidency.
Papa Power
As recently as June, Biden publicly said that he would not grant his son a pardon. "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," Biden said in a statement.
The president argued that people are "almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form."
He then added: "It is clear that Hunter was treated differently."
Biden also criticized "several of my political opponents in Congress" who he claimed made the charges a public spectacle 'to attack me and oppose my election."
He said that the plea agreement Hunter reached with the Department of Justice was a "fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter's cases." However, the deal collapsed at the last moment due to political pressure.
"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because is my son - and that is wrong," he continued.
Biden claimed there has been a concerted effort to "break Hunter" and undermine what he described as his son's five and a half years of sobriety.
"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."
Father's Love for Son
The president openly acknowledged that his deep love for his son influenced his decision-making but emphasized that he approached the matter with "fairness and impartiality."
"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."
Hunter was last spotted vacationing with his father and the Biden family on Nantucket Island in Rhode Island.
Last June, Hunter Biden agreed to a plea deal involving probation. This came after two IRS whistleblowers, Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, accused the Justice Department of orchestrating a broad cover-up to shield the Biden family. Allegations included tipping off Hunter's legal team about a planned search and blocking investigations into Joe Biden's potential involvement.
Hunter withdrew from the deal a month later during a dramatic court hearing, where his lawyers demanded immunity for potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)—charges that could have implicated his father. Despite similar charges being filed against a businessman tied to one of the same Chinese firms, Hunter was never prosecuted under FARA. The pardon now ensures he will not face such charges, which carry a five-year statute of limitations.
Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, later appointed as special counsel, refiled charges against Hunter in Delaware and Los Angeles. This year, Hunter was convicted on gun charges in June and pleaded guilty to tax fraud in September. He was awaiting sentencing for both offenses.
President Joe Biden has consistently maintained that he "never" discussed business matters with his son or brother. In December and March, he reiterated that he "did not" interact with their business associates. However, photos, emails, and witness statements contradict these claims.
House Republicans investigated Joe Biden's involvement during an impeachment inquiry, which concluded after he withdrew his bid for reelection in July.
Evidence presented revealed that Joe Biden met with Hunter's business partners from major ventures tied to the tax fraud case and others, including while serving as vice president overseeing U.S. relations with the countries where these firms operated.
