President Joe Biden announced on Sunday evening that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted of tax evasion and federal gun charges and was scheduled for sentencing in December.
The decision comes after the White House previously stated that the president had no intention of intervening in his son’s legal matters. In a statement, Biden described the pardon as addressing a “miscarriage of justice.”
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden said. “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.”
The president’s statement accused “political opponents in Congress” of orchestrating the charges and ensuring the collapse of a plea deal that was initially reached in July but unraveled in August.
“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,” Biden wrote. “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.”
Over the summer, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty on three felony counts related to purchasing and possessing a firearm while addicted to drugs. In September, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to nine tax-related charges, including three felonies, just before what was expected to be a lengthy trial.
Hunter Biden faced up to 17 years in federal prison and $1.35 million in fines for the tax charges, and up to 25 years in prison for the gun-related conviction. He was due to be sentenced on December 12 in Delaware for the firearm charges and on December 16 in California for the tax charges.
The pardon is expected to spark significant political debate, with critics likely to frame it as preferential treatment and supporters pointing to allegations of selective prosecution. The move underscores the tension between Biden’s roles as both a father and the president, highlighting the personal and political complexities surrounding his decision.
