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President of the United States Joe Biden‘s decision to Excuse me his son, Hunteron Sunday night, has raised many eyebrows, especially given his past promises not to use presidential powers to benefit his family.
Despite previously stating he would not intervene in his son’s legal affairs, Biden granted a pardon ahead of Hunter Biden’s conviction on federal felony weapons and tax convictions. The move comes just weeks before the sentencing and less than two months before a possible shift in the White House that will see newly elected President Donald Trump take power.
The pardon has sparked controversy, putting the consistency of Biden’s past commitments under scrutiny.
Also read: ‘Not innocent’: Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden pleads guilty to nine charges in federal tax case
Hunter has paid his back taxes and fines and had previously reached a settlement that would have allowed him to avoid jail time. However, that agreement failed at the last minute. His legal troubles have been a notable issue for the Biden family, especially during this election cycle as Republicans have accused Hunter of receiving special treatment.
In June, Biden firmly rejected the idea of a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son stood trial in the Delaware gun case: “I stand by the jury’s decision. I will, and I will not pardon him. .”
In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said: “I believe in the justice system, but as I struggle with this, I also believe that raw politics has tainted this process and led to a miscarriage of justice.”
The president’s far-reaching pardon covers not only the gun and tax crimes against the younger Biden, but also all other ‘crimes against the United States that he has committed or may have committed or participated in during the period from 1 January 2014 to December 1. 2024.”
As recently as November 8, days after Trump’s victory, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying: “We’ve been asked that question several times. Our answer remains: no.”
President Biden has consistently supported his only surviving son, Hunter, through his struggles with serious drug addiction and the resulting turmoil in his personal life, before Hunter recently began turning things around. Meanwhile, Biden’s political opponents have regularly used Hunter’s mistakes against him.
During one hearing, lawmakers showed images of the president’s son in a compromising state in a run-down hotel. In addition, Republicans in the House of Representatives attempted to use Hunter Biden’s controversial business dealings in a now-abandoned effort to oust his father, who has repeatedly denied any involvement or personal benefit from his son’s activities.
Biden has expressed concern that his son, Hunter, has been “unfairly persecuted,” and that both father and son have been affected by the actions of their political opponents. It’s also important to note that the president made his no-pardon pledge before dropping out of the presidential race in June, and he is no longer running for re-election.
In his statement Sunday, Biden said his son “had been selective, and in his statement the president said it was clear his son was treated differently than other defendants in similar circumstances. The plea deal unraveled and Biden’s political opponents took credit for pressuring the trial, he said.
“No reasonable person looking at the facts of Hunter’s cases could come to any conclusion other than that Hunter was singled out solely because he is my son – and that is wrong. Efforts have been made to break Hunter, who has been sober for five and a half years, even in the face of persistent attacks and selective prosecution. By breaking Hunter, they tried to break me too – and there’s no reason to think it will stop there. Enough is enough.”
“The charges in his cases came only after several of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision,” Biden added, claiming he made the decision over the weekend.
Biden is far from the first president to use his pardon powers to help those close to him. In his final weeks as president, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and several allies convicted in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Over the weekend, Trump also announced plans to appoint Charles Kushner as the U.S. envoy to France in a possible second administration. Historically, American presidents have granted pardons in favor of family members and political allies. For example, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for previous cocaine charges, and Trump pardoned Charles Kushner for tax evasion, even though both men had already served their prison terms.
(With input from agencies)
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