President Biden issued a pardon for his son weeks before he was due to be sentenced, as ITV News’ Fred Dimbleby reports
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he has pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing this month for firearms offences and tax evasion.
The pardon comes less than two months before President Biden leaves office.
The President and his White House spokesperson had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence in the two cases against Hunter Biden.
Days after Donald Trump won the 2024 election, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for Hunter Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
In an interview in June with ABC News, President Biden said he did not intend to pardon his son.
President-elect Donald Trump cannot rescind this official grant of clemency.
Donald Trump criticised Joe Biden on his Truth Social platform, “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!”
In a statement on Sunday, President Biden said “Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. 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 continued to say the charges in the cases came after his political opponents in Congress “instigated them to attack me and oppose my election”.
“There has been an effort to break Hunter – who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution”.
The President concluded his statement: “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”
Hunter Biden had two legal cases against him; in June, he was convicted of three gun charges by a jury in Delaware and then September pleaded guilty to tax offences in California.
The trial in Delaware marked the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US president’s child.
Hunter Biden was set to be sentenced on 12th December, and 16th December.
Hunter Biden had been recently spotted holidaying with President Biden, and Dr Jill Biden in Nantucket over the Thanksgiving period.
According to the Associated Press, Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement that he would not take for granted the relief given to him, and vowed to devote his life “to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
He went on to say, “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”.
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