President Joe Biden announced Sunday pardoned his son Hunter Bidensentencing in two federal cases later this month. The younger Biden was convicted on federal gun charges, and he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges in September.
The president previously said he would not pardon his son and defended his withdrawal caused criticism From Republicans as well as a few Democrats.
Read it Biden’s statement explains his decision as follows:
Today I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not stand in the way of the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I watched my son be prosecuted in a selective, unfair manner. Absent aggravating factors such as use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a gun as a straw buyer, people are almost never convicted of a crime based solely on how they fill out a gun form. People who default on their taxes due to serious addictions but later pay back with interest and penalties are usually given non-criminal judgments. Hunter is clearly treated differently.
The charges in his cases only came to light after several of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election. Then, a carefully negotiated plea agreement negotiated by the Department of Justice was unveiled in the courtroom—a number of my political opponents in Congress took credit for exerting political pressure on the process. If the plea agreement had been reached, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.
No reasonable person, looking at the facts of Hunter’s affairs, could conclude otherwise that Hunter was singled out only because he was my son – and that is wrong. Five and a half years sober, Hunter made an effort to break even in the face of relentless attacks and selective harassment. When they tried to break Hunter, they tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it’s going to stop there. It’s enough.
Throughout my career, I have followed one simple principle: just tell the truth to the American people. They will be fair. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but in fighting it, I also believe that crude politics have infected the process and that it has led to a miscarriage of justice — and after this decision this weekend, it made no sense. in further delay. I hope that the American people will understand why the father and the president came to this decision.
Read Biden’s pardon of his son:
Grant of Executive Pardon
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
Greetings to All Coming to These Giveaways:
Be it known that this day I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States of America, in accordance with my authority under Article II, Section 2, Section 1 of the Constitution,
ROBERT HUNTER BIDEN
Full and unconditional pardon
For crimes against the United States, including, but not limited to, all crimes charged or prosecuted (including, but not limited to, In United States 1:23-cr-00061-MN by David C. Weiss, Special Counsel, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and Docket No. 2:23-CR-00599-MCS-1 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto signed my name and caused the Pardon to be recorded in the Department of Justice.
Done at Washington this 1st day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and forty-ninth.