President Biden has signed a presidential pardon for his son Hunter Biden, a reversal from previous statements he would grant him neither a pardon nor commutation.
Why it matters: Biden had previously ruled out a pardon. But he said in a statement on Sunday night: “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.”
- Presidents regularly sign pardons at the end of their terms. They rarely involve cases where their own family members are in the middle of the legal process. Hunter Biden was set to appear at sentencing hearings on Dec. 12 and Dec. 16, NBC News reported.
Driving the news: “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. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here,” Biden said in his statement.
- “Enough is enough.”
Zoom in: Hunter Biden was the first child of a sitting president to face criminal charges. He was convicted on felony gun charges this summer, and pleaded guilty on felony tax charges.
- The pardon issued Sunday covers all acts between Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024.
Zoom out: Congressional Republicans swiftly blasted the pardon of Hunter Biden — who was a central figure in GOP probes, including an impeachment inquiry into the president that focused in large part on his son’s business dealings.
- Trump responded by raising concerns about the convictions of the Jan. 6 rioters.
What he’s saying: Hunter Biden said in a statement on Sunday that he has “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.”
- He continued: “Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.
“In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded. I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
@Axios
