WASHINGTON — On Sunday evening, President Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, effectively removing the threat of imprisonment linked to federal felony convictions regarding gun possession and tax matters. This decision is a notable shift from Biden’s previous assurances that he would not use his presidential authority to assist family members.
In the past, President Biden had clearly stated he would not extend a pardon to Hunter following his convictions in Delaware and California. The pardon comes just weeks before Hunter’s sentencing for his gun-related conviction and tax plea, coinciding with Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the political spotlight.
This action brings to a close a lengthy legal saga for Hunter Biden, who disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020, shortly after his father won the presidential election. This situation complicates President Biden’s legacy, especially as he has vowed to restore integrity and uphold the rule of law post-Trump administration.
In his Sunday evening address, President Biden remarked, “I have confidence in the justice system, but I also believe that raw political motivations have tainted this process, resulting in a miscarriage of justice.”
The pardon not only clears Hunter of the gun and tax allegations but also covers any other offenses committed against the United States from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.
Back in June, Biden had firmly ruled out the possibility of granting a pardon to his son, telling reporters, “I respect the jury’s decision. I will comply with that and will not issue a pardon.”
As recently as November 8, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that Hunter Biden would not receive any pardon or clemency, stating, “We have consistently responded to that question with a definitive no.”
Throughout Hunter’s battle with serious addiction and its impact on the family, President Biden has openly supported his only surviving son. Political opponents have often leveraged Hunter Biden’s past struggles against the President, even presenting compromising images during congressional testimonies.
House Republicans have also sought to use Hunter’s contentious overseas business dealings in a failed attempt to impeach President Biden, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing or personal gain from his son’s actions.
Biden stated, “The charges against Hunter arose only after some of my political opponents in Congress pushed for them to undermine me and hinder my election.” He continued, “No reasonable observer can look at the circumstances of Hunter’s cases and conclude anything other than he was targeted solely because he is my son.”
“I hope the American public can understand why a father and a President would come to this conclusion,” Biden explained, noting that he made this decision over the weekend.
The President had been enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with Hunter and his family in Nantucket, Massachusetts, before preparing for a trip to Angola, which may be one of his last international visits as President before his term concludes on January 20, 2025.
In June, Hunter Biden was convicted in Delaware federal court on three felony counts related to a 2018 gun purchase, during which he allegedly misrepresented his drug use on a federal form.
He was slated to go to trial in September in California for allegedly failing to pay over $1.4 million in taxes. However, he unexpectedly opted to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges just hours before jury selection was set to begin.
David Weiss, the U.S. attorney appointed by Trump who negotiated Hunter’s plea deal, was subsequently appointed as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to ensure an independent prosecution.
Hunter Biden indicated that his plea was meant to shield his family from further distress and public humiliation following the revelations about his struggles with crack cocaine addiction during the gun trial.
The tax charges could have led to a prison sentence of up to 17 years, while the gun charges carried a potential penalty of 25 years. Nevertheless, federal guidelines suggested that he might have faced significantly reduced time and could potentially avoid prison altogether.
Hunter was due for sentencing this month in both federal cases, which emerged after an initial plea agreement proposed to shield him from prison time fell apart under judicial scrutiny. Under that original deal, he was expected to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and avoid prosecution for the gun case, contingent on remaining trouble-free for two years.
However, complications arose when the judge voiced concerns about the unusual terms of the agreement, leading to Hunter’s subsequent indictment on both counts.
Over the weekend, Hunter Biden’s legal team unveiled a detailed 52-page document titled “The Political Prosecutions of Hunter Biden,” depicting him as a pawn used to undermine his father’s political stature during and after the 2020 election.
Hunter’s attorneys have consistently asserted that the indictments resulted from political pressure from Republicans, especially amidst criticism regarding the perceived leniency of the initial plea deal.
Rep. James Comer, a prominent Republican investigator into the Biden family, criticized the President’s pardon, claiming that the evidence against Hunter represents merely “the tip of the iceberg.”
“It’s unfortunate that rather than confronting their long history of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to evade accountability,” Comer remarked on X, previously known as Twitter.
Biden is not the first President to use his pardon power for the benefit of family. In the final weeks of his presidency, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with several associates involved in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump also suggested plans to nominate the elder Kushner as U.S. envoy to France in a future administration.
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Trump, who has pledged to implement significant changes and appoint loyalists throughout the Justice Department following his own legal challenges, condemned Hunter Biden’s pardon as “a severe abuse and miscarriage of justice” in a recent social media statement.
“Does the pardon granted by Joe to Hunter also apply to the January 6 hostages, who have been imprisoned for years?” Trump questioned, alluding to those convicted following the violent January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
In the wake of the pardon, Hunter Biden expressed his appreciation for the relief provided and committed to using his renewed life to help those still facing struggles.
“I have recognized and taken responsibility for my past mistakes during the darkest periods of my addiction—mistakes that have been leveraged to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political gain,” Hunter stated.
Following the pardon, Hunter Biden’s legal team filed motions in both Los Angeles and Delaware, asking the judges overseeing his gun and tax cases to dismiss them based on the newly granted pardon.
A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Weiss did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday evening.
NBC News was the first outlet to report that President Biden was expected to announce his son’s pardon on Sunday.
—Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report from Nantucket, Massachusetts.
