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The outgoing US president says his son was ‘selectively’ and ‘unfairly’ prosecuted because of his family name.
United States President Joe Biden has pardoned his son Hunter Gunn, despite earlier vows not to use his presidential power to grant amnesty ahead of his conviction on tax crimes.
Biden said Sunday that his son was “singled out” and “selectively and unfairly” prosecuted by his family’s name.
“There have been efforts to break Hunter — even as he has for five and a half years, in the face of relentless attacks and selective prosecution,” Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
“In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it’s going to stop here. Enough is enough.”
Biden’s decision comes weeks before Hunter Biden faces sentencing for lying about drug use during a gun background check and a series of felonies for failing to pay at least $1.4m in taxes.
The outgoing president’s decision is likely to spark debate about the independence of the US justice system, with critics warning that US President-elect Donald Trump plans to use loyalist-aligned law enforcement agencies to target his political rivals.
Trump, who faced a string of criminal cases before his re-election, promised he would not face serious legal consequences, blasting the pardon as an abuse of power.
“Did Joe’s apology to Hunter include the J-6 hostages, who have been in prison for years now?” Trump said on his social media platform Truth, referring to people convicted of crimes related to the riots at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“Such an abuse and miscarriage of justice!”
The younger Biden faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison on the tax case and 17 years on the gun case, although he would have received a less severe sentence under sentencing guidelines.
In defending his decision, Biden said he “almost never” prosecutes people for falsely filling out a gun purchase form and that those who pay their taxes late usually receive “not guilty determinations.”
“Throughout my entire career I have followed a simple principle: Tell the American people the truth. They are fair-minded. Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I wrestle with it, I believe crude politics has infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I have this “Having made this decision over the weekend, there is no sense in delaying it any further,” Biden said.
“I hope the American people understand why the father and the president came to this decision.”
Biden’s pardon covers not only his son’s tax and firearms offenses, but also “any other crimes he committed or committed or participated in between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024.”
In June, Biden completely ruled out the possibility of pardoning his son or commuting his sentence.
“I said I will abide by the jury’s decision. “I will do it and I won’t forgive him,” Biden said.
The White House reiterated Biden’s intention not to pardon his son on November 8, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre telling reporters: “Our answer stands, it is no.”
In a statement Sunday, Hunter Biden said the mistakes he made during his addiction were “used to publicly shame and humiliate me and my family for political sport.”
“In recovery we never take for granted the mercy we are given to give us the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives,” he said.
“I will never take for granted the forgiveness I have been given today and I will devote my rebuilt life to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
Under the US Constitution, the president has almost unlimited power to grant pardons to people convicted of federal crimes.
US presidents have previously used pardons to favor family members and political allies.
Shortly before the end of his first term, Trump pardoned his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, after serving prison terms on charges of tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering.
In 2001, former US President Bill Clinton pardoned Roger Clinton Jr., his half-brother, who served more than a year in prison in the 1980s after trying to sell cocaine to an undercover police officer.
