US President Joe Biden has previously ruled out an official pardon for his son Hunter, who is facing two criminal charges.
In a statement, the president said his son was “lonely” and called their cases a “miscarriage of justice.”
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to tax charges in September and was found guilty in June of being an illegal drug user with a gun — the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime.
Reacting to the pardon, President-elect Donald Trump said: “The pardon (6 January) for Joe Hunter included the hostages, who has now been in prison for years? Such an abuse and a miscarriage of justice!”.
The full and unconditional pardon was granted after the president had previously said he would not pardon his son.
A couple of months ago, in September, the White House press secretary said Biden would not grant a pardon to his son.
But on Sunday evening, President Biden said that while he has faith in the justice system, “politics has infected the process and it has led to a miscarriage of justice.”
“From the day I took office, I have said that I will not interfere in the decision-making of the Department of Justice, and I have kept my word even though I have seen my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” he said.
Biden wrestled with the decision and added: “Once I made this decision this weekend, there’s no point in delaying it any further.”
“I hope the American people understand why the father and the president came to this decision,” he said.
In a response statement, Hunter Biden said mistakes he made during the dark days of his addiction were “used to publicly shame and humiliate” his family for political sport.
“I will never take the apology I was given today for granted and I will devote my rebuilt life to helping those who are still sick and suffering,” added the 54-year-old.
The younger Biden has been sober for five and a half years, his father said.
This is not the first time that a US president has pardoned a member of his family.
In 2001, Bill Clinton’s younger half-brother, Roger Clinton, was pardoned for a 1985 cocaine-related conviction.
In 2020, Donald Trump pardoned his daughter Ivanka’s father-in-law, Charles Kushner. President-elect Trump recently Kushner named him ambassador to France in his new cabinet.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine counts of federal tax evasion, for which he was facing up to 17 years in prison.
He was convicted in June of three felonies related to the gun purchase, for which he faced up to 25 years in prison.
Sentencing in these cases is scheduled for December 12 and 16.
His legal troubles were a dark cloud over his father’s presidential campaign, which ended in July Biden withdrew from the election race.
Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee He lost the election to Republican Donald Trump In November.
Trump will take over the Oval Office from Biden on January 20, 2025 – Inauguration Day.
