U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden (right) hold an Easter egg rolling event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, the United States, Monday, April 1, 2024. Lady, who has been working for more than 30 years, created this year’s theme “EGGucation”.
Michael Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Sunday night, a reversal for a president who has repeatedly said he would not use executive power to pardon his son or commute his sentence.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I grapple with this issue, I also believe that raw politics has infected the process and resulted in a miscarriage of justice – and once I make this decision this weekend, there will be no need to delay it any longer. .
Hunter Biden was convicted on federal firearms charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12. He is also scheduled to be sentenced on December 16 in a separate criminal case in which he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges in September.
The pardon is expected to cover his firearms charge convictions and guilty pleas.
The president decided to pardon his son over the weekend and began notifying his top aides on Sunday, a senior White House official told NBC News, which was first to report on the pardon decision.
The president also addressed his son’s battle with drug addiction in a statement Sunday night, saying his political opponents were trying to “destroy” Hunter by going after him.
“No reasonable person looking at the facts of Hunter’s case can come to any other conclusion than that Hunter was singled out simply because he was my son, and that is wrong,” Biden said in a statement. “People In trying to destroy Hunter – even in the face of relentless attacks and selective prosecutions, he’s been sober for five and a half years. In trying to destroy Hunter, they’re also trying to destroy me – and there’s no reason to believe that. That’s it.
Representatives for special counsel David Weiss did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abe Lowell, declined to comment.
Biden, 82, is using his pardon power to ensure Hunter Biden does not spend time in prison as his White House term comes to an end and there is no election in sight. In recent months, he has said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence.
“I’m not going to pardon him,” he said in June after a jury found Hunter Biden guilty on three federal gun charges.
The president has discussed pardoning his son with some of his closest aides since at least June, when Hunter Biden was convicted, two people with direct knowledge of the discussions said. It was decided then that he would publicly say he would not pardon his son, although doing so remained under discussion, they said.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last month that Biden’s position had not changed.
“We’ve been asked this question many times. Our answer is ‘no,'” she said.
Asked on Monday whether the president remained committed to not granting clemency to his son, White House spokesman Andrew Bates said: “The president has spoken out about it.” Asked if Biden’s position had changed , Bates replied: “I have nothing to add to what he has already said.”
First lady Jill Biden also said her husband would not pardon their son.
“Both Joe and I respect the justice system, that’s the bottom line,” she said in an interview June.
Hunter Biden’s June criminal trial was the first involving a child of a sitting president.
Pardoning him after that trial could spark a political firestorm with his father, who is running for re-election. Republicans have for years attacked Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings and accused him and the president of corruption. They also believe Hunter Biden received special treatment from the Justice Department because of his father’s political power.
Republican criticism peaked in July 2023 when Hunter Biden reached a deal with federal prosecutors to plead guilty on tax and gun charges, but the agreement fell apart after a judge raised questions. The development led Attorney General Merrick Garland weeks later to appoint David Weiss, the U.S. attorney investigating Hunter Biden, as a special counsel.
Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race in July, but a pardon before last month’s election could also generate political backlash for Vice President Kamala Harris after she secured her spot as the Democratic nominee.
The 12 counts for which Hunter Biden was convicted or pleaded guilty carry a combined maximum penalty of 42 years in prison. But convictions for these crimes typically do not carry maximum penalties. For example, the Justice Department has said that while the maximum sentence for tax charges is 17 years, sentences are typically less than that.
Asked in a June interview whether he would rule out pardoning his son, Biden replied: “Yes.”
Days later, after Hunter Biden was found guilty by a jury of federal firearms charges in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, the president said in a statement that he would respect the outcome. He later told reporters he would abide by the jury’s decision.
“I’m very proud of my son Hunter,” Biden said. “He has overcome his drug addiction. He is one of the smartest, most decent men I know and I am satisfied that I will not do anything. I said I abide by the jury’s decision. I will do this and I will Don’t forgive him.
Neil Eggleston, President Barack Obama’s White House counsel, told NBC News on Monday that “if I were his White House counsel, I would encourage him to pardon his son.” He said the White House has not yet made any announcements about any pardons. Be prepared to contact or consult with him.
“The pardon power is virtually unlimited and certainly extends to Hunter Biden,” Eggleston said.
Eggleston’s views echo those of other former Justice Department and White House officials previously involved in presidential pardons, who told NBC News they believe Biden should exercise the power before the incoming Trump administration.
