(MENAFN- Live Mint) United States President Joe Biden 's decision to pardon his son, Hunter , on Sunday night, has raised many eyebrows, especially considering his earlier promises not to use presidential powers to benefit his family.
Despite previously stating that he would not intervene in his son's legal matters, Biden granted the pardon ahead of Hunter Biden's sentencing for federal felony gun and tax convictions. The move comes just weeks before the sentencing and less than two months before a potential shift in the White House, with President-elect Donald trump set to take office.
The pardon has sparked controversy, drawing scrutiny over the consistency of Biden's prior pledges.
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Hunter has paid his back taxes and penalties and had previously reached a plea deal that would have allowed him to avoid jail time. However, that agreement collapsed at the last moment. His legal troubles have been a notable issue for the Biden family, particularly during this election cycle, as Republicans have accused Hunter of receiving special treatment.
In June, Biden firmly rejected the idea of a pardon or commutation for his son, stating to reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, "I abide by the jury's decision. I will do that, and I will not pardon him."
In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said,“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”
The president's sweeping pardon covers not just the gun and tax offences against the younger Biden but also any other“offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.”
As recently as November 8, days after Trump's victory, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying,“We've been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”
'Serious drug addiction'
President Biden has consistently supported his only surviving son, Hunter, through his struggles with severe drug addiction and the resulting turmoil in his personal life, before Hunter recently began to turn things around. Meanwhile, Biden's political opponents have frequently weaponized Hunter's mistakes against him.
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In one hearing, lawmakers displayed images of the president's son in a compromising state in a rundown hotel. Additionally, House Republicans attempted to use Hunter Biden's controversial overseas business dealings in a now-abandoned effort to impeach his father, who has repeatedly denied any involvement or personal benefit from his son's activities.
Why did Biden break his promise?
Biden has expressed concern that his son, Hunter, has been "unfairly prosecuted," and both father and son have been troubled by the actions of their political opponents. It's also important to note that the president made his no-pardon pledge before stepping out of the presidential race in June, and he is no longer running for re-election.
In his statement Sunday, Biden said that his son had been“selectively, and In his statement, the president said it was clear that his son was treated differently from other defendants in similar predicaments. The plea deal unravelled and Biden's political opponents took credit for pressuring the process, he said.
Also Read: Donald Trump calls Joe Biden's pardon for son Hunter in tax fraud, gun cases 'abuse, miscarriage of justice'
“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. 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. Enough is enough.”
'I hope Americans will understand...'
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said in his statement.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden added, claiming he made the decision this weekend.
Also Read: Hunter Biden's conviction brought out the best in his dad
Biden is far from the first president to use his pardon powers to assist those close to him. In his final weeks in office, Trump granted a pardon to Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as well as to several allies convicted in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
Over the weekend, Trump also announced plans to nominate Charles Kushner as the US envoy to France in a potential second administration. Historically, US presidents have utilized pardons to benefit family members and political allies. For instance, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother for past cocaine charges, and Trump pardoned Charles Kushner for tax evasion, although both men had already served their prison sentences.
(With inputs from agencies)
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