US President Joe Biden announced that he has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced convictions for making false statements on a gun background check and illegally possessing a firearm, as well as pleading guilty to federal tax charges.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. Since the day I took office, I committed to not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I have upheld that promise, even while witnessing my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” he stated in a release from the White House.
The White House had consistently maintained that Mr. Biden would not grant a pardon or commute the sentences of his son, a recovering drug addict who has been a focal point for Republican criticism, including from President-elect Donald Trump.
Joe Biden mentioned that the decision came over the weekend.
“No reasonable person looking at the facts surrounding Hunter’s cases can arrive at any other conclusion than that he was targeted solely because he is my son,” Mr. Biden remarked.
He disclosed that the decision was made over the weekend. The president, along with his wife, Jill Biden, and their family, including Hunter, celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts, before returning to Washington on Saturday night.
“Here’s the truth: I have faith in the justice system, but as I contemplated this, I also believe that raw politics have tainted this process, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. Once I arrived at this decision over the weekend, I saw no reason to postpone it,” Mr. Biden explained.
“I hope that Americans can understand why a father and a President would come to this conclusion,” he added.
