United States President Joe Biden went back on his promise and decided to pardon his son Hunter Biden on Sunday, who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges in September.
Biden had previously pledged not to get involved in his son’s legal proceedings. Both Republicans and Democrats have criticized Hunter Biden’s pardon, US media reported. A “full and unconditional” pardon was given to Hunter Biden for any offenses in a window from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024, Reuters reported.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” Biden said in a statement.
The White House has repeatedly stated that President Biden would not grant his son a pardon or a sentence reduction. Hunter Biden was a recovering drug addict and became a target of the Republican party after his conviction in September.
“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,” Biden said in a statement released shortly before leaving for a trip to Africa.