PRESIDENT Joe Biden granted a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year. The announcement came Sunday night from the White House.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” President Biden said in a statement. “From the day I took office, I pledged not to interfere with the Justice Department’s decisions, and I have upheld that promise, even as I watched my son be selectively and unfairly prosecuted.”
In his statement, the president criticized the treatment of his son, particularly concerning felony charges.
“Without aggravating factors like using a gun in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are rarely prosecuted on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form,” Biden wrote.
“Similarly, those who were late in paying taxes due to serious addiction issues, but who later paid the taxes with interest and penalties, usually face non-criminal resolutions. It’s clear that Hunter was treated differently.”
Hunter Biden, 54, had a turbulent year in the courts. He faced three felony firearm charges in Delaware in June before pleading guilty to felony tax charges in September.
The pardon marks a shift from President Biden’s previous statements earlier this year when he had ruled out the possibility of granting his son a pardon.
In an interview with one reliable media source, before Hunter’s guilty plea in the gun case, the president said he would not intervene. “Yes,” Biden had responded when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter.
After the gun case conviction, Biden reiterated his stance, saying, “I am not going to do anything. I will abide by the jury’s decision.”
Hunter Biden was convicted on charges related to making false statements on a federal firearm form in 2018 and for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of controlled substances.
Prosecutors focused on his inaccurate responses on ATF Form 4473, where he denied being addicted to drugs despite a well-documented history of addiction.
Hunter Biden’s struggles with substance abuse have been widely reported, including in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things, in which he detailed his battle with crack cocaine addiction and the impact it had on his life.