US President Joe Biden has issued a full, unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, following convictions on gun and tax charges.
This unprecedented move marks the first time a sitting president has pardoned their child for a criminal offence.
The president’s 54-year-old son faced charges in June for illegal gun possession, a violation tied to his past struggles with drug addiction, as federal law prohibits drug users from owning firearms. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges in September.
Hunter’s legal troubles have long drawn attention, fueled by his past as a lawyer and lobbyist, including work in Ukraine and China. His discharge from the US Navy in 2014 after testing positive for cocaine further complicated his public image.
In a statement, President Biden framed his son’s legal battles as politically motivated.
“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,” he said.
Biden also criticised the collapse of a plea deal negotiated with the Department of Justice, attributing the outcome to political interference.
“Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases,” he said.
Biden emphasised that he had refrained from interfering with the Justice Department’s decisions, even as he witnessed what he described as selective and unfair prosecution of his son.
“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,” he said.
The decision echoes prior instances of US presidents pardoning family members. In 2001, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, for a 1985 cocaine offence. Similarly, Donald Trump pardoned his son-in-law Jared Kushner’s father, Charles Kushner, in 2020.
President Biden acknowledged the potential controversy surrounding his decision but appealed for understanding.
“I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision,” Biden said, expressing frustration over the prolonged ordeal his family has faced.
Hunter, who has reportedly maintained sobriety for over five years, remains a focal point of intense political and public scrutiny.
