12/01/2024

Despite Previous Pledges He Would Not Do So, President Biden Pardons His Son, Hunter

This spares his son from a possible prison sentence

This evening, President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges; it also comes less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

It caps a long-running legal saga for the younger Biden, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after his father's 2020 victory; some will say it casts a pall over the elder Biden's legacy. Biden, who repeatedly pledged he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump's first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge that he would not. This comes after the Democratic Party shifted its loyalty from Biden to Vice President Kamala Harris in the fall election.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Associated Press.