The presidential pardon that shook America

As he nears the end of his term, President Joe Biden made an unexpected announcement over Thanksgiving weekend, granting a pardon to his son Hunter Biden, who was about to be sentenced for federal convictions related to tax and firearms violations.

Biden confirmed that he had signed a full and unconditional pardon for his son Hunter, reneging on an earlier promise not to intervene in the two cases for which his son had been convicted and were awaiting sentencing.

In June, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty of illegally purchasing and possessing a firearm, having lied on his purchase forms about his drug use. This trial brought to light not only his serious drug addiction problems, but also very personal aspects of the President’s son’s family life.

In September, he also pleaded guilty to nine charges of tax violations related to unpaid taxes totaling $1.4 million.

Hunter Biden was the target of relentless criticism from Republicans, including Donald Trump, when he was president. Details of Hunter Biden’s personal life emerged when a repair shop owner contacted the FBI in December 2019, handing over a copy of his laptop’s hard drive. The man in effect claimed that Hunter Biden had abandoned his laptop in his store.

The man had also given a copy of the data to Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, who then shared the information with the New York Post in October 2020. Several stories, both true and false, then began circulating on social networks, particularly among right-wing media.

Recall that a Delaware prosecutor, appointed by Trump, filed both indictments in 2023 after several years of investigation.

In a statement explaining his decision, Joe Biden said he had seen his son prosecuted selectively and unfairly, with no aggravating factors. He added that, in this type of case, people accused of this kind of crime are almost never brought to trial on criminal charges related to what is mentioned on a gun purchase form. Joe Biden maintains that it is clear that his son Hunter was treated differently.

Joe Biden also asserts that no reasonable person examining the facts of Hunter’s affairs could conclude otherwise than that Hunter was targeted solely because he is his son, and that is unfair, in his opinion.

Biden also says that, while he still has faith in the judicial system, he believes that raw politics infected this process, leading to this miscarriage of justice. He explains that this is the reason for his decision, and hopes that the American people will understand his choice.

As far as Hunter Biden’s sentences are concerned, which will certainly be overturned thanks to his father’s pardon, the one concerning weapons was due to be heard on December 12, while the one concerning taxes was scheduled for December 16.