President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he has granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, citing what he described as “selective prosecution” and political interference in the legal process.
In a written statement, the President said the charges brought against Hunter, which included gun and tax-related offenses, were unusually harsh given the circumstances. Biden argued that similar cases are often resolved without criminal charges, particularly for individuals with substance abuse issues who later pay their taxes with interest and penalties.
“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 – and that is wrong,” Biden said in the statement.
The pardon covers offenses Hunter Biden may have committed from January 1, 2014, through December 1, 2024. This includes charges prosecuted by Special Counsel David Weiss in federal courts in Delaware and California.
The President acknowledged the political controversy surrounding the case, stating that political opponents in Congress had applied pressure to instigate the charges and later disrupted a plea deal negotiated by the Department of Justice. He called the process a “miscarriage of justice” and described the relentless scrutiny his son has faced as an effort to “break Hunter” and, by extension, himself.
Hunter Biden, now 54, has been sober for more than five years, according to the President. Biden emphasized his belief in the justice system but said the circumstances surrounding his son’s case required him to act decisively.
“There’s no reason to believe it will stop here,” the President said. “Enough is enough.”
The pardon has drawn immediate attention, with supporters praising Biden’s defense of his family and critics accusing him of undermining the legal process. Hunter Biden has not yet commented publicly on the pardon.
The Executive Grant of Clemency was signed Sunday and has been recorded with the Department of Justice.
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