By Agency Report
US President Joe Biden has granted an unconditional pardon to his son Hunter, who faced sentencing this month for federal tax and gun convictions.
In a statement issued by the White House on Sunday, December 1, Biden said that his son had been “singled out” and “selectively, and unfairly” prosecuted due to his family name.
This official grant of clemency cannot be rescinded by President-elect Donald Trump.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” the president said in a statement.
Read alss
- Breaking: Congress Affirms Joe Biden As Next US President, Trump Capitulates
- Joe Biden Gifts Vladimir Putin As US, Russia Set To Reinstate Ambassadors
- Joe Biden Heads To Washington After His Emotional Speech
Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on December 12 for his conviction on federal gun charges. He also was set to be sentenced on December 16 in a separate criminal case in which he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges in September.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice — and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision,” Biden said in his statement.
The president issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for any offenses Hunter Biden has “committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024,” according to the White House statement.
The president also spoke about his son’s struggles with addiction in his statement Sunday night, saying that his political opponents were trying to “break” him by going after Hunter.
Hunter Biden faced sentencing for the false statements and gun convictions this month. In September he pleaded guilty to federal charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while spending lavishly on drugs, sex workers and luxury items.
Republicans criticise Biden