President Biden Explains Decision to Pardon His Son

After previously saying he would not pardon his son following his federal felony gun and tax convictions, President Biden on Sunday did that very thing, some 50 days before he is set to exit the White House, reports the New York Times. Fox News reports the pardon applies to offenses against the US that the younger Biden "has committed or may have committed" between Jan. 1, 2014 and Dec. 1, 2024. In a written statement, President Biden explained his decision to pardon Hunter, reports the AP. It reads:

• "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. Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form. Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently."

• "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. Then, a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Department of Justice, unraveled in the court room—with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for bringing political pressure on the process. Had the plea deal held, it would have been a fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter's cases."
• "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. 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.
• For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They'll be fair-minded. Here's the truth: 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.

• The Times notes that on his final day as president, Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton for prior cocaine charges. In that case, Roger Clinton had already served his time, making the pardon "about forgiveness or vindication rather than avoiding time behind bars."
• The Times adds that the administration had repeatedly emphasized no pardon would be coming. When asked whether a potential pardon was possible in the summer of 2023, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said "no." To a follow-up question, she replied, "I just said no. I just answered."

(More President Biden stories.)