U.S. President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who faced convictions for making false statements on a gun background check and illegally possessing a firearm. Hunter had also pled guilty to federal tax charges.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden stated, emphasizing that he had not interfered with Justice Department decisions despite believing Hunter was “selectively and unfairly prosecuted.”
The White House had previously maintained that Biden would not pardon or commute Hunter’s sentence. Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, had criticized Hunter, a recovering drug addict, as a political target. “No reasonable person looking at the facts can conclude otherwise,” Biden added.
Hunter Biden, who admitted to struggling with addiction, said in a statement that he took responsibility for his past mistakes. “During the darkest days of my addiction, I squandered many opportunities,” he said, expressing gratitude for the pardon and vowing to help others battling addiction. Sober for over five years, he acknowledged the pardon as a second chance he would not take for granted.
Hunter faced sentencing Wednesday for the gun charges and on Dec. 16 for tax violations, after repaying $1.4 million in taxes. Biden defended his son, stating that similar cases often result in non-criminal resolutions and accused his opponents of using Hunter’s struggles for political gain.
“In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me,” Biden said. “Enough is enough.”
The decision was made over Thanksgiving weekend, which the Bidens spent with family in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
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