Posted on 12/01/24
| News Source: FOX News
President Biden pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, after the first son was convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year.
The announcement was made by the White House on Sunday night. The pardon applies to offenses against the U.S. that Hunter Biden "has committed or may have committed" from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2024.
"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," Biden wrote in a statement. "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 went on to claim that his son was "treated differently" by prosecutors.
Hunter Biden, accompanied by his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, arrives at federal court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, in Wilmington, Delaware. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
"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," Biden added. "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."
Biden also referenced his son's battle with addiction and blamed "raw politics" for the unraveling of Hunter's plea deal.
"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," the 82-year-old father wrote. "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."
"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden's statement concluded.
Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden departs the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building on June 03, 2024 in Wilmington, Delaware. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
A court document obtained by Fox News showed that Hunter signed his name on a legal acknowledgment of the pardon.
"On December 1, 2024, I received a formally accepted the President's grant of a pardon," the document stated. "I declare (or certify, verify, or state) under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct."
In a statement on Sunday night, Hunter said that he would "never take the clemency" his father gave him for granted, and that he plans to devote his life to helping those with addiction.
"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport," the first son wrote.
"In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded."