Biden pardons his son Hunter

President Biden announced Sunday that he signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, arguing that the charges against his son were made for political reasons.

Pardons innocent Hunter Biden in his two federal cases.

Hunter Biden was convicted in June in a three-count federal case for his purchase and possession of a firearm in 2018, violating the law by concealing his drug use. He pleaded guilty in September to nine federal tax charges, avoiding a trial.

“No reasonable person looking at the facts regarding Hunter’s cases can come to any conclusion other than this: Hunter was chosen solely because he is my son – and that is wrong,” Biden said in a statement. press release.

“Efforts have been made to break Hunter – who has been sober for five and a half years, even in the face of relentless attacks and selective prosecution,” he added. “By trying to break Hunter, they tried to break me – and there is no reason to believe it will stop there. Enough is enough.

The president and White House press secretary have said repeatedly in recent months that Biden has no plans to pardon his son. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on November 7, two days after President-elect Trump’s victory, that the answer was always “no” when asked about a possible pardon.

Biden, in his statement, released as he left for a multi-day trip to Angola, asserted that he had kept his word not to interfere in the Justice Department’s decision-making.

“The accusations in his cases came only after several of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election,” Biden said. “Then a carefully negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Justice Department, played out in the courtroom – with a number of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for exerting political pressure about the process.”

The president argued his son was being “treated differently,” saying most people in his situation wouldn’t face criminal charges just for how they filled out a gun purchase form and that those who repay their taxes with interest and penalties generally see themselves “untreated”. criminal resolutions.

“Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I’ve fought against it, I also believe that crude politics has infected that process and led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I “I hope the American people understand why a father and a president would make this decision.

Hunter Biden, 54, was ready to face condemnation in his federal gun case Wednesday.

The president’s son said in a statement Sunday evening that he “will never take for granted the clemency granted to me today and will dedicate the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and who suffer.

“I admitted and took responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that were exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” Hunter Biden said. “Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for over five years thanks to my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends.

“In the grip of addiction, I wasted many opportunities and advantages,” he added. “In recovery, we may have the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy we have been given. »

Biden’s lawyers filed a notice of clemency in his two cases late Sunday, asking the judge to dismiss the indictment with prejudice.

Trump and other Republicans have for years attacked the Biden family as criminally corrupt, with a particular focus on Hunter Biden’s overseas business dealings.

President-elect Trump, in an article on its Truth Social platformon Sunday called Biden’s pardon of his son an “abuse and miscarriage of justice.”

“Does Joe’s pardon of Hunter include the J-6 hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? What an abuse and what a judicial error! “” the president-elect said, apparently referring to the rioters accused of storming the U.S. Capitol during the January 6, 2021 attack.

Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement obtained by The Hill’s sister network, NewsNation, that “the witch hunt against President Trump have proven that Democrat-controlled (Justice Department) prosecutors and other radical prosecutors are guilty of militarizing the justice system.”

House Republicans have sought to make Hunter Biden’s affairs a central part of their impeachment inquiry into President Biden. But their report failed to discover a smoking gun, relying instead on largely debunked threads, disputed testimony, and circumstantial evidence that failed to directly tie an official action by President Biden to his family’s business dealings.

Yet they spoke out on Hunter Biden’s legal dealings and brought even more attention to the high-profile case.

Hunter Biden was initially offered a plea deal on his gun charges, but it fell apart under a judge’s scrutiny.

He also faced sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers who pointed to testimony received from two IRS whistleblowers accusing prosecutors of slowing down his case and failing to pursue more serious tax charges.

The lead prosecutor overseeing his case, Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss, was later elevated to special counsel amid complaints from Republican Party members of Congress, allowing him to bring the tax case to California.

Trump, who repeatedly complained during Hunter Biden’s gun trial that he was getting preferential treatment, said late last month that he would not exclude a pardon for Hunter Biden if he won the election.

NBC News first reported on Biden’s plans to pardon his son.

Updated at 10:34 p.m. EST.

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports and streaming videos, visit The Hill.