President Biden signed a pardon for his son Hunter Sunday after the younger Biden was convicted of federal gun charges and federal tax evasion charges earlier this year, the outgoing Democrat announced.
Biden, 82, claimed he was taking the controversial action after he watched his son being “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”
The about-face comes after the president, who played a recurring role in the Chinese and Ukrainian business relationships involved in the tax case, previously claimed he would not pardon Hunter, 54.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine counts tied to bilking Americans of $1.4 million in taxes and was found guilty of three federal gun charges in June after he was charged with possession of a firearm while addicted to illegal drugs.
The pardon’s language, which was posted online along with the 46th president’s statement, covers all offenses committed by Hunter against the US between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 1, 2024, including any crimes for which he has not been charged.
He said the criminal problems for Hunter only began after several of his political opponents in Congress “instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.”
Hunter accepted a probation-only plea bargain last June — only after IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler alleged a far-reaching Justice Department cover-up, including tipping off Hunter’s lawyers to a planned search and barring inquiries into Joe Biden’s role.
The first son walked away from that “sweetheart” deal last July during a dramatic courtroom appearance at which his attorneys demanded immunity for possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which could implicate his father.
