Read Biden's pardon of his son Hunter Biden

President Joe Biden announced that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing later this month for two federal cases.

President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he was pardoning his son Hunter Biden, who faced sentencing later this month in two federal cases. The younger Biden was convicted of federal gun charges, and he pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges in September.

The president had previously maintained that he would not pardon his son, and his reversal prompted criticism from Republicans as well as a few Democrats.

Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. 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. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/read-president-joe-biden-pardon-son-hunter-rcna182381

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