Outgoing U.S President Joe Biden has granted a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, resolving his legal troubles over weapons and tax charges.
In a lengthy statement on December 1, Biden defended his son, claiming he was treated unfairly and that the charges were politically motivated. “It is clear that Hunter was treated differently,” Biden said. “These charges only came after some of my political opponents in Congress encouraged them to attack me and oppose my decisions.”
Hunter Biden faced federal charges for lying on a gun purchase form in 2018 and for tax offenses. In June, he pleaded guilty to three charges related to the gun purchase and to nine federal tax violations in September. He had falsely declared on his firearm form that he was not using illegal drugs at the time of the purchase.
Biden, who had previously stated he would not use his executive powers to intervene in his son’s case, expressed frustration with the legal proceedings, calling them an effort to break both him and his son. “There has been an attempt to break Hunter,” Biden added. “In doing so, they tried to break me. Enough is enough.”
Hunter was due for sentencing in mid-December, but Biden’s pardon has now brought the matter to a close.
