Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, ripped the decision and accused President Biden of putting ‘family ahead of the country’ with the pardon. While as a father, Polis understands President Biden’s natural desire to help his son, he believes this decision sets a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will tarnish Biden’s reputation.
Polis endorsed Biden in 2020 and even held back when there were early calls for Biden to step aside after his debate disaster. The comment reflected the blowback that the pardon is already bringing, and concerns Donald Trump will use it to his own advantage.
Democrats have repeatedly accused Trump of trying to bend the Justice Department to his own will to carry out vengeance and doling out special favors to family members. The Donald Trump campaign issued a furious statement blasting the pardon – and used it to accuse Democrats of ‘weaponizing’ the justice system.
The pardon came Sunday night, after Biden returned from a weekend with family in Nantucket. In a statement, Biden said he would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making and kept his word even as he watched his son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.
Biden claimed that people are ‘almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form.’ He added that ‘several of my political opponents in Congress’ made the charges a public concern ‘to attack me and oppose my election.’
The president said that had the plea deal Hunter agreed to with the Department of Justice not fallen through, he would have seen it as a ‘fair, reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.’ He added that ‘no reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because is my son – and that is wrong.’
The statement by Polis drew a sharp riposte from a Democratic strategist, in a warning to other party members who might stray. ‘Governor Polis just endorsed RFK Jr., who wants to end research into life-saving cures because a worm ate part of his brain. So he should look to his own reputation.’
On November 7, two days after the election with Donald Trump’s return to the White House clear, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answered with a ‘no’ when asked if the president would pardon Hunter. But there had long been suspicions that Biden would in the end pardon Hunter, his sole surviving son.
Rather than wait for the Christmas period, when Donald Trump issued a series of pardons, Biden picked the Sunday after Thanksgiving, on a day Trump announced he would nominate loyalist Kash Patel to run the FBI.
President Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger for charges related to cocaine distribution on January 20, 2001, his last day in office.
Among the first to fire off a furious statement was Kentucky GOP Rep. James Comer, among the leading advocates in Congress for going after Hunter, and among those who Biden may have had in mind when he complained that his political opponents in Congress ‘instigated’ the charges against Hunter ‘attack me and oppose my election.’
Comer wrote, ‘Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.’
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who is 91 and served decades with Biden, expressed frustration with the president – and himself. ‘I’m shocked Pres Biden pardoned his son Hunter bc he said many many times he wouldn’t & I believed him Shame on me,’ Grassley wrote on X.
The fury came as the details of Biden’s extraordinary action were coming to light. He opted to issue a blanket pardon going back to December 1, 2014, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted charges brought by special counsel David Weiss.
That period encompasses a long period before Biden took office, and would include Hunter’s foreign business dealings while his father was vice president.
Biden said repeatedly that he would not pardon his son, even as his legal situation deteriorated when a plea deal on tax charges spectacularly collapsed in Wilmington. Asked if he would accept the outcome if a jury found his son guilty, Biden answered with a simple ‘yes’ in a comment to ABC this summer.
Asked if he was ruling out a pardon, he responded with a declarative: ‘Yes.’
‘I will not pardon him,’ he said after a California jury convicted him on gun charges.
Underlining how he might bank on the Biden pardon to make his own use of the extraordinary power, Trump issued his own cheeky posting where he raised the prospect of pardoning January 6 defendants who rioted in the Capitol.
‘Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.
Conclusion:
The pardon has sparked widespread criticism and outrage, with many accusing Biden of abusing his power and showing favoritism to his son. The move has also raised concerns about the potential for future presidents to use their power to pardon their own family members or political allies.
FAQs:
Q: Why did President Biden pardon his son Hunter?
A: Biden claimed that Hunter was unfairly targeted by the Justice Department and that the charges against him were politically motivated.
Q: What does the pardon mean for Hunter Biden’s legal situation?
A: The pardon means that Hunter Biden will no longer face charges or prosecution for any crimes he may have committed. However, it does not necessarily mean that he is cleared of any wrongdoing or that he will not face any consequences for his actions.
Q: Will this pardon set a precedent for future presidents to pardon their own family members or political allies?
A: It is unclear whether this pardon will set a precedent for future presidents, but it has certainly raised concerns about the potential for abuse of power and favoritism.
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