International News: Biden pardons son Hunter, sparking political controversy

Published by [email protected] at December 1, 2024

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Posted: Sunday, December 1, 2024. 6:54 pm CST.

By Horace Palacio: U.S. President Joe Biden has granted a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, shielding him from potential imprisonment for federal gun and tax convictions. The decision reverses previous public commitments by the president not to use his powers for personal or familial benefit, sparking heated political debate.

The pardon comes just weeks before Hunter Biden’s sentencing for his convictions in Delaware and California. In the gun case, he was convicted of making false statements about his drug use while purchasing a firearm. Separately, Hunter had pleaded guilty to tax charges for failing to pay federal income taxes for two years.

This decision caps a turbulent legal chapter for the younger Biden, who revealed in late 2020 that he was under federal investigation shortly after his father won the presidency. Hunter’s legal troubles have been a focal point for Republican criticism throughout Joe Biden’s presidency.

The timing of the pardon is particularly contentious, as it comes less than two months before Donald Trump is set to assume the presidency again. Trump’s return to the White House ensures this decision will become a flashpoint in the ongoing partisan battles over ethics, justice, and the use of presidential powers.

In June, President Biden explicitly told ABC News he would not grant a pardon or clemency for his son. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated this position as recently as November 8. The reversal has drawn sharp criticism from political opponents, who accuse Biden of using the presidency to shield his family from accountability.

The White House has yet to issue a detailed explanation for the decision, though aides close to the president suggest it was motivated by personal anguish over his son’s struggles with addiction and legal challenges.

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