U-turn

Biden pardons son Hunter before sentence is announced

(Bild: APA/AFP )

Shortly before he leaves office, US President Joe Biden has now pardoned his own son Hunter Biden after all. A U-turn by the Democrat: After withdrawing from the presidential election campaign, he had publicly promised not to interfere in the decisions of the Department of Justice.

Hunter Biden has to stand trial for tax evasion and illegal possession of a firearm. For the 54-year-old, the pardon means that he will not be sentenced for his crimes and therefore also rules out the possibility of a prison sentence.

Sentence should have been announced soon
The verdict in the trial against the president's son was due to be announced on December 12, when the sentence was to be determined. It is to be expected that the responsible judges will now cancel this date. 

Joe Biden's statement on the pardon: 

The broad pardon grants clemency for the tax and gun crimes Hunter Biden is charged with, as well as any federal crimes Hunter Biden may have committed "from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024." This period includes his entire term on the board of the Ukrainian gas company Burisma and a large part of his other foreign activities, including in China. The 54-year-old came under scrutiny for these activities. 

Biden: "Hunter was treated differently"
The US President justified the pardon on the grounds that his son had been "selectively and unfairly prosecuted". "Hunter was treated differently" than people who had committed similar crimes, said the head of state. He had "only been singled out for prosecution because he is my son".

"I believe in the justice system, but while I have looked into this matter, I also believe that this process was influenced by pure politics and led to a miscarriage of justice," Biden said in his statement. He hopes for understanding "as to why a father and president came to this decision." 

Trump smells "abuse and miscarriage of justice"
US President-elect Donald Trump condemned the pardon on social media as "abuse and miscarriage of justice". The new head of state is also planning such measures: He had told his supporters who were arrested during the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to pardon them as soon as he is back in office. 

Charles Kushner is the father of Jared Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump.

(Bild: 2004 Getty Images)

Trump also pardoned in the family circle
Trump had already pardoned family members during his first term in office: his son-in-law's father, Charles Kushner, was convicted of tax evasion in 2004. He spent two years in prison for this. Shortly before Trump left office, the then head of state pardoned him as one of a total of 26 convicts. Now he is even to become ambassador to France.

Bill Clinton made half-brother's criminal record disappear
Democratic President Bill Clinton used his power to carry out a family pardon. His half-brother Roger Clinton had previously come into conflict with the law due to drunk driving and drug offenses - he spent a year in prison. As one of his last acts in office, Bill Clinton had his brother's criminal record expunged.