Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: President Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden [View all]BumRushDaShow
(146,752 posts)11. From WhiteHouse.gov
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/01/statement-from-president-joe-biden-11/
Statement from President Joe Biden
Home Briefing Room Statements and Releases
Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Departments 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 Hunters cases.
No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunters 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, theyve tried to break me and theres no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.
For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. Theyll be fair-minded. Heres the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.
###
Executive Grant of Clemency
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting:
Be It Known, That This Day, I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, Pursuant to My Powers Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution, Have Granted Unto
ROBERT HUNTER BIDEN
A Full and Unconditional Pardon
For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted (including any that have resulted in convictions) by Special Counsel David C. Weiss in Docket No. 1:23-cr-00061-MN in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and Docket No. 2:23-CR-00599-MCS-1 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto signed my name and caused the Pardon to be recorded with the Department of Justice.
Done at the City of Washington this 1st day of December in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States the Two Hundred and Forty-ninth.
###
Home Briefing Room Statements and Releases
Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Departments 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 Hunters cases.
No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunters 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, theyve tried to break me and theres no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.
For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. Theyll be fair-minded. Heres the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.
###
Executive Grant of Clemency
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
President of the United States of America
To All to Whom These Presents Shall Come, Greeting:
Be It Known, That This Day, I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States, Pursuant to My Powers Under Article II, Section 2, Clause 1, of the Constitution, Have Granted Unto
ROBERT HUNTER BIDEN
A Full and Unconditional Pardon
For those offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024, including but not limited to all offenses charged or prosecuted (including any that have resulted in convictions) by Special Counsel David C. Weiss in Docket No. 1:23-cr-00061-MN in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware and Docket No. 2:23-CR-00599-MCS-1 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto signed my name and caused the Pardon to be recorded with the Department of Justice.
Done at the City of Washington this 1st day of December in the year of our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States the Two Hundred and Forty-ninth.
###
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
Recommendations
13 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
134 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations

Exactly this. The wolves are at the door and coming for us all...Biden has the power to do so just like Trump
NotHardly
Dec 1
#53
I'm reading your multiple posts, but you don't seem to have read Hunter being hunted. It would never end.
Hekate
Dec 2
#114
No this was not Joe's "own DOJ." Republican David Weiss was assigned to prosecute Hunter in 2018.
SunSeeker
Dec 2
#104
Hunter was about to be sent to jail for something nobody is ever even charged for.
SunSeeker
Dec 1
#86
It's been clear to me since the election that there was no alternative.
greatauntoftriplets
Dec 1
#17
Hunter Biden just released a statement after being pardoned by President Joe Biden
LetMyPeopleVote
Dec 1
#22
I'm taking this as a positive sign that Biden MIGHT be considering some other bold/surprising actions before...
Karasu
Dec 1
#24
Here is Hunter Biden's Declaration to the Court in California that he has formally accepted pardon
LetMyPeopleVote
Dec 1
#51
Jasmine Crockett just called out the hypocrisy of individuals pearl clutching over President Biden's pardoning of Hunter
LetMyPeopleVote
Dec 1
#58
Good, I was hoping this would happen. Hunter was used as a political football.
diane in sf
Dec 1
#65
LOL...are you serious? Biden needs to do something and go to bat for Americans??
Bengus81
Dec 2
#123
Former Watergate Prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks explains why pardon was appropriate
LetMyPeopleVote
Dec 2
#100
And, of course, all the smarmy contrarians who were whisper quiet during Trump's presidency,
gemini_liberal
Dec 2
#102
The Republicans will use this to justify Trump pardoning himself I bet but the difference is Hunter deserved the pardon.
cstanleytech
Dec 2
#113
" raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice"
onetexan
Dec 2
#120
When the President of the United States tells you the legal system is essentially broken
John Shaft
Dec 2
#126