On Way Out, Biden Issues 'full, Unconditional' Pardon To His Son Hunter In Tax, Gun Cases

Joe Biden on Sunday said he had pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges, backtracking on a long-standing promise to keep his hands off the matter and a move that even his most staunch supporters said would besmirch his legacy.

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"Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," the president said in a statement.

By choosing to put his family first, the 82-year-old has raised new questions about his already teetering position, said political experts.

The White House had said repeatedly that Biden would not pardon or commute sentences for Hunter, a recovering drug addict who became a target of Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump.

"I, Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States...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," Biden said in the statement.