WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – President Joe Biden has decided to issue a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, and is expected to formally announce the decision Sunday night, according to a senior White House official. The move marks a dramatic reversal from the president’s previous public statements and comes just weeks before Hunter Biden’s sentencing dates in two federal cases.
The pardon will reportedly cover both Hunter Biden’s conviction on federal gun charges and his guilty plea on tax evasion charges. Hunter is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12 for the gun-related charges and on December 16 for the tax case, stemming from his September plea agreement.
The White House official said President Biden made the decision over the weekend and began informing senior aides on Sunday.
A Change in Position
The pardon represents a significant shift for the president, who had repeatedly vowed not to intervene in his son’s legal troubles. “I will not pardon him,” Biden stated firmly in June, following Hunter’s conviction on gun charges. First Lady Jill Biden echoed that sentiment in a June interview, saying, “Joe and I both respect the judicial system, and that’s the bottom line.”
Despite these public assurances, sources revealed that President Biden had been considering the possibility of a pardon since at least June, following Hunter’s conviction. Close aides say the decision to publicly deny clemency while leaving it as an option reflected the president’s effort to distance himself from any appearance of favoritism in his son’s legal cases.
Timing of the Pardon
The decision to pardon Hunter Biden comes as the president nears the end of his term and faces no further elections. The 82-year-old president’s move is likely to spark intense political debate and criticism, especially as Hunter Biden’s legal troubles have become a focal point of Republican scrutiny and congressional investigations.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and other administration officials previously insisted that President Biden’s stance on clemency for his son had not changed. As recently as earlier this month, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told reporters, “The president has spoken to this,” when asked about the possibility of a pardon.
The pardon, if confirmed during Sunday night’s announcement, will conclude a series of high-profile legal battles for Hunter Biden, whose personal and financial conduct has cast a shadow over his father’s presidency.
Further details and the official statement from the White House are expected later this evening.
