Full written assertion from President Joe Biden on his determination to pardon his son:
At present, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took workplace, I mentioned I might not intrude with the Justice Division’s decision-making, and I saved my phrase at the same time as I’ve watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted. With out aggravating elements like use in a criminal offense, a number of purchases, or shopping for a weapon as a straw purchaser, persons are virtually by no means dropped at trial on felony costs solely for a way they crammed out a gun kind. Those that had been late paying their taxes due to critical addictions, however paid them again subsequently with curiosity and penalties, are usually given non-criminal resolutions. It’s clear that Hunter was handled in another way.
The fees in his circumstances happened solely after a number of of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to assault me and oppose my election. Then, a rigorously negotiated plea deal, agreed to by the Division of Justice, unraveled within the courtroom room – with plenty of my political opponents in Congress taking credit score for bringing political strain on the method. Had the plea deal held, it will have been a good, affordable decision of Hunter’s circumstances.
No affordable one who appears to be like on the information of Hunter’s circumstances can attain some other conclusion than Hunter was singled out solely as a result of he’s my son – and that’s incorrect. There was an effort to interrupt Hunter – who has been 5 and a half years sober, even within the face of unrelenting assaults and selective prosecution. In attempting to interrupt Hunter, they’ve tried to interrupt me – and there’s no cause to consider it should cease right here. Sufficient is sufficient.
For my complete profession I’ve adopted a easy precept: simply inform the American folks the reality. They’ll be fair-minded. Right here’s the reality: I consider within the justice system, however as I’ve wrestled with this, I additionally consider uncooked politics has contaminated this course of and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and as soon as I made this determination this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it additional. I hope People will perceive why a father and a President would come to this determination.
Initially Revealed: December 1, 2024 at 5:04 PM PST
