UNITED States President Joe Biden has issued an official pardon for his son Hunter, who was set to face sentencing this month on federal felony gun and tax convictions against his earlier promise that he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence.
But on Sunday evening, he said although he believed in the justice system, “politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice”
Analysis: Joe Biden’s explanation might sound familiar to anyone who has listened to Donald Trump rail against the justice system in recent years, writes Anthony Zurcher.
Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to tax charges in September, and was found guilty of being an illegal drug user in possession of a gun in June – becoming the first child of a sitting president to be a convicted of a crime.
President-elect Trump called the pardon an “abuse and miscarriage of justice“, while some Republicans have branded Joe Biden “a liar”
What The People Say
President Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, has really divided opinion.
Eric Holder, the former Obama era attorney general, the most senior law enforcement figure in the administration, he has backed Joe Biden’s move – effectively saying that Hunter Biden was unfairly targeted because of the Biden name.
But you’ve also got the Democratic governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, who’s come out and said that while he understood the desire of President Biden to help his son, it sets a “bad precedent” that could be abused by later presidents and he said it would “sadly tarnish his reputation” because, of course, Joe Biden leaves office on January 20, 2025.
For Joe Biden, it doesn’t matter for him, there’s no electoral consequences for him, he’s leaving office and the Democrats aren’t going to face any more elections for the next two years.
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In the eyes of the public, the risk is that this further undermines public confidence in politicians as this is seen, quite publicly, as Joe Biden going back on his word having said that he wouldn’t pardon his son – he has now done so.
But Joe Biden has clearly weighed up the probe he might get from the public versus his feelings about the prosecution and being a father.
BBC
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