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Biden says his son has been ’selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,’ arguing that the charges were influenced by political reasons.
President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, for tax and firearm charges has been described by President-elect Donald Trump as a “miscarriage of justice.”
The decision also drew criticism not only from Republican politicians, but also from some Democrats.
The president said that he believes that his son has been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” He argued that the charges brought against his son were influenced by political reasons.
“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,” Biden stated. “In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me—and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here.”
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) said that he disagreed with the president’s claims that Hunter Biden’s prosecution was a result of “politically-motivated” reasons.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, said that Biden’s move will not only tarnish his reputation but also set a “bad precedent” that could be exploited by future presidents.
‘Warranted’
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a Dec. 2 X post that the pardon was warranted and that no U.S. attorney “would have charged this case given the underlying facts.”
“After a 5 year investigation the facts as discovered only made that clear,” Holder said. “Had his name been Joe Smith the resolution would have been— fundamentally and more fairly—a declination.“
Hunter Biden was scheduled to face sentencing on Dec. 12 for gun charges and Dec. 16 for tax charges, but these sentencing hearings are now likely to be canceled.
Melanie Sun contributed to this report.