President Biden pardons son Hunter, breaking promise as he leaves office

President Joe Biden on Sunday night pardoned his son Hunter on gun and tax charges, breaking a promise he had made to voters.

The clemency was announced by the White House, which included a statement from the 46th president.

“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," Biden wrote in a statement. "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."

“Without aggravating factors like use in a crime, multiple purchases, or buying a weapon as a straw purchaser, people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form," Biden added. "Those who were late paying their taxes because of serious addictions, but paid them back subsequently with interest and penalties, are typically given non-criminal resolutions. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently."

Hunter Biden, 54, he was convicted earlier this year by a Delaware jury on gun charges, and then pled guilty to tax charges in California. 

The clemency was a major about-face. The White House had repeatedly said Biden would not pardon his son.

And the president answered “yes," when ABC News asked if he would rule out pardoning his son.

In his statement, Biden claimed to have wrestled with the decision.

“For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth. They’ll be fair-minded,” he said. “Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”

Republicans who led the investigation into Biden family corruption immediately slammed the pardon. 

“Just confirming that under Democrat governance, there truly is a dual system of justice,” Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin wrote on X. “One that protects Democrats and another weaponized against their political opponents.”