The decision spares Hunter a possible prison sentence and reverses Biden's promises not to use the powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family.

The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump’s first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    24 days ago

    We’ve spent the last decade seeing repeatedly that the law doesn’t mean shit for the red team; is anyone actually surprised that blue is saying ‘fuck it’ now, too?

    …but since we’re just openly abusing presidential power now, any chance he’ll use it to get something actually useful done, or we stopping at individual favors?

      • Jack@slrpnk.net
        0·
        24 days ago

        All the immigrants will not be safe unter trump also, but nobody cares about them do they?

        • ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.comEnglish
          0·
          23 days ago

          Are they charged or convicted of a federal crime where a pardon is even relevant? It’s not a power to grant citizenships or a genie wish.

          Now, the whole ‘president can down whatever they like as an official act’ that the SCOTUS gave recently is another matter…

          • Jack@slrpnk.net
            0·
            23 days ago

            Just wait for the tariffs to kick in, then they will live as kings and there will be no economic problems ever again /s

      • Grapho@lemmy.ml
        0·
        23 days ago

        That is the bed that Biden made when he decided to massively incarcerate poor people to get some free labor for corporations.