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As Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, faces charges related to taxes and guns, the White House clarified that Joe Biden will not be pardoning his son. Hunter pleaded not guilty to the tax charges in a Wilmington, Delaware court, under a deal he closed with federal prosecutors.
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated during a press briefing that Joe Biden would not offer a presidential pardon to his son. Hunter’s business ties and legal issues have led Republicans to insinuate that President Biden is corrupt and should be impeached.
The power of a presidential pardon is outlined in Article 2 of the US Constitution, which allows the president to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment. Past presidents, such as Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, have used this power, but its use has been controversial, as some pardons were seen as favors to donors and supporters.
Former President Donald Trump, who is running as the Republican nominee for the second time in the upcoming presidential elections, has been indicted twice in cases relating to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving office. Trump’s legal team sought an extension of the trial until after the elections.
Trump also disclosed that he received a “target” letter from the DOJ regarding the January 6 probe and expressed discomfort with the ongoing investigations against him.
Jean-Pierre emphasized that Hunter Biden’s legal problems are a personal matter for him as a private citizen. The case was handled independently by the justice department, under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president.
Biden has used the pardon sparingly during his presidency, primarily focusing on convictions related to drug offenses. On the other hand, during his tenure, Trump granted numerous pardons and commutations, some of which were highly controversial, including those for Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, and Paul Manafort.
