Joe Biden signed a pardon on Sunday for his son, Hunter Biden, covering all offenses committed against the United States between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.

The move has drawn significant criticism from Republicans and conservatives, who argue it demonstrates political favoritism and undermines justice.

Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted earlier this year on federal gun charges and tax evasion offenses.

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He pleaded guilty in September to nine counts related to failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes and was convicted in June of three firearm-related charges, including possession of a firearm while addicted to illegal drugs.

Biden defended the decision, claiming his son had been “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.” In a statement, the outgoing president said, “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. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

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The pardon effectively shields Hunter Biden from further prosecution, including potential charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which were under investigation but never formally brought.

President-elect Donald Trump condemned the pardon, calling it “an abuse and miscarriage of justice.” In a post on Truth Social, Trump asked, “Does the pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years?”

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) also criticized the move, stating, “Joe Biden has lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence peddling activities. Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met with his son’s foreign business associates and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.”

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Comer added that the charges Hunter faced were “just the tip of the iceberg” in what he described as the “blatant corruption” of the Biden family.

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In a statement released by his legal team, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude for the pardon, acknowledging his past mistakes and pledging to devote his life to helping others. “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction,” he said. “I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted.”

IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who previously alleged that the Justice Department interfered in investigations into Hunter Biden, also criticized the pardon.

In a joint statement, they called it “a sad day for law-abiding taxpayers” and accused the Justice Department of giving special treatment to the president’s son.

“No amount of lies or spin can hide the simple truth that the Justice Department nearly let the president’s son off the hook for multiple felonies,” they said.

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Hunter Biden’s legal issues stemmed from his involvement in lucrative international business dealings, including ties to Ukrainian and Chinese firms, while his father served as vice president.

House Republicans investigated allegations that Joe Biden played a role in these dealings, with evidence showing meetings between the elder Biden and Hunter’s business associates.

One high-profile case involved Ukrainian energy company Burisma, which paid Hunter Biden a $1 million salary despite his lack of industry experience.

Additionally, Hunter’s ties to Chinese state-linked companies drew scrutiny, including a $3 million payment from CEFC China Energy, which occurred shortly after a meeting involving Joe Biden.

The pardon comes as Joe Biden prepares to leave office and Donald Trump prepares to take over the presidency following his victory over Kamala Harris in the November election.

The pardon also comes after Joe Biden and the White House have repeatedly said that ‘No one is above the law,’ and Joe wouldn’t be pardoning Hunter.

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Critics argue that the pardon reflects an effort to shield Hunter Biden from legal consequences before Biden leaves the White House.

Biden, however, insisted the decision was not politically motivated, saying, “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.”

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Hunter Biden had been scheduled for sentencing in December before accepting the pardon.

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