The outgoing President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, has completely and unconditionally pardoned his son Hunter Biden, who has legal problems.
The pardon occurred a few weeks before Biden leaves office and transfers power to President-elect Donald Trump, who for several years has attacked Hunter Biden over his legal issues, writes The New York Times.
Biden's decision came Sunday night, some time after he insisted he would not use the power of his office to influence his son's legal troubles, including a federal conviction for illegal gun purchases and evasion.
In a statement released by the White House, Biden said he has decided to issue a pardon for his son "for acts against the United States that he committed or may have committed or participated in during the period from January 1, 2014, to December 1, 2024.”
He said he made the decision because the charges against Hunter are politically motivated.
"The charges in his cases came only after some of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election," Mr. Biden said in the statement. "No reasonable person looking at the facts of the Hunter cases can come to any conclusion other than that Hunter was singled out just because he's my son — and that's wrong. In trying to break Hunter, they've tried to break me - and there is no reason to believe that it will stop here. Enough is enough", said Biden.
"I hope the American people will understand why a father and a president would make this decision."
After Biden announced the pardon, Hunter Biden released a statement of his own.
"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction - mistakes that were used to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for the sport of politics," he said. "I will never take for granted the mercy I have been given today and I will dedicate the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering," he declared.
