Biden's pardon for son angers rivals, allies

White House defends US president's decision

WASHINGTON:

US President Joe Biden's announcement shocked Washington, after he entered the White House in 2021 vowing to restore the "integrity" of a justice system that Democrats said had been corrupted by Trump -- and because he had specifically vowed not to reprieve his son.

The president instead issued a "full and unconditional" pardon on Sunday, absolving 54-year-old Hunter Biden of any wrongdoing over the last decade, charged or otherwise, just ahead of his looming sentencing over gun and tax convictions.

Biden argued that his son had been targeted in a politicized prosecution launched under the Trump administration and that "there's no reason to believe it will stop here."

But the backlash from his own side was swift. "I know that there was a real strong sentiment and wanting to protect Hunter Biden from unfair prosecution," Glenn Ivey, a Democratic congressman in Maryland and an attorney, told CNN.

"But this is going to be used against us when we're fighting the misuses that are coming from the Trump administration."

While politicians typically pay lip service to the importance of independent law enforcement, Democrats and Republicans offer different justifications for suspicion of the Justice Department and presidents of both stripes have protected allies.

Trump wielded the pardon power liberally in favor of convicts with whom he had personal relationships, including his daughter's father-in-law Charles Kushner, his friend Roger Stone and his 2016 campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

The White House defended President Joe Biden's decision to pardon his son, Hunter, and said the president believed his political opponents would have kept persecuting his son going forward.

"They would continue to go after his son," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Air Force One during a trip to Angola. Jean-Pierre said this was not the first time a president had pardoned a family member.

Biden said in June that he would not pardon his son. In an interview with ABC News, Biden replied "yes" when asked if he would rule out pardoning Hunter. Jean-Pierre declined to give details on why or how Biden had changed his mind.

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to federal tax charges in federal court in Los Angeles and was due to be sentenced Dec 16 under Mark C Scarsi, a judge nominated by Republican President-elect Donald Trump. A jury found him guilty in June of making false statements on a gun background check; he was due to be sentenced for those charges this month as well.

Biden said on Sunday that his son had been selectively prosecuted and treated differently than others with similar situations. Late on Sunday, Hunter Biden's attorney filed to dismiss the indictments against him.

The president's full and unconditional pardon "requires dismissal of the indictment against" Hunter Biden, the lawyer wrote in filings related to criminal tax and gun cases against him.