White House promised repeatedly not to pardon Hunter Biden
(TNND) — President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing possible prison time for federal felony gun and tax convictions.
The decision, which reverses Biden's past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members, comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.
Biden believes that his son was targeted by overzealous prosecutors due to political pressure from Trump and congressional Republicans.
The president also believes that his opponents were trying to "break Hunter" while he was recovering from addiction. Biden has stated that the charges against his son were wrong and that he was singled out because he is his son.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for Hunter Biden as recently as November, stating that the answer remains no. This came after Trump's victory and amidst concerns about the younger Biden's legal troubles.
The National News Desk looked back into their video archives as well, finding several clips from where Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon: The briefings were held on Nov. 8, Sept. 5, Aug. 14, and June 18.
In June, Hunter Biden was convicted in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018, when prosecutors said he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 13, but the judge agreed to delay the hearing until Dec. 4 after Hunter Biden's lawyers said they needed more time to adequately prepare.
He faced up to 25 years in prison for the weapons charges but was expected to receive a far lesser sentence or serve no jail time at all as a first-time offender who did not use the gun for a violent crime.