The legal proceedings against Hunter Biden over illegal firearm possession have officially been closed by the President pardon his son. Hunter Biden had been because of grave charges, potentially leading to a sentence of 25 years imprisonment. The case revolved around illegal possession of a firearm while he was a convicted drug user, violating federal gun laws.
The President’s pardon effectively closed the case against Hunter, so he would not be held criminally liable for the gun charges. This followed a controversial plea deal that had been postponed due to concerns from a federal judge.
The announcement has caused a lot of shouts in political quarters. It has not been different with some Democrats in particular who have bemoaned how the Biden administration has gone about handling Hunter’s legal issues. There is talk that this pardon may create a further rift in the current vague environment, especially with other ongoing inquiries about Hunter’s business. Republicans have blasted the pardon as a politically motivated effort to shield the president’s son amid rising scrutiny over the Biden family’s business activities.
It generated interest in the constitutional powers behind presidential pardons and what that means. There are certainly constitutional protections for presidential pardons, but they can be controversial, especially if the person receiving such a pardon happens to be the sitting president’s relative. In the case of Hunter Biden, some legal scholars would argue that the presidential pardon makes the charges null and void while restoring civil rights, including the right to possess firearms again.
Even though this is part of his legal woes, Hunter Biden is now under some investigation on other aspects of his financial and business activities. These are often seen as valuable weapons by some political analysts against the Biden administration as the political winds begin to blow toward the 2024 presidential elections.
According to PolitiFact, President Joe Biden released a statement after the verdict saying he loves his son and is proud of him. He added: “So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”
According to CBS News, Mr. Biden alleged that his son “was treated differently” than others in similar circumstances and that the charges were brought after “several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.”
