President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son was immediately criticized by Republicans — and some Democrats as well.
Colorado’s Democratic Governor Jared Polis said Biden’s pardon “will tarnish his reputation” for putting his family before country.
“Hunter has taken the legal troubles he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggle while also recognizing that no one is above the law, not a president and not the son of a president,” Polis said. wrote on social media.
Biden announced the pardon Sunday evening after months of saying he would not forgive his son Hunter Biden, who was jailed on gun and tax charges.
Most Democrats avoided commenting on the pardon, but Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), along with moderate Reps. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) and Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.), joined Polis in criticizing the president.
“President Biden’s decision has put personal interest above duty and further eroded Americans’ belief that the justice system is fair and equal for all,” Bennet said. said on social media.
“As a father, I understand,” Landsman said wrote. “But as someone who wants people to believe in public services again, that is a setback.”
Stanton was more direct, saying the prosecution of Hunter Biden was not politically motivated.
“I respect President Biden, but I think he got this wrong,” Stanton said said. “This was not a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed crimes and was convicted by a jury of his peers.
Hunter Biden was convicted by a Delaware jury this year of briefly illegally possessing a gun in 2018 while addicted to crack cocaine. He also pleaded guilty in California to failing to pay his federal taxes. He faced a prison sentence while awaiting sentencing in the two cases, but his father pardoned him for any crimes he may have committed over a ten-year period from 2014.
Federal prosecutors initially reached a tentative plea deal with Hunter Biden, but the settlement fell apart last year amid a judge’s watch, disagreement over the scope of his immunity from further charges and heavy criticism from Republicans in Congress, who alleged that the son of president get a sweetheart deal.
Until Sunday evening, when he called the case politically motivated, Joe Biden had not criticized the prosecution of his son.
“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the legal process as Hunter considers an appeal,” the president said in June when a jury found his son. guilty of illegal possession of weapons.
Both Joe Biden and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House committee that led a failed impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden for allegedly participating in his son’s business schemes, excoriated the president in a statement.
“Joe Biden lied from start to finish about his family’s corrupt influence,” Comer said. “Not only has he falsely claimed that he never met his son’s foreign business partners and that his son did nothing wrong, but he also lied when he said he would not pardon Hunter Biden.”
