US President Joe Biden has officially pardoned his son Hunter, who was convicted of two criminal counts involving tax evasion and the purchase of firearms, AFP reported.
"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's case can come to any other conclusion than that Hunter was convicted simply because he is my son - and that is wrong," Biden said, calling his son's conviction a "miscarriage of justice."
Hunter was convicted earlier this year of lying about his drug use when buying a gun and also pleaded guilty in a separate trial to tax evasion.
The pardon comes after Biden has repeatedly said he would not interfere in his son's legal affairs. The White House press secretary said in September that the president would not pardon Hunter.
“I said I would not interfere with the decision-making of the Department of Justice, and I kept my word, even as I watched my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted,” Biden said.
“The charges in his cases only emerged after several of my political opponents in Congress incited them to attack me and oppose my election. I believe in the justice system, but as I fought this, I also believe that hardline politics infected this process and that led to a miscarriage of justice,” the president added. | BGNES
