President Joe Biden recently plastered headlines following his decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who was found guilty of felony tax offenses and gun charges, in Los Angeles, California, and Wilmington, Delaware, federal courts, respectively.
This act occurs as the current president mops up any outlying controversy before he exits the Oval Office and labors to maintain his status in American politics and society.
Upholding Presidential Privilege
Being part of the first family can be a great honor and privilege. However, Hunter Biden’s image is mired by controversy, scandal and legal prosecutions for the past four years of his father’s term.
In December 2020, shortly after President Biden was elected, authorities began investigations into Hunter Biden’s tax history and affairs.
No one could anticipate the scandalous effect the investigations would have on the new Biden administration, especially since no official legal consequences materialized as the cases were investigatory.
In March 2022, scrutiny increased dramatically as federal prosecution aimed their sights on Hunter Biden’s questionable overseas business dealings with Ukraine and China. Suspicions intensified when the way the younger Biden paid his taxes was brought to light.
In pursuit of justice and preventing any “sweeping under the rug” activities from the bureaucratic machine, the GOP, after congressional gains from the 2022 midterm elections, rightfully launched investigative oversight hearings to unearth any shady dealings the Biden family was allegedly involved in.
Over the course of 2023, whistleblower information and the House Oversight Committee thrust Hunter Biden’s controversy into the limelight. With the Biden administration struggling to satiate plummeting approval ratings at the time, the potential corruption of the president’s son was a hot topic across the nation. The remainder of 2023 was characterized by a battle between Capitol Hill Republicans and executive officials in the Biden administration.
Attorney General Merrick Garland refuted the IRS whistleblowers, and FBI Director Wray even testified before a congressional committee in a classic establishment battle, with Congress on one side and the bureaucracy on the other.
Late 2023 stirred more controversy for the Biden family, as Hunter Biden and his attorneys filed lawsuits against the IRS for the release of the whistleblowers’ information and against Rudy Giuliani for discovering Hunter Biden’s laptop, a supposed treasure trove of criminal activity the president’s son is involved in.
September 2023 marked the second round of federal prosecution, where special counsel David Weiss brought an official indictment on felony gun charges, accusing Hunter Biden of lying about being drug-free when completing a federal form to purchase a firearm.
In June 2024, a jury found Hunter Biden guilty of federal gun charges, in which President Biden stated he would accept the judicial outcome.
Later, in September 2024, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi accepted Hunter Biden’s guilty plea and convicted him of his felony tax charges. A sentencing date was set for Dec. 16, where the younger Biden could potentially face up to 17 years in prison.
In tandem, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika agreed with the defense to push back the sentencing date of Hunter Biden’s gun charges to Dec. 12. With the gun charges threatening up to 25 years in prison, the month of December seemed to be a consequential one for the Biden family.
However, just before the justice’s answer came to Hunter Biden, President Biden used the presidential pardon to relieve his son of any punishment which may have been issued from his federal cases.
One can understand why Biden senior came to the decision he did, but with the pardon following explicit statements to the contrary, the choice only further dampens what little positive reputation the family has left.
“When asked Thursday whether the president has any intention of pardoning his son, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded, ‘We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.’” ABC reported.
As the Biden administration bids farewell to Washington, D.C., one of President Joe Biden’s last acts appears to be picking up the pieces of his family’s image and protecting his son from legality, even at the possible expense of his presidential legacy.
0
0
Be First to Comment