The decision, which was first reported by NBC News, is a reversal for the president, who repeatedly said he would not use his authority to pardon his son or commute his sentence.

Summary

President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, reversing his prior stance against using executive clemency.

The pardon covers Hunter’s federal gun conviction and tax evasion guilty plea, sparking political controversy.

Biden cited political attacks and a “miscarriage of justice” as reasons for his decision, emphasizing his son’s recovery from addiction and the targeting of his family.

Critics argue the move undermines the judicial process, while supporters view it as within Biden’s constitutional powers.

This decision shields Hunter from potential prison time as Biden nears the end of his presidency.

  • @[email protected]
    21•5 months ago

    Lol I don’t give a fuck, if I had a functional democracy with justice then maybe k would care, but this system is clearly FUBAR

  • astrsk
    267•5 months ago

    The votes came in. The country chose corruption and “fuck it” politics. At this point Joe just wants to protect himself / family from the coming retribution administration.

    • @[email protected]
      5•5 months ago

      History has now shown us that there was evidently no one on the ballot who wasnt a “corruption and fuck it politics” candidate.

    • @[email protected]
      56•5 months ago

      This is yet another example of Biden just not doing things sufficiently enough. He must issue a preemptive umbrella pardon for himself, as Trump’s DOJ, FBI, and CIA will go after him

      • astrsk
        42•5 months ago

        I agree, he should push the limit of what’s possible to force the Supreme Court to rule on the actions, call their bluff, lay bare the hypocrisy officially for all the world to see.

        • @[email protected]
          12•5 months ago

          He should have threatened to start jailing Senators as an official act unless they pass a law/amendment saying that he can’t.

          He still can, in fact.

        • @[email protected]
          29•5 months ago

          Exactly. By not testing the supreme court, he is seen as being complicit in the manipulation of the system that Trump plans to implement and he might fall victim of it himself. The chances that Biden dies of old age during a lengthy court case or in jail, unfortunately, are non-zero.

          In any case, Dem’s lack of imagination is just astounding

  • @[email protected]
    2•5 months ago

    Power corrupts. If you have the opportunity to help a family member without any blowback, eventually the opportunity will soften you up.

    And then the same power goes to Trump, who’s not in need of corrupting, since he’s already fully baked.

    I guess it would be better if a power to bypass the justice system wasn’t available. A creative and unethical person can do a lot of things with it. Bad things.

  • @[email protected]
    14•5 months ago

    I love how the top comment is essentially whataboutism.

    Post: Joe Biden does thing.

    Lemmy: TRUUUUUUUUMP.

  • @[email protected]
    18•5 months ago

    A pretty mundane act of fatherhood. If you had the power to prevent your kid from going to jail for something that was done a 5 years ago most people would do it. It wasn’t a violent crime that he is being pardoned from so its not that much different than all the pardons Trump did in his first term for all the fraud convictions.

    • @[email protected]
      13•5 months ago

      I do love it. It’s about time a Democrat fucking did something without constant worry about what Fox News might say about it. You think we were going to win over these supposed “centrists” anyway?

      He’s not appointing him to a cabinet position. He’s not making him the Ambassador to France. And the only reason he was having the entire book thrown at him for crimes he did, absolutely commit was, in fact, political.

      Fuck former Senator Bob Menendez. That was real corruption. Fuck Blagojevich, he should rot in prison (except that Trump pardoned him). But Hunter’s crimes were pretty minor.

      • [email protected]
        12•5 months ago

        I’d prefer that he’d act in the interest of the American people overall in his cutting and running. The last month has had many examples of last minute “good luck with the fallout, Donny” moves, but this is exclusively self interest. I don’t love it, but I get it. Hope he enjoys whichever country he and his son will flee to as we mad max it

  • @[email protected]English
    10•5 months ago

    Good.

    Why should Democrats continue taking the high ground now? Americans just overwhelmingly voted for blatant corruption. Nothing matters anymore. No reason for Dems to play it straight when they already tried that and Americans didn’t respect it.

    Corruption is in. Let’s do it.

  • @[email protected]
    45•5 months ago

    Just like Harris going to Hawaii immediately after her loss, this sends a clear message.

    “I don’t give a fuck. This was always about personal power and wealth.”

    Just incase anyone thought the DNC would actually use their defeat as a reason to soul search about how their neoliberal policies no longer serve the people and that’s why people aren’t coming out to vote.

  • @[email protected]English
    18•5 months ago

    Fuck it, I’d do the same. Potentially 25 years in prison for non-violent crimes is ridiculous. Might as well use the power to prevent it while you still have it.

  • @[email protected]
    43•5 months ago

    On the one hand this is pretty hypocritical. On the other hand I probably would do the same in his position given that trump plans to weaponize the Justice department. Not great but this is the state our country is in now.