He had promised not to interfere in his son's trials and ruled out any clemency measures. Instead, Joe Biden, 50 days before the end of his mandate, signed a "full and unconditional" pardon for Hunter in a surprise move that is sure to spark controversy.

The pardon, accepted on the fly by his son, concerns both trials conducted by a special prosecutor (appointed by the Biden administration's Department of Justice) and whose sentences were expected in December, with the risk of prison: the 12th in Delaware for having illegally purchased a gun by failing to declare his addiction to drugs, and the 16th in California for having evaded at least 1.4 million dollars in taxes between 2016 and 2019, money that was spent on "drugs, escorts, sex clubs, luxury hotels and rental properties, expensive cars, clothing and other personal items" .

Hunter Biden had admitted guilt on both charges, hoping for a reduced sentence.

"My son is being selectively and unfairly prosecuted, under pressure from my political adversaries, to target me ," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. In short, political persecution: "From the day I took office," the president said, "I said I would not interfere with the decision-making process of the Department of Justice, and I have kept my word even as I have watched my son be selectively and unfairly prosecuted. Without aggravating factors such as use in a crime, multiple purchases, or purchasing a gun as a front, people are almost never prosecuted for serious crimes simply because of how they filled out a gun form. Those who paid taxes late because of serious addictions, but later paid them back with interest and penalties, typically receive non-criminal penalties. It is clear that Hunter was treated differently ."

"The allegations in his cases," he continued, "emerged only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election . Then, a carefully negotiated plea agreement, accepted by the Justice Department, fell apart in the courtroom, with several of my political opponents in Congress taking credit for applying political pressure to the trial. Had the plea agreement occurred, it would have been a fair and reasonable resolution of Hunter's cases."

Again: "There was an attempt to tear apart Hunter, who has been sober for five and a half years... And in trying to tear apart Hunter, they tried to tear apart me. I believe in the justice system but I also believe that unregulated politics has infected it and led to a miscarriage of justice. I hope Americans understand why a father and a president came to this decision."

Criticism has come from Donald Trump and Moscow. " Joe's pardon for Hunter includes the January 6 hostages, who have been imprisoned for years? What an abuse and miscarriage of justice ," the tycoon wrote in Truth, referring to the Capitol Hill attackers, whom he had promised to pardon if he won.

Maria Zakharova, official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, was laconic in her comment: «The pardon granted by American President Joe Biden to his son Hunter Biden is a caricature of democracy» .

(Unioneonline/L)

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