Biden says he has pardoned his son, Hunter

In a controversial move, US President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, sparing him from possible imprisonment. and abolishing the humiliation of capital punishment. The decision marks a reversal of Biden’s earlier pledge not to use his presidential powers for family gain. Hunter Biden, 54, pleaded guilty in Los Angeles in September to nine federal tax charges related to falsifying records.. and failure to file returns during the period indicated by intoxicants and negligence. He faced up to 17 years in prison but was expected to receive a reduced sentence of about three years. Earlier this year, a Wilmington jury found him guilty of three felony counts of lying on a federal firearms application. The trial publicly exposed his struggles with addiction and his tumultuous personal life. President Biden had previously said he would not pardon his son, calling the legal proceedings fair. However, in a statement released Sunday, Biden called the prosecution politically motivated and a “miscarriage of justice.” Hunter’s legal woes include a possible maximum sentence of 25 years for the gun conviction, although experts had expected a sentence as low as 16. Months of punishment were likely to follow.