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Monday September 30, 2024

President Biden says no pardon for son Hunter in firearms case

Hunter Biden says the Justice Department succumbed to political pressure from Republicans and is unfairly targeting him

By Web Desk
June 07, 2024
US President Joe Biden (L) alongside his son Hunter Biden. — AFP File
US President Joe Biden (L) alongside his son Hunter Biden. — AFP File

US President Joe Biden has clarified that he would not pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who is currently on trial in Delaware. He expressed his willingness to accept the outcome of the lawsuit.

The 53-year-old Hunter is facing charges of violating a law that prohibits illegal drug users from owning firearms.

President Biden was asked if he would rule out a pardon for Hunter. He said 'Yes' while talking to ABC News on Friday. He again said 'Yes' when he was asked if he would accept the trial's outcome.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to three felony charges. He was accused of not disclosing his illegal drug use when purchasing a revolver in 2018 and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.

If convicted, Hunter could end up in jail for up to 25 years. However, according to the US Justice Department, sentences for such crimes are usually shorter.

Meantime, the widow of Hunter Biden's brother, Beau Biden, testified before the court. She told the court that she found the revolver in Hunter's truck. She said that she placed it in a leather pouch, then into a shopping bag, and disposed of it in a trash can outside a nearby market.

"I panicked, and I wanted to get rid of them," she said while recalling the October 2018 incident. "I didn't want him to hurt himself, and I didn’t want my kids to find it and hurt themselves."

Federal prosecutors claim that Hunter Biden was heavily addicted to crack cocaine when he bought the gun. He is charged with lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a false claim on the application about his drug use, and possessing the gun illegally for 11 days.

Asserting his innocence, Hunter argued that the Justice Department succumbed to political pressure from Republicans and is unfairly targeting him.