US President Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter before leaving the White House

Hunter Biden, convicted in cases of illegal possession of a firearm and tax fraud, was awaiting his sentence in these two cases.

A presidential pardon before leaving the Oval Office. A few weeks before the end of his mandate, Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter on Sunday, December 1. The 54-year-old former lawyer and businessman pleaded guilty to tax fraud in a Los Angeles (California) court in September, which saved him from a trial. Joe Biden's youngest son was also convicted, earlier in the year, of lying about his drug addiction when purchasing a gun – an offense in the state of Delaware, the Biden stronghold .

Hunter Biden, now converted to painting, was still waiting to know what sentence he would receive in each of these cases. He faced up to 17 years in prison for tax evasion, and 25 years for illegal possession of a firearm. His lawyers argued that it was only because he was the president's son that he was brought to justice.

“No reasonable person looking at the facts in the Hunter cases can come to any conclusion other than this: Hunter was singled out solely because he is my son – and that is wrong.”said Joe Biden, in a press release announcing his decision. “I believe in the judicial system but (…) I also believe [qu’une forme] crude politics has infected this process and [que] this led to a miscarriage of justice.”

The American leader had however assured several times that he would not grant a presidential pardon to his son. The White House reaffirmed this in September. This decision therefore risks raising new questions about the independence of the American judicial system, particularly at a time when President-elect Donald Trump has decided to appoint loyal supporters to head the FBI and the Department of Justice.

“I said I would not interfere with the decision-making of the Department of Justice and I kept my word even when I saw my son being selectively and unfairly prosecuted, justified Joe Biden on Sunday. The accusations in his cases emerged only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.”