乔·拜登总统赦免了他的儿子亨特·拜登联邦枪支指控预计将于12月宣判。
尽管白宫上个月保证总统无意赦免他的儿子，但周日晚上宣布他已经赦免了他的儿子。
在一份声明中，他说，“今天，我为我的儿子亨特签署了一份赦免书，”他称之为“误判”
“从我上任的那天起，我就说过我不会干涉司法部的决策，即使在我目睹我的儿子被选择性地、不公平地起诉时，我也遵守了我的诺言，”他写道。
拜登总统还提到了“国会中的政治对手”，他认为这些人煽动了这些指控，并确保了7月份达成的认罪协议在8月份破裂。
声明最后说，“事实是这样的:我相信司法系统，但在我与这个问题搏斗的时候，我也相信原始的政治影响了这个过程，导致了误判——一旦我在本周末做出了这个决定，就没有理由再拖延下去了。我希望美国人能够理解为什么一位父亲和一位总统会做出这样的决定。”
今年夏天，陪审团认定小拜登犯有三项重罪，涉及他在吸毒成瘾时购买和持有枪支。今年9月，在预计将是一场漫长而艰苦的审判前夕，亨特·拜登同意承认九项与税收有关的指控，包括三项重罪。
由于税收指控，亨特·拜登面临最高17年的联邦监禁和135万美元的罚款。他与枪支有关的罪名可能会导致长达25年的监禁。
亨特·拜登计划在未来几周内面临这两起案件的判决——12月12日在特拉华州因涉枪指控，12月16日在加利福尼亚州因税收指控。
11月7日，在选举结果有利于唐纳德·特朗普后不久，当被问及总统打算赦免亨特·拜登时，白宫新闻秘书卡琳·让·皮埃尔说，“这个问题我们已经被问过多次了。我们的答案是否定的。”
她拒绝评论总统在任期结束前可能做出的任何其他赦免，包括任何受到当选总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)法律行动威胁的政府官员或人员。
拜登总统此前还告诉ABC新闻的大卫·穆尔，他不打算赦免他的儿子，在6月份的一次采访中.
他当时说，他会接受审判的结果。
在a白宫简报会6月，拜登总统还表示，“我为我的儿子亨特感到无比自豪。他已经戒了瘾。他是——他是我认识的最聪明、最正派的人之一。”
他补充道，“我说过我会遵守陪审团的决定，我会做到的。我不会原谅他。”
上周有人看到亨特·拜登和家人在楠塔基特岛度假。
他周日发表了一份声明，称“我已经承认并为我在上瘾的最黑暗的日子里犯下的错误承担责任——这些错误被用来公开羞辱我和我的家人，让他们为政治运动感到羞耻。尽管如此，我还是保持了五年多的清醒，因为我有坚定的信念，家人和朋友坚定不移的爱和支持。在上瘾的痛苦中，我浪费了许多机会和优势。在康复过程中，如果我们从不认为我们得到的仁慈是理所当然的，我们就可以有机会尽可能地做出补偿，重建我们的生活。”
声明接着说，“我永远不会把我今天得到的宽恕视为理所当然，我将把我重建的生活奉献给那些仍然生病和受苦的人。”
在拜登总统获得赦免后的一个小时内，亨特·拜登的法律团队向法院提交了两起刑事案件的敷衍通知。律师写道，“总统的赦免对拜登先生在此案中悬而未决的判决和判决进行了讨论，并要求自动撤销带有偏见的起诉。”
President Joe Biden issues pardon for son Hunter Biden
President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted onfederal gun chargesand is due for sentencing in December.
Despite the White House's assurances last month that the president had no intentions of pardoning his son, the announcement came through on Sunday evening that he had pardoned him.
In a statement, he said, "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," for what he called a "miscarriage of justice."
"From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," he wrote.
President Biden also mentioned "political opponents in Congress," whom he credited for instigating the charges and for ensuring that a plea deal, composed in July, fell apart in August.
The statement concluded, "Here’s the truth: I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice – and once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further. Ihope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."
Over the summer, a jury found the younger Biden guilty on three felony counts related to his purchase and possession of a firearm while addicted to drugs. And in September, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to nine tax-related charges, including three felonies, on the eve of what was expected to be a lengthy and grueling trial.
For the tax charges, Hunter Biden faced up to 17 years in federal prison and $1.35 million in fines. His gun-related conviction carried a potential of up to 25 years in prison.
Hunter Biden was scheduled to face sentencing for both cases in the coming weeks – on Dec. 12 on the gun-related charges in Delaware, and Dec. 16 on the tax charges in California.
Asked about the president's intentions to pardon Hunter Biden on Nov. 7, shortly after the election results came through in favor of Donald Trump, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We've been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no."
She declined to comment on any other pardons the president may make before the end of his term, including any administration officials or people threatened by President-elect Donald Trump with legal action.
President Biden had also previously told ABC News' David Muir that he did not intend to pardon his son,during an interview in June.
He said, at the time, that he would accept the results of the trial.
At aWhite House briefingin June, President Biden also stated, "I’m extremely proud of my son Hunter.He has overcome an addiction.He is — he’s one of the brightest, most decent men I know."
He added, "I said I’d abide by the jury decision, and I will do that. And I will not pardon him."
Hunter Biden was seen over last week holidaying with his family in Nantucket.
He released a statement on Sunday, saying, “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport. Despite all of this, I have maintained my sobriety for more than five years because of my deep faith and the unwavering love and support of my family and friends. In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages. In recovery we can be given the opportunity to make amends where possible and rebuild our lives if we never take for granted the mercy that we have been afforded."
The statement continued, "I will never take the clemency I have been given today for granted and will devote the life I have rebuilt to helping those who are still sick and suffering.”
Within an hour of President Biden’s pardon, Hunter Biden’s legal team filed perfunctory notices with the courts in both criminal cases. Attorneys wrote, “The President’s pardon moots Mr. Biden’s pending and yet to occur sentencing and entry of judgment in this case and requires an automatic dismissal of the Indictment with prejudice.”
