Why was Hunter Biden convicted: these are the crimes that he was charged for before his pardon

Joe Biden has granted his son, Hunter, a full and unconditional pardon ahead of the president stepping down next month.

This decision goes against what the current president had said regarding his son’s convictions, having previously stated publicly that he would not use his constitutional powers to aid family members.

What crimes was Hunter Biden convicted of?

Hunter Biden was convicted in June this year for lying on a gun-purchase form in 2018, checking a box saying he was not using illegal drugs. He then illegally owned the weapon for 11 days.

Aside from that, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in September to nine federal tax charges, just before jury selection was scheduled to begin for the California trial.

Biden’s strong statement

In a lengthy statement released on Sunday, President Biden said that he was pardoning his son for all crimes he "has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024″, adding “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”

Biden wrote that “there has been an effort to break Hunter — who has been five and a half years sober, even in the face of unrelenting attacks and selective prosecution. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me — and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

As for Hunter himself, he said in a statement that “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,” he said.

“In the throes of addiction, I squandered many opportunities and advantages,” he added. “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. 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.”

This is not the first time that a president has used his power to pardon a family member. The day he left office, President Bill Clinton pardoned his half brother Roger for cocaine convictions. Incoming president Donald Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, in December 2020 for tax evasion and making illegal campaign donations.

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