U.S. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Montgomery) recently joined the chorus of voices lambasting President Joe Biden for granting his son Hunter a years-long, sweeping pardon after previously pledging not to earlier this year.
In another surprise Sunday announcement, the president issued the pardon weeks before Hunter Biden was slated to receive his punishment for federal felony gun and tax charges.
The president's sweeping pardon covers not just those offenses but also any other "offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024."
Several Alabama lawmakers were swift to point to the perceived hypocrisy of the move.
On Monday, Britt gave a lengthy response to the pardon, adding it to the president's litany of broken promises.
“This is yet another blatant broken promise by President Biden and exemplifies why he has been the most unpopular president in modern U.S. history,” Britt said. “From concerned parents at school board meetings to President Trump, the Biden Administration has spent four years weaponizing the justice system to target its political adversaries. But President Biden sees one victim of lawfare: his own family.”
“This blanket pardon is a self-serving slap in the face to everyday Americans and is an example of the type of two-tiered justice that the American people are sick of. The incoming Trump Administration has an electoral mandate to get politics out of the DOJ and restore blind justice under the law. President Trump has nominated a cabinet that is eager to fulfill that mandate and transparently deliver the change that hardworking American families want. I look forward to ensuring the Trump Administration can hit the ground running to accomplish these goals. January 20 can’t come soon enough.”
Biden categorically had ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son in June, telling reporters, "I abide by the jury decision. I will do that, and I will not pardon him."
Hunter Biden was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when prosecutors said he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs. He also agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges in a California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.
The tax charges carry up to 17 years in federal prison, and the gun charges are punishable by up to a 25-year sentence.
House Republicans also launched an impeachment inquiry for the president surrounding Hunter Biden's allegedly shady business dealings with foreign companies, accusing him of using his father's influence to brook financial gain.
In his statement Sunday, President Biden claimed he finally decided on the pardon after determining that his son had been unfairly targeted for political reasons. He said he hopes "Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision."
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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