By Abiola Olawale
President Joe Biden of the United States has formally granted a presidential pardon to his son, Hunter Biden.
The development comes in the light of Hunter facing sentences relating to two separate criminal cases.
Biden, in a press statement, said he decided to grant his son a presidential pardon because he was allegedly treated “unfairly”.
According to the US President, Hunter was purportedly singled out in the handgun purchase case of 2018.
Biden said: “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.
“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.
“The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.
“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.”
The New Diplomat reports that this comes as Biden’s administration is coming to an end.
It would be recalled that Hunter was convicted earlier this year of lying about alleged drug use when he bought a gun, and has also pleaded guilty in a separate tax evasion trial, but had not faced sentencing.
Hunter Biden became the first child of a sitting U.S. president ever to be convicted in a criminal trial.
Hunter had been facing trial on a three-count charge of lying on a federal form about his drug use to procure the firearm in October of 2018.
He was brought before the court for illegally buying,and owning a weapon while abusing drugs.
