Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter

The prosecution of the younger Biden has been politically motivated, he said.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, who was convicted this year of breaking federal laws when purchasing a gun.

In June, the younger Biden was convicted of three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018. According to the prosecutors, he had lied in his gun-purchase paperwork that he was not addicted to or using illegal drugs. His sentencing was supposed to take place this month.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, the president argued that his son was prosecuted “selectively and unfairly” because of his familial ties. He claimed that “people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form.”

“It is clear that Hunter was treated differently,” he said. The president went on to state that the charges against his son were brought “only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election.” He blamed Republicans for sabotaging “a carefully negotiated plea deal” that would have been a “reasonable resolution of Hunter’s cases.”