Hunter was just the beginning…
The White House announced Thursday morning President Biden would be commuting more than 1,500 sentences and issuing 39 new pardons in the largest single-day act of clemency in modern history.
“The President has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same point in their first terms,” White House officials said in a statement.
Biden has signaled more pardons and commutations are on the way.
“I will take more steps in the weeks ahead. My Administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions to advance equal justice under the law, promote public safety, support rehabilitation and reentry, and provide meaningful second chances,” Biden said.
From Fox News:
Thursday’s pardons come as the president faces bipartisan criticism for pardoning his son, Hunter, of felony gun and tax charges.
Biden vowed multiple times across several months that he would not intervene on his son’s behalf, only to go back on his word on Dec. 1. While public figures have criticized the move, it was also widely unpopular with the American people. A Wednesday poll from the Associated Press found just 2 in 10 Americans approved of the pardon.
The first son had been convicted in two separate federal cases earlier this year. He pleaded guilty to federal tax charges in September, and was convicted of three felony gun charges in June after lying on a mandatory gun purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
The president argued in a statement that Hunter was “singled out only because he is my son” and that there was an effort to “break Hunter” in order to “break me.”
The White House did not release specific names of those receiving pardons. According to The White House’s official press release, Americans receiving pardons and commutations include:
- A decorated military veteran and pilot who spends much of his time helping his fellow church members who are in poor health or unable to perform strenuous tasks;
- A nurse who has led emergency response for several natural disasters and who helped spearhead vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- An addiction counselor who volunteers his time to help young people find their purpose, make better choices, and refrain from destructive behaviors and gang involvement.
This story is developing…
