US President Joe Biden has granted a full and unconditional pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, who was facing sentencing for two criminal cases.
In a statement, President Biden said his son had been “singled out” and described the cases against him as “a miscarriage of justice.”
“From the day I took office, 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,” he stated.
Hunter Biden had pleaded guilty to tax charges in September and was convicted in June of being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm, making him the first child of a sitting president to be convicted of a crime.
The pardon comes after President Biden had previously ruled out granting clemency to his son. In September, the White House press secretary reiterated that the president would not issue a pardon. However, on Sunday evening, Biden justified his decision, citing the influence of politics on the legal process.
“Politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” the president remarked. “Once I made this decision this weekend, there was no sense in delaying it further.”
He added, “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”
Reacting to the pardon, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude, acknowledging his past mistakes during the “darkest days” of his addiction.
“Mistakes I made have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame my family for political sport,” he said. “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.”
Hunter, now 54, has reportedly been sober for over five years, a milestone his father highlighted in his statement.
Hunter had pleaded guilty to nine counts of federal tax fraud in September, which could have carried a prison sentence of up to 17 years. In June, he was also convicted of three felonies related to a gun purchase, for which he faced up to 25 years in prison.
Sentencing for these cases was initially scheduled for 12 and 16 December.
The legal troubles surrounding Hunter Biden had cast a shadow over his father’s presidency and political career. President Biden had withdrawn from the 2024 election race in July, endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate. Harris ultimately lost to Republican Donald Trump in November.
Trump, who will succeed Biden, is set to assume the presidency on Inauguration Day, 20 January 2025.
Emmanuel Donkoh, a 36-year-old hunter, has been detained following his confession to shooting his friend, Kwaku Aboagye, 57, also known as Accra Bread.
The incident, which took place in Assin Seidukrom in the Assin South District of the Central Region, has left the community stunned. Aboagye had been reported missing since January 2024.
On January 26, 2024, during a hunting trip, Aboagye disappeared. Donkoh, who was with him, initially claimed ignorance about his friend’s disappearance. However, after more than six months, he admitted to killing Aboagye during the hunt.
Donkoh revealed that the incident occurred in the Kakum Forest Reserve, within the Assin Seidukrom area.
Following his confession, police investigators, led by Detective Corporal Nii Armah Ashitey, located where Donkoh had buried Aboagye’s remains.
The police discovered Aboagye’s skeletal remains, identifiable by his clothing: Wellington boots, a black T-shirt, and black trousers.
The motive for the killing remains unclear, and the police are currently investigating the circumstances of the tragic event.
According to Agyadu Barima on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Donkoh and Aboagye were close friends who did everything together.
On the day of the incident, Donkoh swore on the Bible and other deities that Aboagye had received a call and left for home.
“But after several months, it remains unclear what happened when the suspect started shouting that he wanted to confess.
Residents were surprised and wondered what was happening, so they drew closer to him.
“He then asked them to invite the police over because he had a confession to make.
The police were invited, and when they arrived, Emmanuel confessed that he was the one who shot and killed his friend.
“He confessed that his friend switched on a radio, and so he (the suspect) asked him (the deceased) to turn the radio off since that could get them arrested.
However, the deceased pulled a knife on him, and because he did not have a knife, he pulled his gun and allegedly shot him. That was what he told the police.”
The case involving a hunter mistaking his fellow hunter for prey at Timtimhwe, a community along the Tarkwa-Bogoso Highway in the Western Region, has reached its conclusion.
In a final ruling, the Tarkwa Circuit Court, presided over by Mrs. Hathia Ama Manu, decreed that Isaac Donkor, the 55-year-old hunter, would serve a three-year jail term and pay an amount of GH¢600 for fatally shooting and killing Aziz Abukbil, 37, also a hunter.
Mr Donkor faced charges of murder, negligently causing harm, and possessing a firearm without authority. He pleaded guilty to all counts after voluntarily reporting himself to the police following the tragic shooting incident.
According to Donkor’s account, he had been hunting around 3 p.m. when he spotted what appeared to be a rat (Odompo). Believing it to be his target, he fired his weapon, only to realize afterward that he had shot a human being. Overcome with shock and fear, he fled the scene before eventually surrendering himself to the authorities.
Superintendent Juliana Essel-Dadzie, who led the prosecution, revealed that Osman Awuni, a farmer and the brother of the deceased, Abukbil, had reported his brother missing after he failed to return from his hunting expedition.
Subsequently, a search party discovered Abukbil’s lifeless body in the bush at Timtimhwe, bearing gunshot wounds to his face and arms.
Following the discovery, Donkor confessed to the police that he had accidentally killed Abukbil with his unregistered CBC single-barrel shotgun during a hunting excursion.
The police promptly launched an investigation, and Donkor was subsequently charged and brought to trial.
HunterBiden, President Joe Biden‘s only surviving son, is encountering more and more difficulties that don’t seem to be disappearing.
In July, the 53-year-old seemed like he was going to solve his tax and gun problems and not go to jail with the help of a deal with prosecutors.
However, the agreement fell apart during the legal process, and the person leading the investigation into Hunter‘s alleged illegal activities stated that he would bring charges against Hunter for possessing a gun.
In September, congressional Republicans started investigating the elder Mr Biden. They are looking into claims that his son may have used his influence for personal gain.
His personal problems, like alcohol and drug addiction, as well as troubles in his relationships, have become known by the public.
What else do we know about Hunter Biden.
A childhood steeped in tragedy
Hunter Biden was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1970. His parents are Joe Biden and his first wife Neilia. He got his first name from his mother’s family name.
He was just two years old in December 1972 when his father had just become a US Senator. Unfortunately, their family car was hit by a truck not long after.
A terrible accident happened that caused his mother and baby sister Naomi to die. He got hurt with a broken skull, and his older brother Beau broke his leg.
Mr Biden’s elderly father, who was not in the car at the time, took his official promise to serve as president while standing next to their hospital bed.
Later, Hunter went to Georgetown University and Yale Law School. He completed his studies in 1996.
He joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps after getting his two degrees. This is a Catholic group that helps communities that are often overlooked.
There, he met his first wife, Kathleen Buhle, who was a lawyer, and they got married in 1993. They have three kids – Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy – but they separated in 2017.
The ‘darkness’ of addiction
His dad doesn’t drink, but Hunter started drinking when he was a teenager and admits that he used cocaine when he was in college. He has been in and out of a rehabilitation program.
In 2013, he joined the US Navy Reserves and took an oath in a special ceremony at the White House while his father, who was the vice-president at that time, was present.
However, on his first day at the naval base, he was found positive for using cocaine and was sent away. He later expressed feeling ashamed about it.
The New Yorker reported that after his older brother, Beau, died from brain cancer in 2015, he started drinking a lot. He would often only go out of the house to buy vodka.
“His daughter Naomi once said on Twitter that he and Beau were very close. ” One heart, one soul, and one mind means that everyone is united and thinks alike.
During their bitter divorce, Ms Buhle claimed that Hunter spent a lot of money on things like drugs, alcohol, prostitutes, strip clubs, and gifts for other women, instead of using the money to pay necessary bills for the family.
Last year, she finally spoke about how their 24-year marriage fell apart. On Good Morning America, she said, “He was dealing with a very serious drug addiction. It was really sad and hurtful because the person I married wasn’t like that. ”
In his book Beautiful Things, which was written in 2021, Hunter admits that his cheating was the main reason their marriage ended.
In 2019, a DNA test confirmed that he is the biological and legal father of a child born to Lunden Alexis Roberts, who works as a dancer in Arkansas.
Hunter said in his book that he didn’t remember meeting Ms Roberts, but he agreed to pay child support after they resolved a legal case about their child.
It seems that none of the Bidens have ever met a little girl named Navy Roberts, who is now four years old. But because the media was pressuring him, President Biden had to admit that he now has another grandchild.
Before Hunter had fully separated from Ms. Buhle, he started a romantic relationship with Hallie Biden, who happens to be his brother’s widow.
For nearly two years, they connected through their mutual and “very specific sadness” from their loss, he shared with the New Yorker.
In 2019, there were reports that they broke up peacefully, shortly after his father started running for president again.
But just a few weeks later, Hunter got married to a filmmaker from South Africa named Melissa Cohen. They fell in love very quickly, within six days. They have a boy.
In 2019, he spoke about his battle with addiction and mentioned that it cannot be completely eliminated. You find a way to handle it.
Hunter, along with his dad Joe and his brother Beau, enthusiastically greets the people who are showing their support while Barack Obama becomes the president.
In the book Beautiful Things, he says that he is alive because his family loves him. He talks about a situation where his father hugged him tightly and said that he didn’t know how else to help him. I am very frightened. Please give me instructions on what to do.
Hunter has started painting as a way to feel better and get away from bad situations and people.
But the Biden White House is facing a problem with ethics due to the high prices, up to $500,000, that his artwork is being sold for.
President Biden has supported his son on many occasions, especially during a debate in 2020 where he stood up for him.
After Mr Trump had a problem with his child’s difficulties, an emotional Joe Biden replied: “My son – like many others – had a drug issue. ” He repaired it and spent time on it, and I am happy about my son.
Mixing family and business
After finishing his studies at Yale, Hunter got a job at MBNA America, a bank company based in Delaware. It was later bought by Bank of America.
Joe Biden had a very close relationship with a big bank in Delaware. This bank was one of the largest employers in Delaware and also gave a lot of money to his political campaigns. Because of this, people started calling him “the senator from MBNA” in a negative way.
Joe, who wanted to help MBNA, pushed for a law to make it easier for people and businesses to declare bankruptcy while Hunter got a promotion to executive vice-president.
In the early 2000s, Hunter started working as a lobbyist in Washington while still getting paid for giving advice to the bank.
According to Politico Magazine, it was noticed that he got clients who had similar interests to his father’s committee assignments and legislative priorities.
According to him, the relationship between the father and the son was such that they would not talk to each other about their lobbying jobs.
President Biden has also said that this is still true in regards to more recent claims of wrongdoing. Hunter and his sister Ashley greet people happily as they arrive at their dad’s important event where he becomes the president.
In 2006, when Joe Biden was going to become the chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Hunter and one of their family members made a bad decision to buy a hedge fund group.
They continued working at Paradigm Global Advisors during Joe Biden’s campaign for president in 2008 and his appointment as vice-president to President Barack Obama.
During this period, the fund had associations with multiple people accused of fraud, including a Texas financier who was found guilty of operating a large-scale Ponzi scheme, which is a type of financial fraud.
The Bidens said they did nothing wrong and were not accused of any crimes. In 2010, they closed the fund and gave back the money to the people who invested in it.
China and Ukraine are two countries.
There has been a lot of talk in recent years about Hunter’s business overseas when his father was vice-president.
In 2013, he became a founding board member at BHR, a Chinese investment firm. At first, he didn’t get paid for this role, but later on, he ended up owning 10% of the company’s ownership.
The company was started in Shanghai a short time after Hunter went on a trip to China with his dad, who was the vice-president at the time. He met with the CEO of BHR, but they only had a short meeting over coffee, according to Hunter.
After his dad stopped working in 2017, Hunter worked together with a rich Chinese businessman named Ye Jianming on a project to extract natural gas in Louisiana.
The agreement fell apart because Ye got arrested by the Chinese government for corruption and then disappeared.
Hunter Biden’s actions in Ukraine have caused even more disagreement, especially since his father was in charge of the United States’ relationship with Ukraine during the Obama administration.
In 2014, he started working for a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma Holdings. He received a salary of $1. 2 million (£943,000) per year.
As part of a campaign to fight against corrupt actions, Vice-President Biden was trying to remove the country’s highest-ranking prosecutor, Viktor Shokin.
In 2016, Parliament took away Mr. Shokin’s position, but some people say that he was actually fired because he was investigating Burisma.
Republicans say that both Joe and Hunter Biden got $5 million from Burisma executives to fire Mr.
A person who used to work with Hunter said that Joe was sometimes on speakerphone when Hunter was talking to different people.
Accusations of corruption were the main focus of President Trump’s first impeachment in 2019, and the beginning investigation into President Biden.
In the 2020 presidential campaign, a laptop left behind by Hunter at a Delaware repair shop became a big deal because of the sketchy things on its hard drive.
The Biden team claimed it was a false attack planned by Russia, but now US media has verified the hard drive and the FBI has taken possession of it.
Studying what is inside has shown evidence that Hunter made lots of money from his jobs in China and Ukraine. It also shows proof that he often went on wild adventures while under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
As the president begins his campaign for re-election, the negative consequences of his son’s legal troubles, business involvements, and media-focused lifestyle are causing problems.
