section_path: Presidency (2021–2025)/Domestic policy/Pardons of family members and political figures
section_name: Pardons of family members and political figures
paragraph_text: Pardons of family members and political figures
  
  Biden issued more pardons for members of his family than any other president. On December 1, 2024, he issued a "full and unconditional" pardon to Hunter Biden that covered all federal offenses between 2014 and December 1, 2024. The pardon's sweeping extent was "unprecedented". According to Reason magazine, Hunter Biden's pardon was even more far-reaching than Richard Nixon 's or other "controversial" pardons:
  
  The Hunter pardon is far more comprehensive...in that it covered not just his convictions for drug-related activities and tax fraud, but any other criminal behavior since 2014—the year that Hunter joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. It has been alleged that Hunter's job was essentially to trade on the family name and sell his access to dad. This may not have been illegal, but it does mean that the pardon is clearly designed to offer preemptive protection not just to Hunter, but to Joe Biden himself. These features make the pardon unprecedented, though perfectly in line with the president's executive powers.
  
  Hunter had been convicted on charges related to tax and gun offenses, after which Joe made numerous promises not to pardon him. He and his staff continued to say that Hunter would not be pardoned as late as November, although internal staff discussions affirmed that the option remained on the table even as Biden said otherwise. Biden and his family finalized the decision to pardon Hunter without consulting senior staff. In a statement announcing the pardon, Biden said he believed his son was "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted", blaming "political pressure" for the collapse of a plea bargain. The plea bargain actually fell apart after the presiding judge asked about its unusual construction. Biden's pardon came amid incoming December sentencing dates for Hunter for his convictions and concerns about the succeeding Trump administration potentially targeting political rivals for prosecution. Biden said, "I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision."
  
  On his last day in office, Biden issued pardons for more of his family members and other high-profile figures. The pardons covered Biden's siblings and their spouses, including James Biden, who was interviewed as part of an impeachment probe into Biden. Others pardoned that day include former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, and members and participants in the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, despite many of those pardoned not having been under criminal investigation. Biden justified the pardons by citing his concern about "baseless and politically motivated investigations" during Trump's second term. Biden added that the pardons were preemptive and should not be seen as implying their recipients' guilt. The pardons Biden granted to his family and other political figures had a sweeping scope similar to the one he granted Hunter, covering federal offenses the recipients committed or may have committed between 2014 and the day of the pardon.
  
  Biden also pardoned two other Democratic officials on his last day in office: Ernest William Cromartie, convicted of tax evasion, and Gerald G. Lundergan, convicted of a scheme to funnel money to his daughter's Senate campaign.
  
  Biden issued more pardons for members of his family than any other president. On December 1, 2024, he issued a "full and unconditional" pardon to Hunter Biden that covered all federal offenses between 2014 and December 1, 2024. The pardon's sweeping extent was "unprecedented". According to Reason magazine, Hunter Biden's pardon was even more far-reaching than Richard Nixon 's or other "controversial" pardons:
  
  The Hunter pardon is far more comprehensive...in that it covered not just his convictions for drug-related activities and tax fraud, but any other criminal behavior since 2014—the year that Hunter joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. It has been alleged that Hunter's job was essentially to trade on the family name and sell his access to dad. This may not have been illegal, but it does mean that the pardon is clearly designed to offer preemptive protection not just to Hunter, but to Joe Biden himself. These features make the pardon unprecedented, though perfectly in line with the president's executive powers.
  
  Hunter had been convicted on charges related to tax and gun offenses, after which Joe made numerous promises not to pardon him. He and his staff continued to say that Hunter would not be pardoned as late as November, although internal staff discussions affirmed that the option remained on the table even as Biden said otherwise. Biden and his family finalized the decision to pardon Hunter without consulting senior staff. In a statement announcing the pardon, Biden said he believed his son was "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted", blaming "political pressure" for the collapse of a plea bargain. The plea bargain actually fell apart after the presiding judge asked about its unusual construction. Biden's pardon came amid incoming December sentencing dates for Hunter for his convictions and concerns about the succeeding Trump administration potentially targeting political rivals for prosecution. Biden said, "I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision."
  
  On his last day in office, Biden issued pardons for more of his family members and other high-profile figures. The pardons covered Biden's siblings and their spouses, including James Biden, who was interviewed as part of an impeachment probe into Biden. Others pardoned that day include former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci, and members and participants in the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack, despite many of those pardoned not having been under criminal investigation. Biden justified the pardons by citing his concern about "baseless and politically motivated investigations" during Trump's second term. Biden added that the pardons were preemptive and should not be seen as implying their recipients' guilt. The pardons Biden granted to his family and other political figures had a sweeping scope similar to the one he granted Hunter, covering federal offenses the recipients committed or may have committed between 2014 and the day of the pardon.
  
  Biden also pardoned two other Democratic officials on his last day in office: Ernest William Cromartie, convicted of tax evasion, and Gerald G. Lundergan, convicted of a scheme to funnel money to his daughter's Senate campaign.