Biden’s Pardon of Son Hunter Causes Stir, Echoes History of Presidential Pardons

President Joe Biden’s Sunday night pardon of son, Hunter Biden, initiated widespread political discourse. The decision clears Hunter of potential federal felony gun and tax convictions. 

Key Takeaways

• Joe Biden’s pardon of Hunter Biden has shaken up the political scene.
• In the Constitution, U.S. presidents are explicitly given broad pardon power.
• Presidential pardons often stir controversy, including Biden’s recent decision.
• Despite numerous pardons before leaving his first-term office, Donald Trump issued fewer petitions for reprieve than Barack Obama.
• Currently, Biden has granted less pardon or commutation petitions than Trump or Obama.

Biden’s decision showcases a shift from his prior promise not to pardon his son. Furthermore, it underscores the unique dynamic between the father-son duo as Hunter is the first convicted child of a sitting U.S. president.

The power of presidential pardon, granted by the Constitution to U.S. commanders in chief, has a long historical precedent and has often been a source of controversy. Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump also pardoned relatives.

Trump famously issued 74 pardons and 70 commutations before leaving his first-term office. However, overall, he granted fewer reprieve petitions than Obama.

As per Department of Justice statistics, Obama granted 1,927 pardon or clemency requests, more than eight times the 238 granted by Trump. Of the petitions received by Obama, he approved over 5%, while Trump approved fewer than 2%.

As of mid-October 2024, Biden had granted 25 pardons and 132 commutations, accounting for only 1.3% of the requests received. While this is notably lower than his predecessors, a surge in pardons before leaving office is common, as indicated by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.