U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he had granted a full pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, for offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. The move marks a significant reversal from the president’s earlier pledge to refrain from intervening in legal proceedings against his son, who faced tax violations and firearms-related convictions.

“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter,” Biden said in a statement. “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 watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”

Hunter Biden, a recovering drug addict, pleaded guilty in September to failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes while engaging in extravagant spending. He also faced sentencing for firearms-related charges. The president’s pardon preempts a scheduled December 16 sentencing in the tax case.

In his own statement, Hunter Biden expressed gratitude and remorse. “I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport,” he said, adding that he had remained sober for more than five years.

“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,” he added.

The pardon has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans. Former President Donald Trump, on his Truth Social platform, called the pardon an “abuse and miscarriage of justice,” while Representative James Comer, chair of the House Oversight Committee, accused Biden of lying about his family’s “corrupt influence-peddling activities.”

The president defended his decision, emphasizing disparities in how similar cases are typically handled. He argued that individuals with tax payment delays due to addiction often face non-criminal resolutions if they repay with interest and penalties, as Hunter had done. He also noted that gun-related felony charges stemming from form discrepancies are rarely prosecuted.

“It is clear that Hunter was treated differently,” Biden said. “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election. In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough.”

Biden said he made the decision to pardon Hunter over the weekend while spending Thanksgiving in Nantucket with his family. The president, his wife Jill Biden, and their family, including Hunter, returned to Washington on Saturday night.

“I believe in the justice system, but raw politics has infected this process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden stated. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president would come to this decision.”

The president’s action follows a collapsed plea deal from August 2023, which Hunter Biden’s lawyers argued would have fairly resolved the charges against him. Biden concluded by reaffirming his belief in the justice system while condemning the politicization of his son’s legal troubles.