Biden to Clinton: US presidents who've pardoned family members
In his final days in office, President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter Biden. Hunter was convicted earlier this year for federal firearms and tax offenses. He was facing the possibility of lengthy prison sentences in Delano, California. President Biden said, "No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son—and that is wrong."
Presidential pardons: A historical perspective
The power to pardon is an executive privilege which allows the President to exempt a convicted person from serving their sentence. This power has been utilized by a few US presidents to benefit their family members. Abraham Lincoln pardoned a cousin of his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, who supported the Confederacy during the Civil War. Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother, Roger Clinton, on drug-related charges in 2001.
More instances of presidential pardons
George HW Bush had granted clemency to his son Neil Bush, linked to the Silverado Savings and Loan scandal. Jimmy Carter had pardoned his brother Billy Carter, who was embroiled in financial disputes with Libya. Notably, Donald Trump didn't pardon any family members during his presidency, even as rumors swirled about possible preemptive pardons for his children.
