After Thanksgiving, Biden Pardoned Another Turkey

A week ago, President Biden pardoned two turkeys named Peach and Blossom as part of a somewhat silly White House tradition. 

It turns out he was just getting started. President Biden spent time at home with his son over Thanksgiving and decided to go all out, not just pardoning Hunter for his convictions on the books but issuing a broad pardon that covers 11 years in all. Politico spoke to an expert on pardons who said she hadn’t seen anything like this since President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon 50 years ago.

Experts on pardons said they could think of only one other person who has received a presidential pardon so sweeping in generations: Nixon, who was given a blanket pardon by Gerald Ford in 1974.

“I have never seen language like this in a pardon document that purports to pardon offenses that have not apparently even been charged, with the exception of the Nixon pardon,” said Margaret Love, who served from 1990 to 1997 as the U.S. pardon attorney, a Justice Department position devoted to assisting the president on clemency issues.

“Even the broadest Trump pardons were specific as to what was being pardoned,” Love added…

So rather than merely pardoning his son for the gun crimes for which he was convicted and the tax crimes for which he pleaded guilty, the president’s pardon covers all “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in” from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024. That language mirrors the language in Ford’s pardon of Nixon, which did not merely cover the Watergate scandal but extended to “all offenses against the United States” that Nixon “has committed or may have committed” between Jan. 20, 1969, and Aug. 9, 1974 — the exact span of Nixon’s presidency.

It was a sure bet that Joe Biden was going to grant some kind of clemency to his son Hunter, his repeated denials notwithstanding. He just needed to wait for the election to be over so he could do it without any political backlash to himself or Kamala Harris. 

Like a lot of people, I suspected Biden would stop short of a full pardon but would still commute the sentence. In other words, the convictions would remain on the books but Hunter would never spend a day in jail. That would have been more politically defensible as the act of an aging father. But that’s not at all what happened. Nixon got just over 5 1/2 years but Hunter Biden will get nearly double that. So this is a historically generous pardon. 

The Politico story goes on to say that the Jan. 1, 2014 start date wasn’t chosen at random. Hunter joined the board of Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company, in April of 2014. The stench of this is bad enough that even some Democrats are squawking.

“As a father, I get it. But as someone who wants people to believe in public service again, it’s a setback,” Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, wrote on X.

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said, “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”…

“I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong,” said Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz. “This wasn’t a politically-motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies, and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”

Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado said Biden put family before country.

While as a father I certainly understand President @JoeBiden’s natural desire to help his son by pardoning him, I am disappointed that he put his family ahead of the country. This is a bad precedent that could be abused by later Presidents and will sadly tarnish his reputation.…

— Jared Polis (@jaredpolis) December 2, 2024

The rest of it reads: 

…will sadly tarnish his reputation. When you become President, your role is Pater familias of the nation. Hunter brought the legal trouble he faced on himself, and one can sympathize with his struggles while also acknowledging that no one is above the law, not a President and not a President’s son.

Here’s progressive Ro Khanna saying the pardon power should be reformed (Stop us before we abuse our power again!)

Democrats should have been for reforming and curtailing pardon power from Day 1 of the Biden Presidency. As a father, I empathize with President Biden, but we must be the party of reform whether it’s about the archaic pardon power, opposing super PACs or broad war powers.

— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) December 2, 2024

Joe Biden just blew a big hole in all of the resistance talking points about Trump. This is his legacy and Hunter’s as well.

Joe Walsh blasts Democrats, saying their argument against Trump is now “deflated” after Biden pardoned his son, Hunter.

“Nobody’s above the law, we’ve been screaming! Well, Joe Biden just made clear his son Hunter is above the law.” pic.twitter.com/zb9dtLhFhC

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) December 2, 2024

The moral high ground this is not.

Charlamagne on Joe Biden pardoning Hunter: “I just want Democrats to stop acting like they are on this moral high ground politically when they have shown us they’re not. You know, whether it’s skipping the primary process when Biden stepped down and things like Biden pardoning… pic.twitter.com/zdOY2sTKUl

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) December 2, 2024