President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, though he had previously said he would not do so. That spares the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions. Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him. But it was still a surprising reversal for a man who pledged to restore norms and respect for the rule of law. The sweeping pardon on Sunday covers not only Hunter Biden’s convictions in two cases in Delaware and California, but also any other possible offenses by him against the United States committed from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 1, 2024.
