Biden’s sneaky last-minute family pardons seen as an admission of guilt
By isabelle // 2025-01-22
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  • President Biden issued last-minute pardons for his brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses, sparking criticism as a move to shield them from legal scrutiny.
  • The pardons come amid ongoing investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings, including allegations of influence peddling and financial impropriety.
  • Critics, including former Obama aide David Axelrod, condemned the pardons as "unseemly" and inconsistent with Biden’s previous pledge to avoid preemptive pardons.
  • The pardons have raised concerns about setting a dangerous precedent for future presidents and have cast a shadow over Biden’s already shaky legacy.
President Joe Biden issued last-minute pardons for his brother James Biden, sister Valerie Biden Owens, and their spouses just hours before leaving office. The pardons, announced Monday as Biden prepared to attend the inauguration of his successor, Donald Trump, have been labeled by critics as a blatant attempt to shield his family from potential legal scrutiny and a tacit admission of guilt. The pardons come amid ongoing investigations into the Biden family’s business dealings, particularly allegations of influence peddling and financial impropriety. House Republicans have long accused James Biden of leveraging his brother’s political influence for personal gain, including in foreign business deals. The timing of the pardons, coupled with Biden’s previous pledge to avoid preemptive pardons, has left many questioning the president’s commitment to transparency and the rule of law.

A family under scrutiny

James Biden, the president’s younger brother, has been at the center of a Republican-led impeachment inquiry into alleged corruption within the Biden family. Investigators have scrutinized his financial transactions, including a $200,000 payment to Joe Biden that was later labeled as a loan repayment. Critics argue that the lack of documentation surrounding these transactions is deeply troubling. The report also highlighted James Biden’s involvement with Americore Health LLC, a now-bankrupt healthcare company that paid him $600,000 for unspecified services. Carol Fox, a bankruptcy trustee for Americore, testified that she could not determine what James Biden did to earn the money, calling the payments into question. Additionally, James Biden has been accused of making false statements to Congress regarding a 2017 meeting with a Chinese energy company, CEFC China Energy. While Hunter Biden testified that Joe Biden briefly met with a business associate, Tony Bobulinski, during the encounter, James Biden denied the president’s involvement. “Absolutely not,” James Biden testified. “I never went into the hotel with my brother.” The pardons have drawn sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle. CNN’s John King called the move “unseemly” and “a stain on his legacy,” while former Obama aide David Axelrod criticized the timing, saying it “made the whole thing look tawdry.” Even Biden’s own words have come back to haunt him. In December 2020, he told CNN’s Jake Tapper that his administration would not engage in preemptive pardons, stating, “You're not going to see in our administration that kind of approach to pardons.” Yet, just weeks before leaving office, Biden pardoned his son Hunter for tax and gun crimes, followed by the sweeping pardons for his siblings and their spouses. Trump, who has long accused Biden of corruption, wasted no time in condemning the move. “Did you know that Biden, while I was making my speech, pardoned his whole family?” Trump said during a post-inauguration rally. “The brother — the whole deal was pardoned. Can you imagine that?”

A dangerous precedent

Critics argue that Biden’s actions set a dangerous precedent for future presidents. Unlike previous presidential pardons, which were typically issued for specific criminal convictions, Biden’s pardons were preemptive and broadly applied. “I guess now I have precedent to do it,” Trump quipped, suggesting that Biden’s move could open the door for similar actions by future administrations. While Biden insists the pardons were necessary to protect his family from “politically motivated investigations,” many see the move as an attempt to evade accountability. “The issuance of these pardons should not be mistaken as an acknowledgment that they engaged in any wrongdoing,” Biden said in a statement. Yet, for critics, the timing and scope of the pardons speak volumes. Joe Biden’s last-minute pardons of his family members have left a cloud over his legacy. By shielding his relatives from potential legal consequences, Biden has raised serious questions about his commitment to justice and transparency. As the dust settles on his presidency, one thing is clear: this controversial decision will be remembered as a defining moment in his tenure—and not for the better. Sources for this article include: Yahoo.com FoxNews.com APNews.com
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