Hunter Biden is above the Law

After repeatedly promising not to commute the sentence or pardon his son, “devout catholic” President Joe Biden has pardoned Hunter from all current (and potential) federal tax and gun felony crimes for the past 10 years…and also all other “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.”

Really, Joe?? This is fair evidence that Hunter is guilty of a load of illegal crap.

Hunter

Hunter was convicted in the Democratic states of Delaware and California and is currently awaiting sentencing. Biden justified the decision by saying “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice.”

As has been claimed by some commentators, Joe is being a ‘good father’ by pardoning his son. Maybe, but this also reduces the risk of Joe being connected to Hunter’s crimes!

Presidential Pardons

This pardon is a damning action for President Biden who claimed that “no-one is above the law.” Nope…just his son, Hunter! Curiously, it may be within the power of the president of the US to pardon himself! This has never been tested in court. (There is further discussion in the link below.)

Presidents are granted the authority to issue pardons in Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution. 

The clause reads:

"The President ... shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment."

Take note of two key phrases in that clause. The first key phrase limits the use of pardons "for offenses against the United States." The second key phrase states that a president can't issue a pardon "in cases of impeachment."

Those two caveats in the Constitution place some limitations on the president's power to pardon. The bottom line is that if a president commits a "high crime or misdemeanor" and is impeached, he can't pardon himself. He also cannot pardon himself in private civil and state criminal cases. His authority extends only to federal charges.

Take note of the word "grant." Typically, the word means one person gives something to another. Under that meaning, a president can give someone else a pardon, but not himself.

There are clear moral & ethical issues with Joe’s action, but as a Catholic and a father, I have no idea what I would do if in his position. All said and done, if Joe makes any attempt to pardon himself, I will take that as proof that he too is guilty as sin.

Kevin Hay