The United States President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter, for tax and firearm-related convictions has sparked criticism from lawmakers and officials, including some within his own Democratic Party.
But the Biden administration on Monday defended the announcement, which the president made despite his previous pledge not to pardon his son, on the grounds that Hunter’s persecution was political in nature.
“They (Republicans) would continue to go after his son,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on a flight to Angola on Air Force One, adding that other presidents have also pardoned family members.
At the end of his first term in office, Trump pardoned a number of political allies and donors, including disgraced real estate magnate Charles Kushner, father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared.
Also, on his last day in office, President Bill Clinton granted a pardon to his half-brother, Roger, who spent a year in prison after he pleaded guilty in 1985 to selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in Arkansas. That pardon was done to clear his criminal record.
However, the Biden decision has sparked allegations of using power to shield a family member from legal judgements and enforcing a separate standard of justice for those with political connections, potentially tarnishing his legacy, Al-Jazeera reported.
“This is really sweeping. This is not only for the crimes that he has been convicted of but also ones he has not been charged with,” it said.
Hunter Biden faced a maximum of 17 years behind bars for the tax charges and up to 25 years in prison for the gun charges although federal sentencing guidelines were expected to result in far less time. He was due to be sentenced this month in the two cases.
Hunter, 54, came under persistent suspicion during his father’s presidency over his foreign business dealings with questions swirling over whether he used his father’s office for personal gain.
The Republican president-elect, Donald Trump, who has previously stated that he will pardon people who took part in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol in an effort to overturn Trump’s loss to Biden in the 2020 election – called the pardon a “miscarriage of justice”.
“Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years? Such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice!” he posted on social media, referring to those prosecuted for assaulting the US Capitol in 2021.
In his comments, Mike Johnson, Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives said: “President Biden insisted many times he would never pardon his own son for his serious crimes. But last night he suddenly granted a “Full and Unconditional Pardon” for any and all offences that Hunter committed for more than a decade!” Johnson said in a social media post.
Also, Republican Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said: “Democrats said there was nothing to our impeachment inquiry. If that’s the case, why did Joe Biden just issue Hunter Biden a pardon for the very things we were inquiring about?”
Democrats were not rushing to Biden’s defence on Monday either. Some were openly critical of the pardon.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, said: “Democrats should have been for reforming and curtailing pardon power from Day 1 of the Biden Presidency. As a father, I empathise 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.”
Also, Democratic Congressman Greg Stanton, noted: “I respect President Biden, but I think he got this one wrong. This wasn’t a politically motivated prosecution. Hunter committed felonies and was convicted by a jury of his peers.”
Democratic Colorado Governor, Jared Polis, accused Biden of putting his son above and beyond the country, describing it as a bad precedent.
“While as a father I certainly understand President Joe Biden’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,” he said.
But the White House has defended Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, after repeatedly insisting he had no plans to grant such executive clemency.
The press secretary said Biden had pardoned his son, who was facing sentencing later this month in two federal cases, to shield him from potential persecution by the outgoing president’s political foes.
Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Monday that Biden had “wrestled” over the decision during the family’s Thanksgiving break on the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, at the weekend.
The Democratic president issued the pardon on Sunday evening before heading off on an official trip to Africa.
Emmanuel Addeh
bonyi Governor’s Threat to Sack Workers ‘Irresponsible’ Amid Minimum Wage Strike
The NLC has called Ebonyi Governor Nwifuru’s sack threats irresponsible, urging workers to push for full wage implementation
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has deplored the threats made by the Governor of Ebonyi, Mr. Francis Nwifuru to sack striking workers as irresponsible and unhelpful.
Workers in Ebonyi State had commenced strike on Monday in compliance with the directive by the labour movement that every state branch should embark on strike by December 2nd to compel the implementation of the N70,000 new minimum wage law.
A statement by NLC president, Joe Ajaero directed all the affiliates including those in the private sector to immediately join in the strike action.
The NLC further urged the workers already on strike to not yield to the threats of the governor.
“They are to sustain the momentum until the governor sees the need to not only behave properly but pay the minimum wage in compliance with the Law.
While responding to the threat by the governor to sack workers, who join the NLC strike, Ajaero said, “We are dismayed by the statement credited to the Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Nwifuru, that except the striking workers in the state over non-payment of the National Minimum Wage resume work immediately they should consider themselves sacked.
“We recall that the strike action was preceded by failed conversations and notices to the governor on the need to implement the 2024 national minimum wage since it was signed into law several months ago.”
NLC said the country’s law has provisions for enforcement by workers, and that strike action is a lawful/legitimate tool in the hands of aggrieved workers.
According to NLC, what the governor ought to have done was to invite the labour leaders in the state for dialogue for a speedy resolution of the facts in issue.
“In light of this, we consider the threats by the governor as irresponsible and unhelpful,” he said.
The NLC said its major focus was to ensure that government policies were aimed at lifting people and workers out of poverty and not push more into grinding poverty.
This comes as workers in Kwara State Tertiary institutions on Monday declared a three-day warning strike over the non-payment of the new minimum wage of N70,000 by the State government.
NLC said the 2024 national minimum wage should be seen as a new social contract that seeks fair income for all, adding that the target was to see its complete implementation before the new year.
Addressing participants at the NLC’s 2024 Annual Harmattan School held in Abuja, Ajaero said the event would enable the workers to craft better strategies to grapple with the inevitable challenges ahead.
Ajaero, who recounted several confrontations with the government in the past one year, said 2024 witnessed one of the greatest turbulences in NLC history as a movement.
Meanwhile, workers in the Kwara State tertiary institutions have declared a three-day warning strike over the non-payment of new minimum wage of N70,000 by the state government.
But the state government said workers had received their November salary, with others still being credited, except for those who are yet to complete their registration with the Kwara State Resident Registration Agency (KWSRRA) as earlier instructed.
However, the Committee of Unions in Tertiary Institutions (CUTI) in the state in a statement issued in Ilorin stated that the warning strike was scheduled to take place from December 4th to 6th.
Hammed Shittu and Onyebuchi Ezigbo
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