Penn College Republicans criticized former Benjamin Franklin Presidential Professor of Practice and President Joe Biden's Sunday issue of an official pardon for his son, Hunter Biden.
Joe Biden, who had previously vowed publicly not to pardon his son, announced his decision in an official statement released on Dec. 1, where he cited the unfair and selective prosecution of Hunter Biden. The pardon comes ahead of Hunter Biden’s planned sentencing this month following his guilty plea in September to federal tax evasion charges and his conviction in June for illegally purchasing a firearm.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, College Republicans called the pardon “a reflection of hypocrisy and deceit" representative of the Biden administration.
“Biden has repeatedly boasted that he would accept any trial outcome for his son, but it is becoming clear that was a fraudulent effort to distance himself from his son for political gain,” the organization wrote.
Penn Democrats did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication.
In his statement, Joe Biden claimed that Hunter was treated differently on the basis of their familial affiliation, writing that “people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form.” He added that individuals who are late to pay taxes due to drug addiction — but do so eventually — typically don’t face criminal convictions.
However, College Republicans cited Joe Biden's focus on gun control as a point of hypocrisy in the president's actions.
“[F]or him to roll over on his priorities as soon as he gets a chance undermines the gun control [policies] he championed and the trust of the American people,” the group wrote.
Joe Biden also referred to a “carefully negotiated plea deal,” initially agreed upon by the United States Department of Justice, that fell apart due to the political pressure exerted by his opponents, describing it as a fair and reasonable way to resolve Hunter Biden’s cases if it had been finalized. While the deal was agreed upon by the two parties, it fell apart under scrutiny from the judge overseeing the case, rather than directly due to political pressures.
“In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough,” Joe Biden wrote.
While Joe Biden suggested that the charges against his son were politically motivated and pushed by his opponents in Congress with the intent of undermining his election campaign, College Republicans wrote that Hunter Biden's case was “not a partisan issue.”
“The presidential pardon is not a get out of jail free card for the presidents’ friends, it is a tool to balance justice and humanity in the judicial system, and President Biden has abused that power,” the statement read.
Hunter Biden has made history as the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. Past presidents, however — including 1968 Wharton graduate, former President, and President-elect Donald Trump — have granted pardons to relatives or members of their inner circles.
Joe Biden’s pardon comes less than a month after his loss in the presidential election and as he prepares to leave office in January.
Three of Hunter Biden's children have also graduated from Penn: 2016 College graduate Naomi Biden, 2021 College graduate Finnegan Biden, and 2023 College graduate Maisy Biden.
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