# Pardoning Hunter Biden (Pardoned on December 1, 2024) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 29, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944 "2024-07-29T11:33:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/1 "2024-07-29T11:33:30Z")
Interesting twist here that may have incrementally added to Biden’s decision not to run in 2024. If she is elected, President Harris can pardon Biden’s son on Day One, claiming plausibly that his trial was politically motivated and his punishment way too harsh for the crimes he was charged with. Biden had pledged NOT to pardon his son, but she certainly could, and probably would, if his conviction stands. I think she will, and should. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/2 "2024-07-29T11:47:50Z")
I see nothing odd about her doing so. Doesn’t he have other charges coming up? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/3 "2024-07-29T11:51:03Z")
I don’t see it being materially different than if he did it himself in the transition period after the election. It’s not like MAGA world is going to say, “oh, well, it’s different because Kamala did it.” ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/4 "2024-07-29T11:54:39Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > I don’t see it being materially different than if he did it himself in the transition period after the election. Well, it would make his adamant statement about not pardoning his son into a lie. If she does it (and he’s certainly not going to jail before January 20th), it’s a classical act of compassionate pardoning. It simply looks better if she does it than if Biden does it, and by the time she runs for re-election, it will be old news. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/5 "2024-07-29T12:17:50Z")
It won’t look better to the MAGA cult. They will howl just as loud as if Joe Biden had done it himself, and it will spawn all sorts of new conspiracy theories to tar President Harris with. That’s not to say she shouldn’t do it, but we shouldn’t deceive ourselves about the cult’s reaction. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/6 "2024-07-29T12:20:47Z")
Biden promised not to pardon Hunter, but what about commutation? I think there’s a high likelihood Biden commutes Hunter’s sentence after the election. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/7 "2024-07-29T12:21:48Z")
He is never going to serve any time for this first time offense anyway, just like Trump and the 34 felonies. Both are outright guilty of what they were convicted of but will not serve time. So a pardon isnt really needed for Hunter. Doubt if they really pursue more charges against Hunter if the Dems take control, Trump is another matter as he is facing multiple, more serious charges. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/8 "2024-07-29T12:32:09Z")
Ridiculous and inappropriate. Harris doesn’t need any kind of controversy when she starts her presidency. It would be an insane move for her. Biden could do it. So he “lied”. Who the fuck cares? ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/9 "2024-07-29T12:33:49Z")
Biden’s strategy in making that promise was to remove from discussion all talk of corruption in his son’s legal case, which would have damaged his Presidential bid. His thinking was that his son could escape jail time, in which case he wouldn’t need to pardon him anyway, but now he looks bad if he goes back on his promise to stay out of it. But those promises don’t bind President Harris in any way, so the day before Hunter begins serving his jail time, she can pardon him on grounds of compassion. > [@hajario](#): > > Harris doesn’t need any kind of controversy when she starts her presidency. It would be an insane move for her. It will be the 12th most controversial act of her first week in office. What, you think the first policy moves she makes won’t still up shit galore in MAGA circles? They’re pissed off now before she’s even made one new policy. By the way, I think the Dems ought to mention that it’s awful funny, now that Biden is now longer the candidate, the GOP interest in pursuing “the Biden crime family” has faded away. A coincidence, or was it made up BS all along? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/10 "2024-07-29T12:38:20Z")
Those promises don’t bind Biden either. He didn’t sign a contract. Again, it would be a terrible idea for Harris to do it because it would be controversial and she has to run the country and controversy is bad. There are easily tens of thousands of people more deserving. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/11 "2024-07-29T13:16:33Z")
And even if Hunter had to serve 3 months in jail, would it be that bad? At this point he could take one for the team and show that justice applys to all. Serving time in a cell next to Trump would be OK by me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/12 "2024-07-29T13:31:09Z")
I’ve said before that I think that the morally right move for Biden, and the move that he’ll probably take, is to not pardon Hunter, but if, as seems likely, he gets a sentence far greater than a normal person charged with those same crimes would get, that he should commute the sentence down to the normal level. That would be the morally-right move for either President Biden or President Harris. Politically, though, it would be better for Biden to do it, at some point after the election, than for Harris to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/13 "2024-07-29T13:34:22Z")
Why pardon that sleazebag and start your Presidency off on a sour note that would be exploited relentlessly by Republicans? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/14 "2024-07-29T13:36:41Z")
First, have to see if Hunter is successful in using the Cannon precedent to get the prosecution quashed. But I don’t see a pardon. If he was prosecuted by an independent prosecutor, and the jury returned a conviction, what is the basis for a pardon? Because of his last name? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/15 "2024-07-29T15:53:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > But I don’t see a pardon. If he was prosecuted by an independent prosecutor, and the jury returned a conviction, what is the basis for a pardon? I’m not advocating a pardon, but there doesn’t have to be a basis. Look at all the MAGAs pardoned by Trump. I’d rather the good guys not start acting like that, though. If he’s going to be pardon, it should be Joe who does it. Harris can even condemn it. I don’t see it happening unless his sentence is unusually draconian. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/16 "2024-07-29T16:14:11Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t see it happening unless his sentence is unusually draconian. Basically this. It would stink of nepotisic corruption of the worst sort and Hunter Biden did technically break the law and he was convicted by a jury of his peers (well, loosely defined). As long as his sentence is reasonably within guidelines, he should just man up and eat it (well, appeal of course, but assuming that fails). Harris and Joe Biden don’t need the tarnish and doing it just to stick it to the Republicans is childish. ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/17 "2024-07-29T18:00:18Z")
For now, nothing need be done. But the morning Hunter prepares to go to jail, someone will have a turn of heart. Again, I think this move is necessary if only to draw public attention to restricting the absolute power of a President to pardon anyone any time for any crime whatsoever. I think Harris could say it’s an act of compassion, too often abused by her predecessors, and if the Congress wants to restrict it sharply on the basis of Hunter Biden she’ll be happy to sign any legislation to that effect. That should shut them up immediately and thoroughly. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/18 "2024-07-29T20:49:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I’ve said before that I think that the morally right move for Biden, and the move that he’ll probably take, is to not pardon Hunter, but if, as seems likely, he gets a sentence far greater than a normal person charged with those same crimes would get, that he should commute the sentence down to the normal level. Right. But Biden indicated he wouldn’t do that either. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/19 "2024-07-29T20:53:33Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Basically this. It would stink of nepotisic corruption of the worst sort and Hunter Biden did technically break the law and he was convicted by a jury of his peers (well, loosely defined). Nepotism? Of course. But corruption? The President has the right to pardon people, for whatever reason he chooses, and it usually is used for people convicted by a jury (aside: “a jury of his peers” isn’t a thing in the US; that’s a British concept). When the President’s son is convicted of a crime, I would think that it would be unremarkable for the President to choose to pardon him. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944/20 "2024-07-29T21:05:42Z")
> [@GailForce](#): > > I think Harris could say it’s an act of compassion, too often abused by her predecessors, and if the Congress wants to restrict it sharply on the basis of Hunter Biden she’ll be happy to sign any legislation to that effect. That should shut them up immediately and thoroughly. Restricting the Presidential pardon power would take a Constitutional amendment. All the better reason for Harris to say she’s in favor of it, since it will never happen. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardoning-hunter-biden-pardoned-on-december-1-2024/1004944.md?page=2)