US President Joe Biden has issued a pardon for his son Hunter, who was facing conviction in two criminal cases.

The move proved controversial as the outgoing president had previously ruled out such a move. However, he argued that the cases against his son were politically motivated.

His use of his pardon powers continues a tradition in which presidents on both sides of the U.S. political divide grant clemency to people close to them.

Hunter Biden was awaiting sentencing in two federal cases later this month.

In June, he became the first child of a sitting US president to be convicted criminally – in a case involving him Weapon possession. He was found guilty by a jury in Delaware on three counts of lying on a form about his drug use when purchasing a handgun.

He was also awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in federal court in September Tax case The issue was whether he had paid enough taxes from 2016 to 2019. The nine charges included failing to file and pay his taxes, tax evasion and filing a false tax return.

He faced up to 25 years in prison in the weapons case and 17 years in prison in the tax case, although he is likely to receive significantly shorter sentences and have to serve the two sentences at the same time, experts told the New York Times.

The U.S. Constitution requires that a president has broad authority to “grant pardons and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”

In this case, the president’s “full and unconditional pardon” covers any potential federal crimes the younger Biden may have committed from January 2014 to December 2024.

The pardon constitutes a legal pardon, ends all further punishment, and restores rights such as the right to vote or run for public office.

Although the pardon power is considered broad, it is not unlimited. For example, a president can only issue pardons for federal crimes.

The issue is relevant because Donald Trump’s conviction in his hush money trial in New York is a question mark. When he returns to the White House in January, he will not be able to pardon himself at the state level in this case.

Trump is among those who have attacked Biden for the move, which he called an “abuse and miscarriage of justice.”

The new president asked whether Biden would also pardon those charged in the riots on January 6, 2021 – when Trump’s supporters rioted outside the US Capitol to thwart the certification of the 2020 election results.

Trump, who has faced a series of legal problems while away from the White House, has repeatedly accused the US justice system of being used as a weapon against him and his supporters.

He has promised to pardon the riots in Washington himself. But who exactly will be pardoned and whether the pardon extends to those convicted of the most serious and violent crimes is still an open question.

There is a long-standing precedent for US presidents on both sides of the political divide to issue pardons – including to people close to them. This is the 26th pardon by Bidena democrat.

In 2020, Trumpa Republican, pardoned Charles Kushner, the father-in-law of his daughter Ivanka. Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison in 2004 for tax evasion, campaign finance crimes and witness tampering.

And in 2001 Bill Clintonpardoned his younger half-brother Roger Clinton for a 1985 cocaine offense.

In both cases, the pardon was given to people who had already served a sentence. President Biden’s intervention in his son’s case comes before sentencing.

According to the Pew Research Center, Trump granted 237 clemency requests during his four years in the White House, including 143 pardons and 94 commuted sentences. Many were in excitement before he left office.

This number is significantly lower than its predecessor Barack Obamawho, according to Pew, granted 1,927 clemency requests during his eight years in office. These were 1,715 commutations and 212 pardons.