President Biden’s decision to use his presidential powers on Sunday to pardon his own son will be a disgrace in presidential politics. The president didn’t just use his constitutional powers to benefit his family. This is because the action represents the culmination of his years of lying to the public about his knowledge and intentions in his family’s influence scandal. Even amid past controversies over the use of this pardon power, Biden has cemented his legacy for many, not as commander in chief, but as liar in chief.

Despite its noble origins and purpose, the pardon power has historically not been an original power used by previous presidents. As I have written before, it was used to benefit the political cronies of previous presidents. President Warren Harding was even accused of selling pardons, including to Mafia enforcer Ignacio Lupo, known as “Lupo the Wolf.” Former President Bill Clinton waited for the final days of his presidency to pardon his own brother as well as a major Democratic donor. Trump also pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner. (Charles Kushner was also recently named as Trump’s chosen envoy to France.)

In 2023, I wrote that Biden could follow the same pattern and pardon his lame-duck presidential son. The column suggested that Biden could withdraw as a candidate for office and then act as a father: “The pardon-and-pardon approach could appear to Biden not only as an attempt to convert vice into virtue, but also as a justification for his withdrawal from the choice to be attractive.” as a selfless act.”

REPUBLICAN HAMMER BIDEN’S ‘Nobody Is Above the Law’ Claim After Hunter Pardon: ‘Old as Fine Milk’

In the 2020 election and throughout his term as president, Biden repeatedly lied to the American public with an ease and impunity that shocked even many political veterans in Washington. He was repeatedly asked whether he knew of Hunter’s foreign dealings, including alleged deals worth millions of dollars with Russians, Ukrainians, Chinese and other clients. President Biden lied and denied this knowledge. As I detailed in my testimony at Biden’s impeachment hearing, he had repeated conversations about these deals. He’s even on tape discussing news about the deals.

President Biden was also repeatedly asked if he had met any of his son’s clients. He lied repeatedly. We have pictures and recordings of dinners and meetings with these customers. Hunter Biden was specifically thanked for providing such access to his father.

Few reporters pressed Biden about the corruption scandal, but they were often met not only with denials but also with angry retorts from the president. When Fox reporter Peter Doocy brought it up, the president gushed: “Yes, yes, yes. God love you, man – you’re a one-seater, I tell you that.”

When CBS’ Bo Erickson jumped out of line to bring up the scandal, Biden responded: “I knew you were going to ask that. I don’t have an answer to that, it’s another smear campaign, right up your alley, these are the questions you always ask.”

The president continued to lie throughout the election, the presidential debates, and his time in office.

Then the press kept asking him if he would pardon his son. The president was now running for re-election and lied again. He and the White House have repeatedly said that such a pardon would not happen and was not being considered. That was also a lie. NBC reports that there had already been discussions about the pardon following these denials last June.

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The pardon power was written in absolute terms, and in my opinion a president can even pardon himself. However, what is constitutional is not necessarily ethical or right. This is one of the most disgraceful pardons even in the checkered history of presidential pardons. President Biden lied to cover up a corruption scandal that reportedly made his family millions through crude influence peddling. His portrayal of his son as a victim contrasts sharply with the sense of immunity and power that Hunter conveys through his actions.

President Biden and son Hunter Biden leave a bookstore in Nantucket, Massachusetts on November 29, 2024. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

There were gifts of diamonds, lavish expense reports and a sports car, in addition to massive payments that Hunter described as “loans.”

There are messages in which Hunter refutes the president’s portrayal of a political witch hunt, including messages like the one sent to a Chinese businessman who openly threatened to anger Joe Biden if money wasn’t sent to him immediately. In the WhatsApp message, Hunter explained:

“I’m sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made was not kept. Tell the director I want to sort this out now before it gets out of control, tonight. And, Z, if I receive a call or text message from anyone involved in this matter other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make sure that there is communication between the man sitting next to me and any person that he knows and my ability to hold a grudge against you forever. I will regret not following my order. I’m sitting here waiting for my father to call.

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The President has now punished Hunter for his convicted crimes and any crimes he may have committed since January 1st. January 2014 to December 1, 2024” was pardoned.

All of this is now buried under a sweeping immunity deal and a series of presidential lies.

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