Prior to President Biden’s recent decision to pardon his son Hunter Biden, a rare and closely scrutinized move, there have been a few notable cases in which US presidents have extended presidential pardon power to their own family members.

While Biden’s push for Hunter, which involved criminal convictions related to gun and tax crimes, represents a historic decision and breaks a public promise not to interfere in his son’s legal affairs, he is not the first to hear of this controversial one makes use of power.

From Bill Clinton’s pardon of his half-brother Roger on drug charges to Donald Trump’s controversial pardon of his son-in-law’s father, Charles Kushner, for a number of serious crimes, this tradition of familial mercy has made headlines over the years.

Joe Biden pardons son Hunter Biden

Just weeks before Donald Trump’s expected return to the White House after winning the 47th presidential election, President Joe Biden made a not-so-surprising move on December 1. In his statement, Biden claimed that his son’s legal troubles stemmed from political opponents in Congress, who he said were using the cases as a strategy to undermine him and oppose his presidency.

“No reasonable person looking at the facts of Hunter’s cases could come to any conclusion other than that Hunter was chosen simply because he is my son,” he said.

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Republicans have long tried to link Hunter Biden’s business dealings to his father, further fueling the controversy. “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a president come to this decision,” Biden continued.

Donald Trump pardoned Jared Kushner’s father

President-elect Donald Trump granted Charles Kushner a pardon in 2020 after Kushner pleaded guilty years earlier to witnessing gerrymandering, tax evasion and illegal campaign contributions. Kushner, who has close ties to Trump because of his real estate ties, is now being considered for the role of U.S. ambassador to France. There is also a personal connection between the two families, as Trump’s daughter Ivanka married Kushner’s son Jared in 2009.

Also read: US President Biden pardons son Hunter in criminal proceedings, breaking previous promises on family benefits

In an announcement on Truth Social, MAGA praised Kushner as “an outstanding business leader, philanthropist and dealmaker.”

Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger

On his last day in 2001, President Bill Clinton pardoned his half-brother Roger Clinton, who had been convicted of a drug offense in 1985. Roger spent over a year in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy charges. During this time, he also came under scrutiny from Republicans in Congress, who investigated him for receiving large sums of money from foreign sources.

Billy Carter, brother of Jimmy Carter

Billy Carter, who was in financial trouble and struggling with alcoholism, tried to make deals with Libya in the hope of making half the profits.

However, a Senate Judiciary subcommittee concluded in October 1980, shortly before Jimmy Carter lost the election, that Billy had no influence on U.S. politics. Although President Carter did not openly defend his brother, the pardon was granted to mitigate any potential political damage.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln pardoned several people during his presidency, including 265 Dakota Indians, an Ohio congressman known as Copperhead, and Emilie Todd Helm, the wife of Confederate General Benjamin Hardin Helm and half-sister of Mary Todd Lincoln.