Never pass up a chance to sit down or relieve yourself. -old Apache saying

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Joe pardon Hunter?

So, if Hunter Biden gets convicted of any of the charges against him, I wonder if Joe Biden will decide to pardon Hunter?

As I understand it, practically no one ever goes to trial for these types of charges. As I hear it from legal experts, usually no charges are even brought on these charges, or settlements are reached before going to trial. Considering that Hunter Biden is Joe Biden's son, this is a strong indication that the charges are political.

The GOP is still sore about Trump being impeached twice, although Trump certainly deserved it. Hunter has apologized for his actions, never used the gun he bought illegally, and paid back all the taxes, with penalties, that he had accumulated. And since when is the GOP pissed about someone getting a gun?

A pardon for Hunter would seem to satisfy some official and unofficial criteria for the president to issue a pardon:

1) Hunter is up on federal charges; pardons have historically been issued only for federal charges;

2) A pardon "is the expression of the president's forgiveness and ordinarily is granted in recognition of the applicant's acceptance of responsibility for the crime" (which Hunter has certainly done) "and established good conduct for a significant period of time after conviction or completion of sentence." The president does not have to wait for a convicted or jailed person to apply for a pardon. (Dept of Justice - Office of the Pardon Attorney)

3) Since this is a purely political hit job - they couldn't get any closer to Joe Biden - a pardon here is an appropriate remedy to an overzealous, political prosecution. That's my own extra criteria for a pardon, but one can easily imagine charges being levied against a member of one political party by another political party as an act of vindictiveness or revenge, to "get back" at them using political means. A pardon is a good remedy for wild-eyed partisans/racists trying to "lynch" someone. And that's the case here with Hunter Biden.

I frankly doubt that Joe WOULD pardon Hunter, because Joe is an honest man, but if Hunter does get convicted, I think Joe SHOULD pardon Hunter.


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