On Sunday, President Joe Biden issued a pardon for his son Hunter after previously saying he would not. Biden, who reversed course as he prepares to leave the White House, has become the latest U.S. president to pardon a family member.
In his clemency announcement, the president called his son’s treatment a “miscarriage of justice” and pointed to political motivation behind his son’s charges.
“Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department’s decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted,” Biden said in a statement issued by the White House.
With Sunday’s announcement, Biden became only the third president to make such a declaration for a relative. But other notable personalities have been granted pardons throughout history as former U.S. presidents have used their authority to issue pardons.