Biden’s Pardon: A Smokescreen for Corruption Biden’s pardon of Hunter is not just a failure of justice but a stark symbol of the dual standards and open corruption that permeate the American political system. By Christopher Roach
https://amgreatness.com/2024/12/10/bidens-pardon-a-smokescreen-for-corruption/
Joe Biden has carefully cultivated his image as an empathetic man of the people. In reality, his career has been marked by a relentless pursuit of wealth for himself and his family. His son Hunter Biden was central to these schemes, operating as the family “bag man” for various influence-peddling operations overseas.
As such, Joe Biden’s decision to pardon Hunter is not an act of mercy or justice or even paternal loyalty but a cynical maneuver to shield both Hunter and Joe Biden from responsibility.
Its brazenness has moved even Joe Biden’s most ardent defenders to condemnation.
Double Standards and the “Rule of Law”
After all the pious talk invoking the “rule of law” during the years-long prosecutions of Donald Trump, Hunter’s pardon shows that there has always been a parallel set of rules, through which the powerful and politically favored can escape scrutiny. This case is also a reminder of how the rule of law can be perverted not only by being too harsh but also by being too solicitous.
The media have feigned shock at his pardon, but they should have known better. Even before he was facing charges, Hunter’s job as a highly paid board member of a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, was absurd on its face. He had no relevant skills or qualifications justifying a $50,000 monthly salary—except, of course, his last name.
Similarly, the revelation that Hunter involved his father in business meetings with individuals from Kazakhstan and other foreign nations gained little traction among the media or official Washington. The media even dismissed the infamous “10% for the big guy” email found on Hunter’s laptop, which strongly implies a quid pro quo arrangement between Hunter and his dad.
These incidents are not merely “bad optics.” They constitute strong, circumstantial evidence of a corrupt and self-dealing operation over the course of many years that traded on Joe Biden’s public offices solely to enrich the Biden family.
This is not the first time that the government has shielded Hunter Biden from responsibility. Earlier this year, a plea deal would have allowed him to walk away with little more than a slap on the wrist for tax evasion charges and, unusually, avoid potential liability for any other federal charges, including lying on an ATF form to purchase a handgun.
It was only a judge’s rejection of the deal and the ensuing public outcry that led to additional charges by prosecutors. He pled guilty to the tax charges and was tried, convicted, and about to be sentenced this month on the gun-related charges. The pardon is simply the latest chapter in a long-running effort to shield Hunter Biden and the rest of the Biden clan from accountability.
A System of Graft and Corruption
The Biden family’s corruption, while extensive, is not some outlier. It is emblematic of a broader rot that pervades the American political class, where insiders from both parties enrich themselves and evade legal restraints that the broader public must observe.
A typical example is something like California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s dinner with elite supporters at the famous French Laundry restaurant while he imprisoned ordinary citizens in their homes during the COVID pandemic. Similarly, this includes the way so many members of Congress show up poor and leave very rich, even though they only receive modest salaries while in office.
Much of this corruption is devoid of ideological content because members of both parties exploit their positions to enrich themselves through insider trading, excessively high-paying jobs for spouses and family members, and other tricks.
Biden’s Pardon: A Political Giveaway
The presidential pardon power is significant, not least because it is an important public trust shielded from any interference from the other branches of government. At its best, the power to pardon is a vehicle for justice and a tool for facilitating peace and reconciliation after moments of national crisis.
Both pardons for petty criminals and certain blanket pardons, such as Jimmy Carter’s pardon of those who avoided the Vietnam draft, have this quality. But none of these virtues are present when the pardon power is used for selfish and venal motives, such as Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter.
Biden’s pardon is reminiscent of Bill Clinton’s controversial, last-minute pardon of Marc Rich, a fugitive financier who had been indicted for a range of financial crimes. Rich’s pardon came after his wife made significant contributions to the Clinton Foundation and other Democratic causes. Clinton’s pardon was a political transaction designed to reward a benefactor and protect the interests of the powerful.
Hunter Biden’s pardon covers every conceivable federal crime he may have committed, known and unknown, from 2014 through the present. This is all very calculated; 2014 was the year when the United States scaled up its dealings in Ukraine, including support for the Maidan coup against Viktor Yanukovich. This all took place when then-Vice President Joe Biden was running point for the Obama administration in Ukraine. This is also the year Hunter joined Burisma’s board and when the family’s grift operation kicked into high gear.
The pardon is not some act of excessive paternal devotion but naked self-interest. The pardon serves to protect not just Hunter, but Joe Biden himself, by ensuring that any potential legal consequences for their coordinated actions remain out of the reach of a Trump administration Department of Justice.
A Potential Silver Lining
While Biden’s pardon is a grave injustice, it also serves as a reminder to the American people of the deep corruption that runs through both political parties. Perhaps this act of blatant self-interest will shatter any remaining illusions about Biden’s character or the integrity of the political system.
Ideally, these events will catalyze a broader reckoning with the political elite’s corruption and hypocrisy. For example, this pardon creates an opportunity for Donald Trump to undo the political persecution of those who have been targeted by the Biden administration—such as the pro-life movement and the many, minimally culpable January 6 protesters.
At present, Biden’s pardon of Hunter is not just a failure of justice but a stark symbol of the dual standards and open corruption that permeate the American political system.
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Christopher Roach is an adjunct fellow of the Center for American Greatness and an attorney in private practice based in Florida. He is a double graduate of the University of Chicago and has previously been published by The Federalist, Takimag, Chronicles, the Washington Legal Foundation, the Marine Corps Gazette, and the Orlando Sentinel. The views presented are solely his own.
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