Outgoing US President Joe Biden pardons son Hunter Biden

Outgoing U.S. president Joe Biden has issued an official pardon for his son Hunter Biden, who was set to be sentenced this month for his role in two criminal cases.

This comes less than two months before Biden will leave the White House and be succeeded by President-elect Donald Trump.

Biden had previously maintained that he would not pardon or commute the sentences of his son, a recovering drug addict, even after Hunter was found guilty in June of lying about his drug use to illegally purchase a gun.

In September, Hunter also pleaded guilty to failing to pay US$1.4 million (S$1.88 million) in taxes while spending lavishly on strippers, escorts, luxury cars and fancy hotels, CNN reported.

The pardon

However, Biden said in a Dec. 1 statement that his son had been "singled out" and that the way he was being prosecuted was a "miscarriage of justice".

"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 wrote.

In September, the White House press secretary said that Biden would not issue a pardon for his son, CBS reported.

Biden noted in his statement that without aggravating factors, "people are almost never brought to trial on felony charges solely for how they filled out a gun form".

"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden wrote.

"In trying to break Hunter, they’ve tried to break me – and there’s no reason to believe it will stop here. Enough is enough," Biden added.

Would have faced sentencing in December

Hunter was set to be sentenced on Dec. 12 and 16 for the gun-related and tax charges respectively, ABC News reported.

Biden shared on Dec. 1 that he made the decision over the weekend.

Reuters reported that the president, his wife, Jill Biden, and their family including Hunter, spent Thanksgiving together in Nantucket, Massachusetts and returned to Washington on Nov. 30.

"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden concluded.

Top image from Mandel Ngan/AFP