Biden, in the final hours of his presidency, preemptively pardoned members of his family
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- Biden, in the final hours of his presidency, preemptively pardoned members of his family
U.S. President Joe Biden preventively pardoned a number of members of his family. This is stated on January 20 on the White House website.
"I grant clemency to Gerald G. Lundergan and Ernest William Cromartie. I also commute the life sentence imposed on Leonard Peltier to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement," the publication stated.
It is specified that Gerald G. Lundergan suffered a stroke before he began serving his sentence. After leaving prison, he became one of the founders of a non-profit foundation, which aims to help prisoners.
In turn, Ernest William Cromartie, upon his release, established a scholarship for needy young men. He is also active in the religious community.
According to the White House, Leonard Peltier suffers from serious illnesses and spent most of his life in prison. The commutation of his sentence will allow him to spend his remaining days at home.
In addition, Biden pardoned James B. Biden, Sarah Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens and Francis W. Biden. The American president emphasized that granting a pardon should not be taken as an admission of guilt for any wrongdoing. According to him, the family members "have been subjected to uncompromising attacks and threats" aimed at harming Biden himself. He noted that "there is no reason to believe that these attacks will stop."
Earlier, on Jan. 17, Biden commuted the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent crimes. He granted clemency to those citizens who received long sentences, as well as to those whose sentences were based on outdated regulations regarding crimes involving illegal substances.
Prior to that, on January 11, Biden said he might preemptively pardon some individuals who had previously criticized U.S. leader-elect Donald Trump before his departure from the White House.
On December 2, 2024, Biden decided to pardon his son in honor of Thanksgiving. Reacting to this, Hunter Biden stated that he intends to dedicate his life to helping people with addictions. In September, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to nine felony counts of failing to pay taxes, and in June, he pleaded guilty to three felony counts of gun possession.
