TMZ learned of Biden's plans to pardon his son long before the official decision was made

U.S. President Joe Biden was ready to pardon his son Hunter in two court cases long before he signed an official decree. This was reported by TMZ portal on December 1, citing a source in the White House.

"Sources connected to the White House with direct information said that Biden had been planning this [pardon] for more than three months," the material said.

According to the sources, the president had no involvement in the proceedings against his son until the judge rejected the plea bargain in June 2023. The White House master was "disturbed" by this decision and feared that his son could become a political pawn, the material says.

At the same time, the interlocutors note that Hunter could have won a trial in California on all nine counts of non-payment of taxes. However, the President's son pleaded guilty, as he realized that he would pardon him, concluded the portal.

Joe Biden decided to pardon his son over the Thanksgiving weekend. Reacting to this, Hunter Biden said that he intends to devote his life to helping people with addictions. In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Izvestia that Hunter's pardon is a caricature of democracy.

On December 1, Hunter's lawyers said about the threat to his future due to the victory of US President-elect Donald Trump. It was specified that Trump called the son of the current president "a member of his enemies list". Members of his team also said that Trump "could turn revenge on prosecutors" if they did not take a tougher stance.

Hunter pleaded guilty in September to nine felony counts of failing to pay taxes and in June to three felony counts of weapons possession.