WASHINGTON — On Sunday evening, President Joe Biden made headlines by granting a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, effectively removing the threat of a prison sentence linked to federal felony convictions related to gun possession and tax matters. This decision represents a notable shift from Biden’s previous assurances that he would not leverage his presidential powers for the benefit of his family.

In the past, President Biden had explicitly ruled out the idea of pardoning Hunter following his convictions in Delaware and California. The timing of the pardon is particularly significant, as it comes just weeks before Hunter was set to be sentenced for his gun conviction and tax-related guilty plea, coinciding with Donald Trump’s expected return to the White House.

This latest development marks the conclusion of a lengthy legal struggle for Hunter Biden, who disclosed his federal investigation status back in December 2020, shortly after his father’s election victory. The circumstances around this case cast a shadow over President Biden’s legacy, especially as he has repeatedly vowed to restore norms and uphold the rule of law following the tumult of the Trump administration.

In his statement on Sunday night, President Biden expressed his belief in the justice system but also criticized the political motivations that have influenced the judicial process, stating, “I have faith in the justice system, but I also believe that raw politics have tainted this process, leading to a miscarriage of justice.”

The pardon not only addresses Hunter’s gun and tax-related charges but also extends to any other potential offenses against the United States committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.

Earlier this year, Biden had definitively stated he would not grant his son a pardon, telling reporters, “I respect the jury’s decision. I will adhere to that and will not grant him a pardon.”

Just a few weeks ago, on November 8, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reaffirmed that Hunter Biden would not receive a pardon or clemency, emphasizing, “We have consistently answered that question with a firm no.”

Throughout Hunter’s struggles with addiction and the family turmoil it has caused, President Biden has openly supported his only surviving son. Political opponents have often used Hunter Biden’s past challenges to attack the President, even displaying compromising images during congressional hearings.

House Republicans have also sought to leverage Hunter’s controversial overseas business dealings in a failed attempt to impeach President Biden, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing or benefit from his son’s actions.

Biden remarked, “The charges against Hunter emerged only after several of my political opponents in Congress urged them to undermine me and obstruct my election.” He added, “No reasonable observer can look at the facts surrounding Hunter’s cases and conclude anything other than that he was targeted solely because he is my son.”

“I hope that the American public can understand why a father and a President would arrive at this decision,” he said, noting that he made the decision over the weekend.

Before the announcement, President Biden had been enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday with Hunter and his family in Nantucket, Massachusetts, ahead of an impending trip to Angola, which may be one of his final international engagements before his term concludes on January 20, 2025.

In June, Hunter Biden was convicted in a Delaware federal court on three felony charges related to a 2018 gun purchase, during which he allegedly falsified information on a federal form regarding his drug use.

He was also set to go to trial in California for allegedly failing to pay more than $1.4 million in taxes. However, just hours before jury selection was to begin, he unexpectedly agreed to plead guilty to a combination of misdemeanor and felony charges.

David Weiss, the U.S. attorney appointed by Trump who brokered Hunter’s plea deal, was later designated as special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the prosecution independently.

Hunter Biden stated that his decision to plead guilty was made to protect his family from further distress and humiliation after public revelations about his struggles with addiction during the gun trial.

The tax charges could have led to a prison sentence of up to 17 years, while the gun charges carried a maximum sentence of 25 years. However, federal guidelines suggested he might have faced much less time, potentially avoiding prison altogether.

Hunter was due for sentencing this month in both federal cases, which arose after a plea agreement that initially aimed to spare him from prison time fell apart under judicial scrutiny. Under that original agreement, he was meant to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and avoid prosecution for the gun case, provided he remained trouble-free for two years.

Complications emerged when the judge raised concerns over the unusual terms of the deal, leading to Hunter’s subsequent indictment on both counts.

Over the weekend, Hunter Biden’s legal team released an extensive 52-page document titled “The Political Prosecutions of Hunter Biden,” depicting him as a pawn in a political game aimed at undermining his father’s political standing during and after the 2020 election.

Hunter’s attorneys have consistently asserted that the indictments were driven by political pressure from Republicans, particularly in light of criticism surrounding the alleged leniency of the initial plea deal.

Rep. James Comer, a prominent Republican investigator looking into the Biden family, criticized the President’s pardon, claiming that the evidence against Hunter is merely “the tip of the iceberg.”

“It’s unfortunate that instead of addressing their long history of wrongdoing, President Biden and his family continue to evade accountability,” Comer stated on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Biden is not the first President to use his pardon power in favor of close associates. In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, along with several others implicated in the Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Trump had also suggested plans to nominate Charles Kushner as U.S. envoy to France in a potential future administration.

Read More: Here Are the New Members of Trump’s Administration So Far

Trump, who has promised to make significant changes and appoint loyalists throughout the Justice Department after his own legal troubles, criticized Hunter Biden’s pardon as “a profound abuse and miscarriage of justice” in a recent social media post.

“Does the pardon granted by Joe to Hunter also apply to the January 6 hostages, who have been imprisoned for years?” Trump asked, alluding to those convicted following the violent events of January 6, 2021, at the Capitol.

In response to the pardon, Hunter Biden expressed his gratitude for the relief it provided and vowed to dedicate his renewed life to helping others still facing similar struggles.

“I have acknowledged and taken responsibility for my past mistakes during the darkest moments of my addiction—mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political gain,” Hunter remarked.

Following the pardon, Hunter Biden’s legal team filed motions in both Los Angeles and Delaware, requesting that judges overseeing his gun and tax cases dismiss them based on the newly granted pardon.

A spokesperson for U.S. Attorney Weiss did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday night.

NBC News was the first outlet to report that President Biden was poised to announce his son’s pardon on Sunday.

—Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report from Nantucket, Massachusetts.