Top Biden Ally Not Only Urged Hunter’s Clemency But Wants More Pardons, Too
President should protect Liz Cheney and Jack Smith, Clyburn says
A top ally of President Biden’s not only revealed that he urged the president to change his mind and pardon his son, but wants Biden to issue additional pardons as well before leaving office.
Rep Jim Clyburn (D-SC) said he not only supports the pardon Biden issued over the weekend to his son, Hunter, but revealed that he “urged him to do so.”
Hunter Biden was facing sentencing in the coming weeks in connection with convictions on federal gun and tax charges.
President Biden had repeatedly vowed that he would not issue such a pardon to his son.
Clyburn has been politically close to Biden and helped the president resuscitate his troubled bid for the White House more than four years ago.
“I am absolutely okay with it. I don't know how many people urged him to do so, but I did. Two weeks —” Clyburn said in an appearance on CNN, before host Laura Coates asked, “You did?”
“Yes, I did, because I know [Hunter Biden] was targeted. We all know that but for the fact he was Joe Biden’s son, he would never have been taken through these gyrations,” Clyburn replied. “And so, I told him the last time I talked to him."
“Two weeks ago?” Coates confirmed.
“Yes,” Clyburn said.
“What was his reaction to that, by the way?" Coates asked.
“He seemed to be a bit reticent about it, but I emphasized the fact that that we, as fathers, have obligations to our children,” Clyburn said.
Clyburn also said that he wants President Biden to issue preemptive pardons for a number of Donald Trump’s most prominent political opponents.
Trump repeatedly vowed that he would offer retaliation and retribution against those who he perceives as enemies.
“Jack Smith’s name is on my list. Liz Cheney’s name is on my list,” Clyburn said, referring to the Justice Department special counsel who brought criminal cases against Trump as well as the former congresswoman from Wyoming who helped investigate the violent insurrection on January 6, 2021.
“I think that they all should be preemptively pardoned because I think there are people who Trump may bring into this government who will go after these people in a serious way, and there's no need to subject them to that,” Clyburn said. “Even if they are found not guilty, why put families through that? Why put these people through that? That kind of expense, that kind of worry, that should not be.
“I think Liz Cheney is a great patriot, and I also think there will be a lot of MAGA people going after her.”
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