House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is calling on President Biden to issue more pardons, especially for non-violent offenders, before he leaves office.
“In his final weeks in office, President Biden should demonstrate the high level of compassion he has consistently shown throughout his life, including toward his son, and pardon individual working-class Americans in federal prison. Their lives have been ruined by unfairly aggressive prosecutions for non-violent crimes. ” Jeffries said in a statement.
“Right now we need freedom and justice for all,” he said.
On Sunday, Biden pardoned his son Hunter Biden, saying the charges were brought for political reasons during the campaign.
The pardon acquits Hunter Biden of both federal charges. This comes after a jury found him guilty in June of three felonies after he bought and possessed a gun as a drug user in 2018. He also pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges in September.
Biden's decision to pardon his son resonated throughout the Capitol. Several Democrats condemned the president's move, as it reverses his previous stance on the issue.
The president said in a statement that the charges in his son's case “first arose” after his political opponents in Congress “attacked me and incited me to contest my election.”
“Throughout my career, I have lived by a simple principle of just telling the truth to the American people. They will be fair-minded. This is the truth: I believe in the justice system, but I have struggled with this… “I also believe that raw politics has infected this process and led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden said.
In a statement, Jeffries emphasized Biden's long career and how he has “fought to improve the plight” of Americans.
“Many of these people are being actively prosecuted and receiving harsh sentences for non-violent crimes, and many have not had the benefit of adequate legal representation,” Jeffries said. “Countless lives, families, and communities have been negatively impacted, especially in parts of Appalachia, urban America, and the Heartland.”
His statement echoed those of others who called on Biden to do all he can while in office before President-elect Trump takes over.
Jeffries did not say specifically who he would like Biden to pardon, but The Hill requested more information.
