Hunter Biden was recently indicted on a gun charge, as everyone knows. This has led to a spate of articles claiming that Joe Biden is worried that he will die before his son’s legal problems are resolved. 

Well, don’t let the unquestioning media dupes fool you. Hunter Biden has already been pardoned. That pardon is sitting in Joe Biden’s desk drawer or office safe.  Hunter Biden likely even has a copy of this pardon in his own possession. 

Despite the media sense of self-importance, one is pardoned when the President signs the pardon, not when a pardon is announced and reported by the media.  Even the Biden family is savvy enough to know they need pardons in reserve in case anything happens to the ancient and deteriorating Joe Biden. 

There are likely a number of pardons for any number of Bidens who have received wire transfers etc. sitting in Joe Biden’s oval office desk drawer with a corresponding copy or maybe even a second original sitting in safe deposit boxes or more likely secured by family attorneys.

Putting the pardons in the hands of your attorneys helps legitimize the pardons by establishing a better chain of custody.  This way no one can argue that these pardons were done after Biden was president or after he was no longer competent. 

The rest of the Biden family, including Jill Biden, likely have pardons stashed away not just because of their behaviors, but because of the behavior of the Biden administration and the behavior of the so-called Department of Justice. Once the Democrats went down the road of criminalizing political difference with President Trump, it was a sure thing that every president for a generation or two will pardon themselves, their family and at least some key advisors as they leave office. 

The Biden family needs copies so there is no chance of some angry White House operative destroying the pardons.  Some Democrats might privately be angry at the Biden family members for the bad press they caused the party or worry that the pardons becoming public would harm their electoral prospects.  Some think the Nixon pardon hurt Ford’s chances in the 1976 election.  Thus, again the Biden family members likely have copies or second originals of their pardons.  

So, Joe Biden is not worried something will happen to him before his family’s legal problems are resolved.  Hunter and the rest of the Biden clan have already been covered.  They have been pardoned, though perhaps the Biden’s are also savvy enough to up date these pardons monthly or even weekly as their behaviors continue.  A more interesting question might be, has Biden pardoned the likes of Merrick Garland or Christopher Wray?

James L. Swofford is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics, Finance and Real Estate at the University of South Alabama.

Image: Louise Palanker