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Trump transition live updates: President-elect raises prospect of pardons for Jan. 6 crimes

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Demetrius Freeman

While controversy over presidential pardons has a long history — from George Washington absolving instigators of the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/first-presidential-pardon-pitted-hamilton-against-george-washington-180964659/" target="_blank">Whiskey Rebellion</a> in 1795 to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/07/22/trump-is-considering-presidential-pardons-ford-never-recovered-from-the-one-he-gave-nixon/" target="_blank">Gerald Ford pardoning</a> Richard M. Nixon after the Watergate scandal forced his resignation — few have used the constitutionally vested power to pardon family members.

On Sunday, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/01/hunter-biden-pardon/" target=_blank>issued a full and unconditional pardon</a> to his son Hunter Biden, who was convicted of gun-related charges and pleaded guilty in a tax case. Biden said his son was “selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted.”

Here’s a look at the recent history of presidential pardons granted to family members:

Hunter Biden’s legal travails have cast a shadow over his father’s presidency. In June, he was convicted of lying on a gun-purchase form in 2018. He checked a box denying the use of illegal drugs even though he was an addict, then illegally owned the weapon for 11 days. In a separate case, he pleaded guilty in September to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/09/05/hunter-biden-alford-guilty-plea-taxes/" target=_blank>nine federal tax charges</a> in California and faced up to 17 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.

In a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/12/01/statement-from-president-joe-biden-11/" target="_blank">statement</a>, President Biden said the cases were brought because of political pressure from his opponents on federal prosecutors.

“No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong,” the statement said.

The move came as Hunter Biden awaited <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/30/hunter-biden-defense-sentencing-pardon/" target="_blank">sentencing</a> in the two cases and was a reversal of President Biden’s public stance that he would not pardon his son or commute his sentences.

Biden made an emotional appeal in his statement: “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision.”

Trump pardoned his in-law Charles Kushner

At the end of his first term, President <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/donald-trump/" target="_blank" class="contextual_link">Donald Trump</a> granted several <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/20/trumps-swampiest-pardons-ranked/" target=_blank>pardons</a> to allies, campaign aides and top GOP donors, many of whom went on to support his <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2023/trump-pardon-power-2024-benefit/?itid=hp-top-table-main_p001_f001" target=_blank>reelection</a> bid. Among them was Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared — who handled a Middle East portfolio in the first Trump administration.

John Minchillo

Charles Kushner, a real estate developer like Trump, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2004/txdv04kush0818_r.htm" target=_blank>pleaded guilty</a> in 2004 to 18 counts, including falsifying tax returns, retaliating against a witness and making false statements about campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission.

He admitted to recruiting a sex worker to seduce the husband of a cooperating witness and videotaping them having sex. The witness was his <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/tax/usaopress/2005/txdv05kush0304_r.htm" target=_blank>sister.</a>

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Follow <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/02/trump-administration-transition/" target=_blank>live updates on the transition</a> to Trump’s second presidency. We’re <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/trump-administration-appointees/" target=_blank>tracking the people Trump has picked or is considering to fill his Cabinet</a> and key positions in his administration.

New Jersey’s former Republican governor <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/30/chris-christie-rips-kushners-dad-one-most-loathsome-disgusting-crimes-that-i-prosecuted/" target="_blank">Chris Christie</a>, once a contender against Trump for their party’s presidential nomination, served on the prosecution team and said during a segment of <a href="https://x.com/FiringLineShow/status/1090324102731182085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1090324102731182085%7Ctwgr%5Ec5b45bfbd5bce486cdb439d2b3c8f3c68440c362%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fpolitics%2F2019%2F01%2F30%2Fchris-christie-rips-kushners-dad-one-most-loathsome-disgusting-crimes-that-i-prosecuted%2F" target="_blank">PBS’s “Firing Line With Margaret Hoover”</a> in 2019: “It’s one of the most loathsome, disgusting crimes that I prosecuted when I was U.S. attorney.”

Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/01/30/chris-christie-rips-kushners-dad-one-most-loathsome-disgusting-crimes-that-i-prosecuted/" target="_blank">served</a> 14 months. In <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/charles-kushner-paul-manafort-roger-stone-trump-pardons/2020/12/23/05cf013a-456d-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html" target="_blank">December 2020</a>, Trump pardoned him, and he announced him <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/11/30/donald-trump-charles-kushner/" target="_blank">last week</a> as the ambassador to France for his incoming administration.

Trump also mused about <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/04/politics/donald-trump-pardon-tweet/index.html" target=_blank>pardoning himself</a> preemptively during his first term — a scenario that would have been without precedent — tweeting in <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1003616210922147841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1003616210922147841%7Ctwgr%5E7ca1ffb0dc9bc5317dff85dc3ccb793292864546%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2018%2F06%2F04%2Fpolitics%2Fdonald-trump-pardon-tweet%2Findex.html" target=_blank>2018</a> that he had the “absolute right” to do so.

On his last day in office, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/pardon/pardons-granted-president-william-j-clinton-1993-2001#january202001" target=_blank>Jan. 20, 2001</a>, President Bill Clinton granted a slew of pardons, which became the subject of an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/03/14/house-report-faults-roger-clintons-role-in-pardons/49fdf4ad-7810-4d23-8f4f-21e146d11ed4/" target=_blank>investigation</a> into the possible circumvention of Justice Department processes.

One of the most notable names on the list was Roger Clinton — his half brother. (<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/kelley010794.htm" target=_blank>Roger</a>, 10 years his junior, is the son of Clinton’s mother, Virginia Dell Kelley, and his stepfather.)

In 1985, Roger Clinton pleaded guilty to selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in Arkansas and spent a year in prison. The pardon helped clear his criminal record.

Roger Clinton also became embroiled in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/06/06/millennials-meet-roger-clinton-hillarys-brother-in-law-who-just-got-arrested-once-again/" target=_blank>controversy</a> when it was revealed that he had given the president a list of people to pardon, though he wasn’t paid to make the recommendations. Those pardons were not granted.

SAJA Daniel Pearl Award 2022 (India under Surveillance)

SAJA Award for Business Reporting 2022 (Facebook under Fire)

Member of the team to win the George Polk Award for Technology Reporting 2021 (The Pegasus Project)

Honorable mention, SABEW Award 2021 (Facebook Papers)

New York Society for Professional Journalists Award, 2016

Radio Digital Television Network Foundation Fellow, 2016

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholar, 2015

Honorable mention, World Media Summit Global Awards, 2014

Toto Funds the Arts Award, 2013

Delhi University, BA in English

Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, MA in Journalism

Niha Masih is a reporter at The Washington Post's Seoul hub, where she covers breaking news in the United States and across the world. Previously, she was The Post's correspondent in India, where she covered the rise of majoritarian nationalism, conflict in Kashmir, the covid crisis and digital surveillance of citizens.

Niha Masih

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