U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) joined the chorus of Democrats upset by President Joe Biden’s breaking his promise not to pardon his son Hunter. But, Shaheen says, it’s not Biden’s fault. She blames President-elect Donald Trump.
And her potential 2026 GOP challenger isn’t impressed.
Biden is facing a brutal reaction from Republicans, and even some Democrats, after announcing Sunday evening he was pardoning his son for the gun, drug, and tax evasion crimes to which he has pled guilty. Worse, the Biden pardon is the most expansive since President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, giving Hunter Biden a pass on any crimes committed going back to January 1, 2014. That’s just a few months before Hunter Biden began his problematic but profitable relationship with Ukrainian energy giant Burisma.
“I believe in the justice system, but as I have wrestled with this, I also believe raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden said regarding a case handled by his own Department of Justice.
After the news broke, Shaheen declined to respond to NHJournal’s repeated requests for comment. But with her fellow U.S. Senate Democrats condemning Biden’s actions, she finally released a statement through a spokesperson late Monday.
“Sen. Shaheen believes strongly in maintaining the integrity and independence of our judicial system and with Donald Trump suggesting that he would use the Department of Justice to target and penalize his political opponents, she is concerned about the politicization of the department. As a parent, she understands President Biden’s desire to protect his son; however, pardons like these contribute to the perception that some people have about the fairness of the U.S. criminal justice system.”
Shaheen’s defense of Biden and refusal to condemn his actions stands in stark contrast to many of her fellow Democrats.
“I’m disappointed that President Biden went back on his word and issued a sweeping pardon for Hunter Biden,” said U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.). “I understand his desire as a father to protect his son, but Hunter Biden was prosecuted, and convicted for serious crimes.”
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) said, “President Biden’s decision put personal interest ahead of duty and further erodes Americans’ faith that the justice system is fair and equal for all.”
And U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan released a statement expressing her disappointment over Biden’s actions that concluded with the simple observation: “I wish the president had kept his word.”
Ironically, Shaheen’s claims about the “politicization” of the Department of Justice bolster Trump’s complaints over the past eight years. She’s also undermining the Democratic Party’s entire 2024 messaging that Trump is a unique threat to the justice system and America’s political norms.
“It’s just nice to see the country coming together,” quipped New Hampshire GOP attorney Rick Lehmann. “Democrats and Trump now agree that Biden’s Justice Department engaged in inappropriate, politically motivated prosecutions.”
Former U.S. Senator and Ambassador Scott Brown ran against Shaheen in 2014 and is reportedly considering another run in 2026.
“For the last decade, the entire Democratic apparatus – including Sen. Shaheen – has been sanctimoniously lecturing us about ‘no one being above the law,’” Brown told NHJournal. “By defending the indefensible pardon of Hunter Biden, the world now sees them for the hypocrites they are. Voters are smarter than Democrats ever give them credit for, and this one has zero chance of passing the smell test.”
Also outraged by Democrats’ attacks on the criminal justice system: Special counsel David Weiss. He filed documents with the California court pushing back on claims that Hunter Biden was singled out by his father’s administration.
“Of note, the defendant argued that the indictment was a product of vindictive and selective prosecution,” according to the filing. “The Court rejected that claim finding that ‘[a]s the Court stated at the hearing, Defendant filed his motion without any evidence.’ And there was none and never has been any evidence of vindictive or selective prosecution in this case.
“In total, eleven (11) different Article III judges appointed by six (6) different presidents, including his father, considered and rejected the defendant’s claims, including his claims for selective and vindictive prosecution,” the filing said.
Shaheen’s decision to defend Biden is far from the universal view within her party.
“Disgraceful pardon,” said longtime Clinton pollster Mark Penn.
“This was not a pardon of just Hunter Biden but of Joe Biden himself as his son ran a scheme with Joe’s brother to shakedown adversaries of over $20 million and then didn’t even pay taxes on it. And the loot was distributed even to grandchildren.”
“The President made the wrong decision,” wrote moderate U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) on social media. “No family should be above the law.”
New Hampshire’s new Governor-elect, Kelly Ayotte, is a former attorney general.
“It’s just more of the same for what we’ve seen from this Administration. They say one thing and do another. This is wrong,” Ayotte told NHJournal. “It’s a blow to justice being served, and it’s certainly not how we do things here in New Hampshire.”
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