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Former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. has penned a compelling letter to Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, urging him to advocate for the pardon of millions of Americans who have completed their sentences but remain stigmatized by their criminal records. Jackson Jr.’s appeal calls for a transformative act of forgiveness to provide these individuals with a “new life on earth.”
In his letter, Jackson Jr. addresses Hunter Biden directly, framing the request as one rooted in shared experiences and empathy. “Father to father, and son to son,” he writes, “I ask on behalf of the many other sons and daughters throughout our country who don’t have a voice.”
The appeal follows a similar letter sent earlier this month by Jackson Jr.’s father, civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr., to President Biden. In that letter, the elder Jackson called for “a full and absolute pardon for your son, and for mine.” On the same day Reverend Jackson sent his letter, President Biden granted Hunter Biden a “full and unconditional pardon” for offenses committed between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024.
Jackson Jr. sees Hunter Biden’s pardon as a precedent and a potential catalyst for broader clemency. He emphasizes the urgent need to address what he calls the “modern creation of ‘class’ called felonization.” Jackson Jr. estimates that 77 million Americans have served their sentences and not reoffended but continue to bear the burden of societal and governmental judgment.
“Lifelong felonization is worse than the sentence itself,” Jackson Jr. asserts. “I was sentenced to 30 months; I have been a felon for a decade. Your father’s act of mercy and grace has allowed you to miss this part of the process—an act of ‘on earth’ forgiveness that he had every right to do, granted to him by the Founders of our country.”
Jackson Jr. is clear in distinguishing his advocacy from calls for leniency toward serious offenders. “I do not advocate for pardons for serious offenders—there are those who must be incarcerated until they are rehabilitated,” he writes. “Today, I am advocating for the debt-paid felon who remains under ‘judgment,’ stigmatized in the eyes of our government and society.”
To bring about this change, Jackson Jr. proposes that President Biden issue a Presidential Pardon Proclamation alongside an Executive Order directing the Department of Justice, the United States Postal Service, and the Internal Revenue Service to implement the pardons. He suggests a deadline of January 20, 2025, at 11:59 a.m.
Jackson Jr.’s call for action reflects his belief in the transformative power of forgiveness and redemption. “Perhaps for such a time as this, you too are called to be an advocate for the full pardon of the debt-paid felon,” he writes to Hunter Biden.
If enacted, Jackson Jr.’s proposal could reshape the lives of millions of Americans, allowing them to move forward without the stigma of a criminal record. His appeal underscores the broader conversation about criminal justice reform and the societal reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals.
By calling on Hunter Biden, Jackson Jr. seeks to leverage a personal connection to amplify the voices of those who cannot advocate for themselves. Whether this appeal will lead to tangible action remains to be seen, but it undoubtedly highlights the enduring impact of criminal records and the need for systemic change.