U.S. President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before president-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

It caps a long-running legal saga for the president's son, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after Joe Biden's 2020 victory — and casts a pall over the elder Biden's legacy. Biden, who time and again pledged to Americans that he would restore norms and respect for the rule of law after Trump's first term in office, ultimately used his position to help his son, breaking his public pledge to Americans that he would do no such thing.

In June, Biden categorically ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son, telling reporters as his son faced trial in the Delaware gun case, "I abide by the jury decision. I will do that and I will not pardon him."

As recently as Nov. 8, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, "We've been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no."

WATCH | Republicans, Democrats use Hunter Biden conviction to score political points:

GOP, Democrats use Hunter Biden conviction to score political points

Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has been convicted of three felony gun charges. He is the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, and both Republicans and Democrats have seized on the moment to make points about the state of the justice system.

In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," alleging that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and a "miscarriage of justice."

"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden said. "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."

"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden added, saying he made the decision this weekend. The president had spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Mass., with Hunter and his family.

Hunter was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

WATCH | Republicans accuse Twitter of supressing Hunter Biden story: 

Republicans take aim at Twitter, Hunter Biden in combative hearing

Republican lawmakers grilled former Twitter executives over accusations they suppressed negative content about U.S. President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, in a combative hearing that suggests the GOP is making good on its pledge to investigate Biden and his family.

He was set to stand trial in September in the California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes. But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin.

Hunter Biden said he was pleading guilty in that case to spare his family more pain and embarrassment after the gun trial aired salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction.

The tax charges carry up to 17 years behind bars, and the gun charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison — though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time, and it was possible he would avoid prison time entirely.

The sweeping pardon covers not just those offences, but also any other "offences against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024."

WATCH | Hunter Biden denies his China, Ukraine dealings were unethical:

Hunter Biden denies unethical behaviour

U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, says although his family has helped him get opportunities, he denies any unethical behaviour engaging in foreign work in Ukraine and China.

Biden is hardly the first president to deploy his pardon powers to benefit those close to him.

In his final weeks in office, Trump pardoned Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in law, Jared Kushner, as well as multiple allies convicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Trump this week announced plans to nominate the elder Kushner to be the U.S. envoy to France in his next administration.

Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement that he will never take for granted the relief granted to him and vowed to devote the life he has rebuilt "to helping those who are still sick and suffering."

"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction — mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport," the younger Biden said.

A spokesperson for special counsel David Weiss, who brought the cases, did not respond to messages seeking comment Sunday night.