When Joe Biden left the White House in January 2025, he didn't just walk out the door. He left behind a stack of paperwork that fundamentally changed the lives of thousands of people. Honestly, the list of Joe Biden pardons is way more complex than just the headlines you saw on cable news about his son.
Most people think of pardons as these rare, dramatic acts reserved for political allies or the ultra-wealthy. While there was certainly some of that, Biden actually leaned into his "second-chance" philosophy more aggressively than any president in modern history. By the time he finished, he’d granted over 4,200 acts of clemency. That’s a huge number. To put it in perspective, he did more in four years than most presidents do in eight.
The Headliners: Hunter Biden and the Family "Shield"
You can’t talk about the list of Joe Biden pardons without starting with the elephant in the room. On December 1, 2024, Biden did something he’d spent months promising he wouldn’t do: he pardoned his son, Hunter Biden.
It wasn't just a pardon for the gun charges in Delaware or the tax issues in California. It was a "full and unconditional" pardon covering anything Hunter might have done between January 1, 2014, and December 1, 2024. Biden basically gave him a ten-year legal reset. He argued that Hunter was being "selectively and unfairly prosecuted" because of the family name. Critics, of course, called it a classic case of political hypocrisy.
But it didn't stop with Hunter. In his final hours, Biden issued what are called "preemptive pardons" to a bunch of his inner circle.
- James Biden and Francis Biden: His brothers.
- Valerie Biden Owens: His sister and longtime campaign manager.
- Dr. Anthony Fauci and Gen. Mark Milley: People who were frequently targeted by the incoming administration’s rhetoric.
- The Jan. 6 Committee Members: Including staff and representatives who led the investigation into the Capitol riots.
The logic here was basically a defensive crouch. Biden was worried these people would face "retribution" investigations, so he used the pardon power as a legal suit of armor.
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The Marijuana Proclamations: A Massive Policy Shift
If the family pardons were about protection, the marijuana pardons were about policy. Biden didn't just pick a few names out of a hat here. He issued categorical pardons.
This means if you had a federal conviction for "simple possession" of marijuana, you were basically covered by a blanket proclamation. He did this in stages—once in 2022 and again in 2023. It impacted roughly 6,500 people initially, and thousands more later on.
The goal was to fix the "collateral consequences." Think about it. If you have a 20-year-old federal pot charge, you might be blocked from getting a loan, renting an apartment, or getting a decent job. Biden’s move didn't expunge the records (only a court can really do that), but it functioned as a massive federal "we forgive you" that removes those legal barriers. He even pushed governors to do the same at the state level, which is where most drug arrests actually happen.
Emptying Death Row: The 2024 Commutations
One of the most surprising additions to the list of Joe Biden pardons—or more accurately, his clemency list—was his 2024 move regarding the federal death penalty.
Just before Christmas in 2024, Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates. Instead of facing execution, these individuals were moved to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He left only three people on death row—those involved in mass murder or terrorism.
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This was a massive deal for civil rights advocates. Biden had campaigned on ending the federal death penalty but hadn't done much about it for three years. Then, in one fell swoop, he essentially cleared out the "row."
The "Ordinary" Names You Didn’t Hear About
While the media focused on Hunter, the Department of Justice was quietly processing hundreds of regular folks. These were mostly non-violent drug offenders who had already served their time and stayed clean for decades.
Take Beverly Ann Ibn-Tamas, for example. She was convicted of second-degree murder back in 1976 in a case involving domestic violence. Her case became a landmark for "battered woman syndrome." Decades later, Biden gave her a full pardon.
Then there were people like Charlie Byrnes Jackson, who was convicted in 1964 for possessing untaxed whiskey (basically moonshining). He was a kid back then. Biden pardoned him 60 years later.
The list is full of these:
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- Non-violent drug offenders: People who got hit with "mandatory minimums" in the 90s.
- LGBTQI+ Service Members: Biden pardoned veterans who were court-martialed decades ago simply for being gay under old military codes.
- Financial "misprision" cases: People who got caught up in white-collar schemes but played minor roles and showed remorse.
Why the Timing Matters
Presidents usually wait until the very last second to drop the controversial stuff. It’s called "pardon season." Biden took this to the extreme.
About 96% of his clemency acts happened in his final fiscal year. On January 17, 2025, alone, he granted 2,490 commutations. That is a staggering number for a single day. It suggests his administration was working overtime in the basement of the West Wing to clear the backlog before the keys were handed over.
Actionable Insights: What This Means for You
If you or a family member are looking for a way to navigate the federal clemency process based on the Biden precedents, here’s what you need to know:
- Certificates of Pardon: If you were covered by the marijuana proclamation, you don't just "get" a piece of paper. You have to apply for a certificate through the DOJ's Office of the Pardon Attorney. It's a formal process, but it's much easier than a standard pardon.
- The Difference Matters: A pardon is a full forgiveness of the crime. A commutation just shortens the sentence. Biden used commutations for people still in prison and pardons for those who had already finished their time.
- Public Records: A pardon does NOT "delete" the record. If an employer does a deep background check, they will see the conviction AND the pardon. You still have to explain it, but having a president's signature saying "forgiven" is a pretty good defense.
The list of Joe Biden pardons will likely be debated for years. Some see it as a compassionate correction of a broken justice system. Others see it as a blatant use of power to protect his own family and political allies. Regardless of where you land, it stands as one of the most expansive uses of Article II power in American history.
If you're checking your own eligibility or that of a loved one, the first stop is always the Department of Justice’s clemency database to see if a specific name or category has been updated.