The temptation for President Joe Biden to use his pardon power to benefit his only surviving son was strong, and Biden’s misuse of this power pales beside his predecessor’s. But the pardon of Hunter Biden in violation of the President’s repeated pledge not to do it was disappointing. This Article considers three effects of the pardon—rescuing the younger Biden from possible future prosecution, setting aside his convictions, and saving him from a possible prison sentence. It contends that blocking Hunter’s (HB’s) future prosecution was appropriate; that, apart from the President’s broken promise, limiting HB’s sentence was defensible; and that setting aside his convictions was unjustifiable. Nothing required the President to lump all of these effects together in a single package.

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