WASHINGTON, December 2. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden may have compromised his legacy by deciding to pardon his son Hunter Biden in two criminal cases, a former senior US government official told TASS.

"President Biden’s actions speak for themselves. Some will say he sullied his legacy today (on December 1 - TASS), but that’s up to the American people to decide," said the official, who is currently a prominent figure in the Republican party.

Biden announced the move in a statement on Sunday, granting a pardon to his son Hunter, who was found guilty of gun and tax evasion charges by federal courts in Delaware and California, respectively, despite previous promises not to intervene. Biden claimed his son had been "selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted." Hunter faced sentencing hearings in Delaware and California scheduled for December 12 and 16.

US President-elect Donald Trump, who will replace Biden in the White House on January 20, 2025, criticized the outgoing leader’s decision as "an abuse and miscarriage of justice."