Trump Commutes Sentence of Hunter Biden Associate

Pardon spelled with wooden letter tiles blocks

President Trump commutes the sentence of Jason Galanis, a convicted fraudster with ties to Hunter Biden, raising questions about the political implications of the clemency decision.

Key Takeaways

President Trump granted clemency to two of Hunter Biden’s former business associates: Jason Galanis (commutation) and Devon Archer (full pardon)
Galanis was serving a 189-month sentence for multiple fraud schemes, including defrauding a Native American tribal entity
Galanis previously testified to Congress that “the entire value add of Hunter Biden to our business was his family name and his access to his father”
Trump’s clemency order absolves Galanis of financial penalties, including $80 million in forfeiture and restitution
The White House did not provide a rationale for the clemency decision

Presidential Clemency for Hunter Biden Associates

President Donald Trump has granted clemency to Jason Galanis, a former business associate of Hunter Biden who was serving over 14 years in prison for defrauding Native Americans and other investors. The Department of Justice released the clemency notice with Trump’s signature, though the President made no public announcement about the decision. Galanis becomes the second Hunter Biden associate to receive clemency from Trump, following Devon Archer who received a full pardon after being sentenced for defrauding a Native American tribal entity in 2022.

Galanis was sentenced in 2017 for orchestrating a bond scheme that defrauded the Oglala Sioux tribe and pension fund investors. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to forfeit $80 million and pay an equal amount in restitution. Trump’s clemency absolves Galanis of both the financial penalties and the remainder of his prison sentence. The White House has not provided any explanation for the decision to grant clemency in this case.

Testimony Against the Bidens

Both Galanis and Archer had business connections with Hunter Biden and have accused him of leveraging his father’s political influence for business deals. Galanis testified from prison during the Republican impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden, claiming that Joe Biden was more involved in Hunter’s business dealings than publicly acknowledged. He asserted that he had involved Hunter Biden in his business specifically for political connections.

“the entire value add of Hunter Biden to our business was his family name and his access to his father, Vice President Joe Biden,” Jason Galanis testified.

The Republican impeachment effort against President Biden ultimately did not succeed. Joe Biden has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and the House impeachment inquiry found no evidence that he had supported his son’s business ventures. Hunter Biden has denied having significant involvement with Galanis’ business operations. The clemency grants have nonetheless reignited debate about the Biden family’s business dealings.

Legal Representation and Response

Reports indicate that Galanis hired Mark Paoletta, a lawyer with connections to Trump, to assist with his commutation request. Meanwhile, Devon Archer’s attorney, Matthew Schwartz, has expressed gratitude for Trump’s pardon of his client, suggesting that it corrected a serious injustice. Schwartz has been vocal about what he considers flaws in the legal proceedings against Archer.

[Trump’s] “pardon corrects a serious injustice, and finally allows an innocent man to be free of the threat of misguided prosecution. Mr. Archer is deeply appreciative of the President,” said Matthew Schwartz.

These clemency decisions form part of a series of pardons and commutations issued by President Trump. The timing and selection of recipients have drawn attention, particularly given the recipients’ connections to ongoing political narratives involving the Biden family. While presidential clemency powers are broad and largely unchecked, the selection of individuals with ties to political opponents has raised questions about the motivations behind these particular decisions.