Trump orders the release from prison of Jason Galanis, Hunter Biden's ex-partner

Donald Trump commuted the sentence of Jason Galanis, a former associate of Hunter Biden who was serving a 14-year sentence for fraud. The investor testified last year before two Republican congressional committees investigating the international business dealings of the then-president's son.

Galanis thus became the second whistleblower to speak out against Biden to be pardoned by Trump in less than three days. Although the White House did not justify this second act of clemency, regarding the first, which benefited Devon Archer, Trump assured that he had been the "victim of a crime." Archer and Galanis were indicted in the same bond scheme that defrauded millions of dollars from the Oglala Sioux tribe and pension fund investors.

In a document shared on the Department of Justice website, Trump ordered Galanis' release, reducing his sentence behind bars to time served and eliminating financial penalties. The original sentence was more than 14 years behind bars, three years of supervised release and restitution in excess of $80 million.

In his testimony to Congress, Galanis claimed that Biden Sr. had assisted his son in his business dealings with Chinese and Russian businessmen. "The entire value add of Hunter Biden to our business was his family name and his access to his father, Vice President Joe Biden," he said at the time, adding that he did not rely on his partner other than to "delivering the Biden lift."

He even claimed that the former Democratic president was to benefit directly from his son's entrapments, asserting, for example, that after he left the vice presidency they planned to have him join the "Burnham Harvest team," a collaboration with a Chinese company, "providing political access to the United States and around the world."

He also maintained, contradicting the Biden version, that the veteran Democratic politician had come into direct contact with associates of his son:

"Hunter called his father, said hello and ‘hold on, Pops,’ then put the call on speakerphone and said, ‘I am here with our friends I told you were coming to town, and we wanted to say hello.’ The Vice President said hello and offered some pleasantries and then seemed like he wanted to bring the call to an end by saying, ‘Ok then, you be good to my boy.’ Hunter responded by saying, ‘everything is good, and we are moving ahead.’ The Vice President said something about ‘being helpful,’ and Hunter ended the call by saying that he was going to call his father later."

Although his testimony, along with that of Archer and Tony Bobulinski, another associate, never resulted in a trial, Hunter Biden was found guilty in a case of unlawful possession of a firearm and pleaded guilty in another charge of tax evasion. However, he was indulged by his father during his last full month in office. That presidential pardon covers all offenses "he has committed or may have committed or taken part in" between January 1, 2014 and December 1, 2024, the period covering the irregular business dealings reported by the three former associates, which would have occurred between 2014 and 2019.