(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Outgoing President Joe Biden pardoned Zach Scruggs, the son of Dickie Scruggs, a major donor and convicted fraudster. Dickie Scruggs, known for his controversial ties to the Biden family, paid $100,000 to James Biden’s consulting firm in the 1990s.
The younger Scruggs was implicated in a bribery scheme orchestrated by his father, who also pleaded guilty to similar offenses.
Zach served 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to failing to report a conspiracy to unlawfully influence a judge in a dispute over $26.5 million involving other lawyers, according to the Daily Journal.
BREAKING: Records show President Biden has granted clemency to Zachary Scruggs, the son of Mississippi crook Dickie Scruggs, a major Biden donor who gave Jimmy Biden's consulting firm, Lion Hall, $100,000. His son Zach Scruggs was convicted in his father's scheme to bribe a judge
— Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) December 14, 2024
On Thursday, President Biden commuted Zach’s sentence as part of a broader clemency effort that included 1,498 individuals.
The pardons came just weeks after he issued a “full and unconditional” pardon for his embattled son, Hunter Biden, from prosecution for potential offenses spanning over 11 years.
In a press statement defending the sweeping list of pardons, President Biden said: “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances. As President, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life…”
Zach’s pardon was first noted by Real Clear Investigators reporter Paul Sperry. The Scruggs’s name has long been tied to the Biden family and James’s consulting firm Lion Hall, which House Republicans have described as “nothing more than a slush fund for the Biden Crime Family.”
In a post on X, the House Oversight Committee wrote, “This is the same account that served as a conduit to funnel $40,000 from a CCP-linked company to Joe Biden’s personal bank account.” It added, “Are you paying attention yet?”
Jim Biden's Lion Hall is nothing more than a slush fund for the Biden Crime Family. This is the same account that served as a conduit to funnel $40,000 from a CCP-linked company to Joe Biden's personal bank account.
Are you paying attention yet? https://t.co/gbjtbW6lZ8
— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 14, 2024
Dickie’s connections can be traced back to the 1980s. One of his associates worked on Joe Biden’s failed 1988 White House bid, according to Politico.
Dickie later hired James as a so-called consultant for a tobacco settlement. In 2007, Scruggs backed President Biden’s failed presidential campaign.
The pardon is also notable as it follows that of Hunter, who was set to be sentenced on Dec. 12, 2024, for making false statements about his drug abuse in a federal form for a gun purchase. Hunter pleaded guilty to failing to pay millions of dollars in taxes.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., suggested earlier this week that James will soon receive a preemptive presidential pardon for potential offenses committed in his consulting work.
