A Connecticut judge has disbarred Hunter Biden, stripping him of his law license in the state where he was admitted to the bar nearly three decades ago.
The decision, handed down Monday in a Waterbury courtroom, stems from complaints tied to Biden's federal convictions on gun and tax charges — convictions that a presidential pardon later erased. Biden consented to the disbarment as part of an agreement with state disciplinary authorities.
He admitted to professional misconduct but stopped short of conceding criminal wrongdoing. Judge Patrick L. Carroll III ruled that Biden had violated key ethical rules for attorneys, including those prohibiting conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation. The judge also noted Biden's prior disbarment in Washington, D.C., earlier this year.
BREAKING:
— Mila Joy (@Milajoy) December 15, 2025
Hunter Biden was just DISBARRED in Connecticut.
He tried to waive around daddy’s pardon, to no avail.
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. pic.twitter.com/zpj9ijKJGk
RELATED: NEW: Hunter Biden's D.C. Law License Suspended
The underlying facts are straightforward. In 2024, a Delaware jury convicted Hunter Biden on three felony counts related to a 2018 gun purchase, during which he falsely denied illegal drug use on a federal form. Separately, he pleaded guilty in California to failing to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes. Former President Joe Biden issued a full pardon for these offenses and others spanning a decade, shielding his son from further federal prosecution.
Hunter Biden Loses Connecticut Law License Despite Joe Biden Pardon - disbarred in CT https://t.co/wR2LMKdsut
— Elizabeth MacDonald (@LizMacDonaldFOX) December 15, 2025
Yet a pardon reaches only so far. It cannot undo the professional consequences that flow from proven misconduct. Bar associations exist to safeguard public trust in the legal system, and they enforce standards independently of criminal outcomes. When an attorney engages in behavior that undermines honesty, the bedrock of legal practice, disbarment may well follow.
Biden's case fits that pattern precisely. Critics may decry selective prosecution or political motivation in the original cases, but the disciplinary process operated on its own terms. One complainant objected that the agreement let Biden avoid admitting crimes, yet the state counsel rightly noted the pardon's effect.
Well well well.
— The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) December 16, 2025
How the turntables. pic.twitter.com/eEUV0DImov
The focus remained on ethical fitness, not relitigating criminal guilt. This outcome carries no surprise for those who value accountability in the professions. Lawyers hold a privileged position, sworn to uphold the law and deal candidly with courts and clients.
Felony convictions involving deception strike at that core obligation. Biden, a Yale Law School graduate admitted in Connecticut in 1997, now joins a list of attorneys who forfeited their licenses for similar reasons. The disbarment closes a chapter but underscores a broader point: Personal connections and executive clemency can avert prison or fines, but they do not restore eroded trust. In a nation committed to equal justice, professional regulators serve as a necessary backstop.
Their action here reaffirms that no one stands above the ethical demands of the bar — not even the son of a former president. Conservatives have long argued for the impartial application of rules, whether in courtrooms or regulatory bodies. This decision delivers exactly that. It is not vengeance; it is consistency. And in an era of strained institutional faith, such consistency matters more than ever.
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