The White House declined to rule out President Joe Biden commuting his son Hunter's pending federal sentence when asked about it on Wednesday.
Hunter Biden was convicted on Tuesday morning of three felony charges stemming from his lying during the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when he claimed he was not using illegal drugs or a drug addict.
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled, but Hunter is facing up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked by a reporter if commutation would “be something that would be on the table” while traveling to Italy on Air Force One.
The press secretary said she had not spoken to Biden about the issue since Tuesday but noted that he ruled out a pardon. QUESTION: So you're not ruling out that Biden would commute Hunter's sentence?
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: Right pic.twitter.com/IeHRcZwJKl
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“So, look, as I stated at the top, I don’t have anything to say beyond to your first question, beyond what the president’s statement was yesterday,” replied Jean-Pierre.
Jean-Pierre continued, “He’s been very clear. We’ve been very clear, you know, he loves his son. And he and the First Lady love their son and they support their son. I just don’t have anything, certainly anything beyond that. What I will say is look, I haven’t spoken to the president about this since the verdict came out and as we all know the sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet. But you saw the president do an interview just last week when he was in Normandy and he was asked a question, several questions, a couple questions about this and he very clear, very up front, obviously very definitive and I just don’t have anything he, you have his own words. I just don’t have anything beyond that.”
The Associated Press noted, "The position from the White House is a shift from what it said in September, when Jean-Pierre was asked whether the president would 'pardon or commute his son if he’s convicted.' The press secretary responded at the time that 'I’ve answered this question before. It was asked of me not too long ago, a couple of weeks ago. And I was very clear, and I said no.'" Today, Karine Jean-Pierre wouldn’t rule out Biden commuting Hunter’s impending sentence.
Flashback to last year, when she emphatically denied Biden would “pardon or commute” his sentence if Hunter was convicted.
Yikes!pic.twitter.com/3TJxAi90fI
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U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who is presiding over the case, recently sentenced a man to one year in prison for similar charges.
