White House Breaks Silence on Whether Joe Biden Will Pardon Hunter
Things aren’t looking good for Hunter Biden.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Thursday that President Joe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter as he faces a variety of criminal charges from tax fraud to illegal gun possession.
The New York Post reported that despite the collapse of his probation-only plea deal under scrutiny by a federal judge in Delaware this week, Jean-Pierre insisted the president would not be granting his son any special favors.
“Is there any possibility that the president would end up pardoning his son?” Fox News reporter Mark Meredith asked during the briefing.
“No,” Jean-Pierre responded.
As Meredith attempted to follow up, Jean-Pierre cut him off, declaring “I just said ‘no’ — I just answered,” before calling on another journalist.
The White House’s reaction to Hunter Biden’s legal issues is under intense scrutiny amid claims that the Department of Justice is interfering in the investigation. Last week, two IRS whistleblowers revealed Biden-appointed U.S. attorneys in Los Angeles and Washington were attempting to block the pursuit of further criminal charges.
In another exchange on Thursday, Jean-Pierre maintained Biden would “absolutely not” receive favorable treatment from the DOJ.
“Can you state categorically that the administration has neither sought nor received favorable treatment from the DOJ for any investigation into the president, members of the administration, his family or former President Donald Trump?” reporter Brian Karem asked.
“Absolutely not,” she responded.
On Wednesday, Jean-Pierre pointed out the DOJ’s investigation was being “handled independently” and the White House would have no undue influence over its outcome.
“This case was handled independently, as all of you know, by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a prosecutor appointed by the former president, President Trump,” she said.
She declined to provide further details, stating that Hunter is a “private citizen and this is a personal matter for him.”
“The president, the first lady, they love their son,” she said. “And they support him as he continues to rebuild his life.”
The comments came after Maryellen Noreika, a federal judge in Delaware, rejected the 53-year-old’s proposed plea deal in which he would have pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax crimes and been granted immunity from future criminal charges.
She ordered prosecutors and Biden’s legal team to draw up a fresh agreement, adding she would need additional time to review it.
Hunter Biden is now pleading “not guilty” until a deal is agreed.
Only time will tell whether Biden actually follows through on his pledge not to pardon his embattled son. There is still plenty of time left in his administration, and if Biden ends up leaving the White House in 2025, his commitment may be pushed to the limit. After all, this is not a man known for keeping his word.
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