White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre refused Wednesday to rule out President Biden commuting whatever sentence his son Hunter receives after he was found guilty yesterday in a criminal trial focused on his purchase of a handgun in 2018.
Jean-Pierre, responding to a reporter asking whether a commutation of Hunter’s sentence is “something that would be on the table,” said she hasn’t spoken to President Biden since the announcement of the verdict and that “sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet.”
“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,” she added, noting an interview Biden gave to ABC News last week in which the president said he would accept the verdict of the trial and rule out pardoning Hunter.
“So you’re not ruling out he would commute the sentence?” another reporter then asked Jean-Pierre.
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“What I’m saying is he was asked about a pardon. He was asked about the trial specifically, and he answered it very clearly, very forthright,” she responded. “I don’t have anything beyond what the president said. He’s been very clear about this.”
Hunter Biden was found guilty of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
The president’s son faces a total maximum prison time of 25 years for the three charges. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. But since Hunter Biden, is a first-time offender, it’s unlikely he will face maximum penalties when he is sentenced at a later date.
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“I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” Hunter Biden said in a statement following the verdict.
Prosecutors worked to prove that Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he ticked a box labeled “No” when asked if he is an unlawful user of a firearm or addicted to controlled substances. Hunter Biden purchased the gun from a store called StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington.
He pleaded not guilty in the case.
“Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support,” President Biden said in a statement following the verdict. “Nothing will ever change that.”
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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