On Thursday, Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, rejected the notion that President Biden might issue a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. Hunter is currently embroiled in ongoing legal difficulties stemming from a federal investigation, in addition to facing two charges of deliberately neglecting to pay federal income tax.
Jean-Pierre responded with a simple "No," when Mark Meredith from Fox News questioned during the daily White House press conference whether there was any chance Biden might pardon his son.
She cut off an attempted follow-up question, stating, "I just said no," before proceeding to engage with another journalist.
BREAKING: Karine Jean-Pierre says there is no possibility that President Biden will pardon his son Hunter.
Reporter: "Is there any possibility that the president would end up pardoning his son?"
KJP: "No"
Why would Hunter Biden need to be pardoned when the Department of… pic.twitter.com/iO9ZiGsVYY
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 27, 2023
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have shown "support" for Hunter after he pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges during his initial appearance at a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday.
It was anticipated that Hunter would plead guilty to the two charges as part of a plea agreement to avoid imprisonment for a felony gun charge. However, the plea deal did not come to fruition, leading him to plead not guilty. This development comes as prosecutors confirmed he is still under a federal investigation.
On Wednesday, during the press briefing, the White House consistently dismissed inquiries about the failed plea agreement. This was after they tried to preemptively discourage reporters from asking questions about Hunter's ongoing legal challenges.
If the plea deal had been successful, Hunter would have received broad immunity shielding him from potential prosecution for a multitude of purported and possible federal offenses, as per the recently disclosed documents.
This legal deal was composed of a plea agreement related to the tax charges, and a corresponding pretrial "diversion agreement" regarding a distinct felony charge: possession of a firearm by an individual unlawfully using or addicted to a controlled substance.
According to the terms of the diversion agreement, the government would have refrained from charging Hunter with the more grave firearm offense, provided he pleaded guilty to the tax charges.
Following the court proceedings, Politico managed to acquire and disclose the text of both agreements that were part of Hunter's deal. Most notably, the diversion agreement incorporated a clause that provided him with extensive immunity for an indefinite period. This immunity would cover a range of matters that the Justice Department has examined over the years in its long-term investigation into the President's son.
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