White House says President Biden will not pardon his son Hunter after guilty plea to three felonies

President Joe Biden will not pardon his son Hunter Biden, according to a statement made Thursday by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during her regular afternoon briefing.

A reporter first asked Jean-Pierre if Hunter Biden changing his plea had any influence on the “calculus” of Biden’s decision. The press secretary responded, “no comment” to that query but said “It’s no, it’s still no,” when asked if Biden had any intention of pardoning his son.

“Can you comment on whether a commutation would be on or off the table?” another reporter asked. “That's also no,” Jean-Pierre said, adding that she didn’t “have anything to say” about whether Hunter’s predicament had anything to do with his father’s decision not to seek a second term as president.

Hunter Biden pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles court on Thursday to nine tax evasion charges, three of which are felonies.

According to the Daily Mail, Judge Mark Scarsi informed Hunter that his sentence could be as high as 17 years in prison with over $1 million in fines when convicted on all counts.

In pleading guilty on Hunter Biden’s behalf, his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said the reason underlying Biden’s decision was a desire to save his family from more grief and lay the matter to rest.

"Your honor has basically indicated that there’s a need to address the public interest," Lowell said. "But Mr. Biden also has to address the private interest. This has been a difficult time for him and his family. Enough is enough."

Biden’s lawyers had wanted to enter an "Alford plea" where Hunter Biden would have pleaded guilty while maintaining his innocence. They agreed to drop that course of action after meeting with prosecutors.

Hunter Biden has referred to his father’s “unconditional love” as his “North Star.”