The White House does not rule out commuting Hunter Biden’s sentence

The White House on Wednesday did not rule out the possibility of President Biden commuting his son Hunter Biden’s sentence after a jury returned a guilty verdict the day before on all three counts related to the purchase of a gun.

Government officials were bombarded with questions for the first time since the verdict was handed down during a meeting with reporters on Air Force One while the president was en route to Italy for the Group of Seven summit later this week.

The president previously said he would not pardon his son, and after the younger Biden was found guilty on Tuesday, he said he would accept the outcome of the trial.

But when asked about commuting a sentence, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre sidestepped the question and leaned on Biden’s response to ABC last week that he would not pardon his son.

“I haven’t spoken to the president about this since the verdict came down, and as we all know, sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet,” she said of the commutation.

“He was asked about forgiveness, he was asked specifically about the trial and he responded very clearly and directly. As we know, the sentence has not even been scheduled yet. I have nothing more than what the president said. He’s been very clear about that,” she added.

Hunter Biden’s sentencing date has not yet been set, but it is expected to occur about a month before Election Day in November. The charges against Hunter Biden involve him lying on a form about being addicted to drugs when obtaining a firearm in 2018 and he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine, although first-time offenders rarely receive that much .

Hours after the verdict, the president took an unplanned trip to Wilmington, Del., on Tuesday, and the White House canceled his news conference with reporters.

Hunter Biden and his family met the president when he touched down on the tarmac, but Jean-Pierre declined to say how much time father and son spent together before Hunter Biden returned to his home in Los Angeles. President Biden spent the night in Wilmington before leaving for Italy.

When asked where the president was when the verdict was handed down, Jean-Pierre said she would not “delve into details.”

“This is about his family, this is about his son who he loves and obviously supports,” she said.

President Biden has commuted dozens of sentences throughout his presidency for nonviolent drug offenses. In April, he granted clemency to 16 people who were convicted of nonviolent drug crimes and commuted the sentences of 31 Americans serving sentences for nonviolent drug crimes, all on home confinement.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story