White House Refuses to Rule Out Commutation of Hunter Biden’s Sentence

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Following Hunter Biden’s conviction on Tuesday for drug- and gun-related charges, his father’s White House has refused to rule out the possibility of commuting his sentence.

According to Axios, although Joe Biden’s administration has ruled out the idea of a full pardon for Hunter, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not address the subject of a possible commutation.

“As we all know, the sentencing hasn’t even been scheduled yet,” Jean-Pierre said to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday. She reaffirmed that Biden has been “very clear, very upfront, obviously very definitive” about rejecting the idea of a pardon, but added “I just don’t have anything beyond that.”

Hunter was convicted on Tuesday on three federal charges related to drug possession and possession of a firearm despite being a drug-user. The maximum sentence for the charges includes 25 years in prison and a fine of $750,000. But as a first-time offender, his final sentence will likely be much lower.

The judge in the case has not yet scheduled a sentencing hearing; the latest the hearing can occur is 120 days after the conviction, which would put his sentencing in October.

Hunter’s conviction marks the first time in American history that the child of a sitting president has been convicted of a crime. In addition to the federal drug trial in Wilmington, Delaware, Hunter faces another federal trial over charges of tax evasion in California, which is set to begin in September.