In a series of developments related to Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, it was reported that the White House declined to rule out a potential sentence commutation for him following his conviction on federal gun charges. Meanwhile, Hunter and his parents struck a defiant posture after the verdict and signaled they would not let it prevent them from attacking former President Donald Trump over his own legal troubles. Hunter is also expected to appeal the conviction based on potential violations of his constitutional rights in the jury instructions and the Supreme Court's 2022 gun rights decision.
According to a report by ABC News, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that she hadn't spoken to President Biden about a possible commutation since Tuesday's verdict. She emphasized that the sentencing hasn't even been scheduled yet and referred reporters to the president's previous comments on the matter.
First Lady Jill Biden had largely cleared her schedule to be with Hunter during his trial, and it was reported that his campaign would not let his conviction prevent them from attacking Trump over his own legal issues. Kendra Lamy, who served as Vice President Biden's press secretary at the time, stated that the Bidens are extremely loyal to each other and will continue to support Hunter and his family.
The biggest test of how the Bidens emerge from this trial may come in two weeks during the first presidential debate, where Trump may try to personalize the discussion and invoke Hunter Biden. However, it is important to note that a commutation is an executive lowering of a sentence or punishment, while a pardon is an executive forgiveness of a crime.
Hunter's lawyers are considering appealing the conviction based on potential violations of his constitutional rights in the jury instructions and the Supreme Court's 2022 gun rights decision. President Biden has stated that he will accept the outcome of the case and respect the judicial process while Hunter considers an appeal.
These developments come after Hunter was found guilty on all three counts related to lying on a federal firearms application and illegally possessing a weapon in Wilmington, Delaware. He faces up to 25 years in prison, though he isn't expected to receive the maximum penalty.
