White House rules out possibility of Biden pardoning his son

TORONTO

The White House maintained Thursday that there is no possibility of President Joe Biden pardoning his son amid his ongoing legal woes.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean Pierre answered questions in news conference and noted her remarks Wednesday that the Hunter Biden's case remains a personal matter and a process that is carried out independently by the Justice Department.

Asked about the possibility of a pardon, Jean-Pierre answered, "No."

Adding that the president and first lady love and support him as he is working to rebuild his life, she said there would be no further comment on the issue.

The younger Biden pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal tax charges after a deal his legal team struck with Justice Department prosecutors was put on hold.

The stunning development happened after US District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, questioned part of the plea deal that would have kept the junior Biden out of jail on gun charges, according to multiple media reports.

Biden agreed last month to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and another count of illegal possession of a firearm by a drug user. The tax charges are misdemeanors and stem from a failure to pay $100,000 in federal income taxes.