The White House issued a brief statement Tuesday expressing President Biden and first lady Jill Biden’s support for Hunter Biden, after he reached a plea deal with the Justice Department on federal tax and gun charges.
“The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in an emailed statement.
The president’s son is set to plead guilty to tax crimes in a deal reached with federal prosecutors. Hunter Biden also reached a diversion agreement relating to unlawful possession of a weapon, according to court papers filed Tuesday. The plea deal, which must be accepted by a judge, would likely keep him out of jail.
The president has defended his son from allegations against him, and the first couple has emphasized in previous comments that they support him.
The White House has also sought to keep its distance from Hunter Biden’s ongoing legal case in an effort to avoid any implication that the president was pressuring the Justice Department; White House officials often refer questions about the case to Hunter Biden’s lawyer.
Upon taking office, the Biden administration allowed U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a holdover from the Trump administration, to continue to oversee the case.
Hunter Biden was charged with two counts of willful failure to pay income tax. The third charge stems from possession of a firearm in 2018, a weapon prosecutors say Hunter Biden was in possession of while using crack cocaine. The president’s son is accused of denying drug use when applying in order to secure the gun.