Global Courant
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked Monday to explain the administration’s policy on family members attending state dinners.
The question appeared to refer to the president’s son, Hunter Biden, who was invited to a White House state dinner last week, just two days after the 53-year-old agreed to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to comply with federal law. paying income tax became public. He has also reportedly been cleared to avoid prosecution on a felony charge, for which he could have been jailed if convicted.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on June 26, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The reporter acknowledged that it was not uncommon for presidents to invite family members to White House functions, but questioned whether additional guardrails had been installed given the circumstances.
“I’m curious, however, in light of the recent legal controversy, if the president has communicated to his family members not to conduct business on White House property? Can you tell us about what guardrails are in place?” asked the reporter.
BIDEN DENIES LYING ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN BUSINESS DEAL TALK
Jean-Pierre declined to answer the question because it related to an investigation by the Ministry of Justice.
“We set out very early in this government on ethics, when it comes to how we move around and how… we clearly respect the ethics of the government here, this government has been incredibly transparent about that and has (in place) a some very strict rules,” she said.
“I can talk about how the president has made progress in making sure that the people who work for him and him follow a strict code of conduct, but I’m not going to talk about anything related to the case.”
FILE: Hunter Biden disembarks Air Force One at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, US, February 4, 2023. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
The reporter pushed for answers when asked if the White House had guardrails for the president’s family.
“I’m not going to say anything related to this case,” said Jean-Pierre. “As you said… when it comes to ethics, we take that very, very seriously here in this government.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for additional comment.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware, David C. Weiss’s office, said Tuesday that despite “the fact that Hunter Biden owes more than $100,000 in federal income tax each year, he has not paid the income tax due for either year.” .
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The younger Biden will also enter into a preliminary diversion agreement related to a separate charge of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance.
Fox News’ Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues and much more.
