Any Guardrails for Biden's Family? Jean-Pierre: 'We Take That Very, Very Seriously' (June 26, 2023)

Four days after Hunter Biden sat at a White House state dinner, a reporter asked a fair question: Had President Joe Biden told his family not to do business on White House grounds? Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre would not say whether any rules existed. “When it comes to ethics, we take that very, very seriously here in this administration,” she said, and ended the briefing [1][2].

The video above shows the exchange from the June 26, 2023, White House briefing, the last question of the day. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Any Kinds of Guardrails”

The reporter set it up carefully. “It’s not unusual for presidents to invite members of their family to official White House functions, like the State Dinner last week,” the reporter said. “I’m curious, though, in light of some of the recent legal controversy, if the President communicated to members of his family not to conduct business on White House grounds. Can you tell us a bit about any kinds of guardrails that are up?” [1]

Jean-Pierre pointed to the Justice Department. “I’m going to be, again, very mindful, because this is all connected to — to a case that the DOJ is currently overseeing. So I’m not going to comment on that specifically,” she said [1].

She then vouched for the administration’s ethics. “This is an administration has been incredibly transparent on that and has put some very strict — strict rules,” she said. “I can speak to how the President has moved forward in making sure that the people who work for him and himself are — are held to, kind of, a strict course of action. But I’m not going to speak to anything that’s related to … the case” [1].

”Do Any Guardrails Exist?”

The reporter tried twice more, asking whether the White House had said anything to staff “about guardrails … for the President’s family,” and then simply: “Do any guardrails exist?” [1]

“I am not going to speak to anything — (laughs) — that is related to this case,” Jean-Pierre said. “As you stated, there are — we’ve had — when it comes to ethics, we take that very, very seriously here in this administration.” Then: “Thank you, everybody” [1].

Hunter at the State Dinner

The question had a backstory. On June 22, Hunter Biden and his wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, attended the state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, two days after a court filing revealed his plea agreement with the U.S. attorney for Delaware on two tax-related counts. He also faced a separate felony gun possession charge that was likely to be dismissed if he met certain conditions, NBC News reported. The White House said 400 guests were invited. Hunter Biden did not respond to a shouted question from a reporter who asked how he felt “after taking the plea deal.” His daughter Naomi was also among the guests [2].

Attorney General Merrick Garland was at the same dinner. Asked about it, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., defended the president’s son’s attendance: “You know, I think as the president explained, that’s his son. That’s a separate thing,” Fox News reported [3].

On the day of the dinner, the House Ways and Means Committee released testimony from two IRS whistleblowers. One, supervisory special agent Gary Shapley, said the IRS had obtained a July 30, 2017, WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to Henry Zhao, CEO of Harvest Fund Management: “I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled,” Fox News reported [4]. Reporters grilled Jean-Pierre about the message the next day, as HYGO News reported in its page on that briefing. Asked on June 28 whether he had been involved, Biden said, “No, I wasn’t, and I — no!” [5]

By the Numbers

400: guests invited to the June 22, 2023, state dinner [2].
2: days between the plea agreement filing and the dinner [2].
3: times the reporter asked about guardrails before Jean-Pierre ended the briefing [1].
About 3 hours: how long the judge questioned the plea deal before it fell apart a month later [6].
Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024: the span covered by Hunter Biden’s pardon [7].

What Happened Next

The plea deal fell apart. On July 26, 2023, U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee, spent the better part of three hours questioning the agreement and raised concerns about whether a provision would grant Hunter Biden blanket immunity. “I have concerns about the agreement, and that’s why I’m asking these questions,” she said. When prosecutors threatened to bring charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, Hunter Biden’s attorney Chris Clark said, “As far as I’m concerned, the plea agreement is null and void.” The two sides moved past that after a brief recess, but Noreika deferred the deal, ABC News reported [6].

A special counsel. On Aug. 11, 2023, Garland named Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, citing “extraordinary circumstances,” the AP reported. Weiss told a judge that plea talks were at an “impasse” [8].

Hunter inside the meetings. In July 2024, after his father’s debate performance, Hunter Biden was reported to be sitting in on the president’s White House meetings [9][10]. “Having Hunter now engaged in official, executive business only further enhances the urgency for transparency and accountability regarding the Biden family’s corrupt business dealings,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., asked, “Does Hunter have the clearance necessary to sit in on high-level White House meetings with his dad?” According to the NBC News report cited by Fox, aides were “struck” by his sudden presence [9]. In 2025, former chief of staff Jeff Zients reportedly told the House Oversight Committee that Hunter sat in on a few meetings about his father’s pardon decisions; a source told Fox News Digital it was uncertain how involved he was. Another source said Zients stood by Biden’s ability to lead the country and said Biden was the one calling the shots [10].

The pardon. On Dec. 1, 2024, Biden pardoned his son for any offenses he “committed or may have committed” from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1, 2024. “Raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,” Biden said [7]. He had previously said he would not pardon his son. By the time he left office, Biden had issued more than 4,200 clemency orders, including pardons for other members of his family, The National Desk reported [10].

More of Jean-Pierre’s answers checked against the record are on HYGO News’ Karine Jean-Pierre record page.

”Any Kinds of Guardrails”

”Do Any Guardrails Exist?”

Hunter at the State Dinner

By the Numbers

What Happened Next

Sources

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