Psaki grilled on Biden recommendation letter: 'He was a private citizen'
'I have no confirmation of any recommendation letter the president wrote, when he was a private citizen, by the way,' Psaki tells Peter Doocy
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday emphasized President Biden was a "private citizen" when he reportedly wrote a recommendation letter for the son of a Chinese business associate of Hunter Biden, but refused to confirm whether the letter exists.
During a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon, Psaki was asked about the emails obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital revealing that the president wrote a college recommendation letter for the son of a Chinese executive who did business with Hunter in 2017.
BIDEN WROTE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR SON OF HUNTER ASSOCIATE, EMAILS SHOW
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Asked by White House correspondent Peter Doocy whether it was "common for President Biden to do favors for Hunter Biden's international business partners," Psaki said, "I have seen the report. I have no confirmation or comment about whether, the president, when he was a private citizen, wrote a college recommendation letter for an individual."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Psaki repeatedly refused to deny or confirm the Fox News report. Doocy pressed further, noting that a college recommendation letter from a then-former vice president would be a "big deal," and questioned "what the president would have gotten in return for doing a favor like that."
PSAKI GRILLED OVER UPCOMING ROLE AT MSNBC
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I have no confirmation of any recommendation letter the president wrote, when he was a private citizen – by the way-- not serving in public office, that's even [in] the report," Psaki maintained. "He was not the president at the time of this report."
President Biden has repeatedly denied discussing Hunter's business ventures with his son. (Photo by Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images)
The newly released emails show a series of exchanges between Hunter and his business associates involved in his firm Rosemont Seneca’s joint venture with Chinese investment firms Bohai Capital and BHR.
In February of 2017, Eric Schwerin, who served as president of Rosemont Seneca, sent an email to CEO of BHR Jonathan Li after Li sent Hunter his son's resume with a list of colleges he planned to apply to.
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"Jonathan, Hunter asked me to send you a copy of the recommendation letter that he asked his father to write on behalf of Christopher for Brown University," Schwerin wrote.
The president has repeatedly denied discussing Hunter's business ventures with his son. On Tuesday, Psaki was asked to confirm if Biden's statement that he has not discussed with his son his overseas business dealings still stands, to which she replied: "Yes."
Fox News' Brooke Singman and Peter Hasson contributed to this report.