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Title: Special Counsel Appointed in Hunter Biden Probe by Attorney General Merrick Garland
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[Date] – Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that David Weiss, the U.S. attorney overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden, has been appointed as a special counsel. This appointment grants Weiss expanded powers to continue the probe into President Biden’s son.
Weiss, a career federal prosecutor, was initially appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2018 to become the U.S. attorney in Delaware. He began investigating Hunter Biden the following year and was asked to remain in his position under the Biden administration. Weiss has been leading the investigation ever since.
In his remarks from the Justice Department, Attorney General Garland stated that the appointment of Weiss as special counsel “reinforces for the American people the department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters.” Garland further explained that Weiss had informed him on Tuesday that the investigation had reached a stage where he believed it should continue as a special counsel.
The decision to elevate Weiss to special counsel was made by Garland, who concluded that it was in the public interest given the “extraordinary circumstances” of the case. Weiss will continue to serve as the U.S. attorney in Delaware but will now have expanded authority and will not be subject to day-to-day supervision by any Justice Department official.
The investigation into Hunter Biden has been ongoing, with recent developments including an agreement reached between Weiss’ office and Hunter Biden in June. The agreement involved Hunter Biden pleading guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and entering a diversion program. However, a federal judge refused to sign off on the deal, and Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty last month.
The tax charges relate to Hunter Biden’s alleged failure to pay taxes for 2017 and 2018. According to a filing from Weiss, Hunter Biden had at least $1.5 million in taxable income and owed at least $100,000. Hunter Biden has since fully repaid the back taxes and fines.
In addition to the tax charges, Hunter Biden also faces a gun possession count. The charge stems from the alleged possession of a firearm by a drug user in 2018. Weiss stated that Hunter Biden had the gun for 11 days in October 2018.
Following the announcement of Weiss’ appointment as special counsel, Justice Department lawyers requested the court in Delaware to allow them to withdraw the case against Hunter Biden. They argued that the charges should be refiled in Washington, D.C., and California, which they believe are the proper venues to resolve the allegations. Talks about a plea deal have reached an impasse, and the case appears to be heading for trial.
The appointment of Weiss as special counsel has drawn mixed reactions from Republicans. House Republicans, who have been conducting their own investigations into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, claim that Weiss cannot be trusted and that his appointment is an attempt to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption. They argue that the initial plea deal offered to Hunter Biden was unfair and that evidence brought forward by whistleblowers should be further investigated.
On the other hand, the White House and top Justice Department officials have denied any involvement with Weiss’ probe. They maintain that the investigation is being handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. attorney appointed by former President Trump.
As Weiss continues his investigation, he will provide Attorney General Garland with a report explaining any prosecutorial decisions. Garland has committed to making as much of the report public as possible.
The appointment of Weiss as special counsel signifies a significant development in the Hunter Biden probe. It ensures the continuation of the investigation with expanded powers and reinforces the Department of Justice’s commitment to independence and accountability in sensitive matters.Special counsel appointed in Hunter Biden probe
Attorney General Merrick Garland has announced the appointment of David Weiss, the U.S. attorney overseeing the investigation into Hunter Biden, as special counsel. This move gives Weiss expanded powers to continue the probe into President Biden’s son.
Weiss, a career federal prosecutor, was appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2018 and began investigating Hunter Biden the following year. He was asked to remain on as U.S. attorney under the Biden administration and has continued leading the investigation.
Garland stated that Weiss informed him on Tuesday that his investigation had reached a stage where he believed his work should continue as special counsel. Garland concluded that it was in the public interest to appoint Weiss given the “extraordinary circumstances” of the case.
The investigation into Hunter Biden involves misdemeanor tax charges and a felony gun possession count. Hunter Biden reached an agreement with Weiss’ office in Delaware to plead guilty to the tax charges and enter a diversion program, but a federal judge refused to sign off on the deal. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty last month.
Weiss will continue to serve as the U.S. attorney in Delaware but will not be subject to day-to-day supervision by any Justice Department official as special counsel. Once the investigation concludes, Weiss will provide Garland with a report explaining any prosecutorial decisions, with the attorney general committing to making as much of the report public as possible.
House Republicans, who have pursued their own investigations into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, expressed skepticism and claimed that Weiss’ appointment is an attempt to cover up wrongdoing by the Biden family. The White House and top Justice Department officials have denied any involvement with Weiss’ probe.
President Biden has maintained that the investigation would be handled independently by the Justice Department, under the leadership of a U.S. attorney appointed by former President Trump, free from political interference.
How will Attorney General Garland ensure independence and accountability in the Hunter Biden investigation with Weiss as the special counsel
Appointment grants Weiss additional powers to continue the probe into President Biden’s son. Weiss, who was initially appointed by former President Trump, has been leading the investigation into Hunter Biden since 2019 and was asked to remain in his position under the Biden administration.
Attorney General Garland stated that the appointment of Weiss as special counsel demonstrates the department’s commitment to independence and accountability in sensitive matters. Weiss informed Garland on Tuesday that the investigation had reached a stage where he believed it should continue as a special counsel.
Weiss will continue to serve as the U.S. attorney in Delaware but will now have expanded authority and will not be subject to day-to-day supervision by any Justice Department official. The investigation into Hunter Biden has been ongoing, with recent developments including a failed plea deal and the request to withdraw the case against Hunter Biden in Delaware.
The appointment of Weiss as special counsel has sparked mixed reactions from Republicans. Some House Republicans believe that Weiss cannot be trusted and that his appointment is an attempt to cover up the Biden family’s alleged corruption. On the other hand, the White House and top Justice Department officials have asserted that the investigation is being conducted independently and that they have no involvement in Weiss’ probe.
As Weiss continues his investigation, he will provide Attorney General Garland with a report explaining any prosecutorial decisions. Garland has committed to making as much of the report public as possible. The appointment of Weiss as special counsel ensures the continuation of the Hunter Biden probe with expanded powers and emphasizes the Department of Justice’s commitment to independence and accountability.
