Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the ongoing Hunter Biden investigation.
The president's son faces two federal tax charges and a felony charge related to a Colt Cobra .38 Special handgun he owned illegally.
Last month, Judge Maryellen Noreika rejected a sweetheart plea deal for him over the charges. He pleaded not guilty after the deal was derailed.
Weiss is the one who had initially offered the deal, which many condemned as going easy on him. It involved no jail time. BREAKING: AG Merrick Garland has approved U S Attorney David Weiss request to be Special Counsel. He has been investigating Hunter since 2019. This is the same attorney who offered Hunter a plea deal with no jail time for two tax evasion offenses and one felony gun charge.… pic.twitter.com/dwjEBPjEeR
— 🇺🇸Travis🇺🇸 (@Travis_in_Flint) August 11, 2023
Garland announced the appointment during a press conference on Friday.
"As Special Counsel, he will continue to have the authority and responsibility that he has previously exercised to oversee the investigation and decide where, when, and whether to file charges," Garland said during the press conference. "The Special Counsel will not be subject to the day-to-day supervision of any official of the Department, but he must comply with the regulations, procedures, and policies of the Department." AG Merrick Garland is asked: “If Weiss had the authorities he needed, why does he need to be a special counsel? Do you still have faith in U.S. Attorney Weiss after the deal fell apart?”
No response
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 11, 2023
Garland continued, "Consistent with the Special Counsel regulations, at the conclusion of Mr. Weiss’ work, he will provide me with a report explaining the prosecution or declination decisions reached by him. As with each Special Counsel who has served since I have taken office, I am committed to making as much of his report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy."
Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch strongly condemned the appointment in a statement provided to Timcast News shortly after Garland's announcement.
"But appointing U.S. Attorney Weiss as special counsel, a man who tried to unethically slide Hunter’s corrupt plea deal past a federal judge, is a sick joke," Fitton said. "In fact, Mr. Weiss should be under investigation for his dishonest statements to Congress and his compromised, sweetheart plea deal for Hunter Biden."
Fitton continued, "Given the powerful and unrefuted testimony before Congress by senior IRS investigators that the criminal investigation of Hunter was obstructed by the Justice Department (when Weiss was nominally running the investigation) in order to protect Joe Biden, Weiss is the last person who should be special counsel."
Weiss will continue to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.
