Chris Christie on Hunter Biden taxes, gun probe: 'They were investigating a lot more than that'

WASHINGTON - Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie slammed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’s five-year investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and alleged gun violation, arguing that it took too long.

“I don't understand how you conducted a five-year investigation and you conclude with two misdemeanor tax pleas and the dismissal of a gun charge…this does not take a long time to investigate. So what that leads me to conclude is that they were investigating a lot more than that,” Christie told USA TODAY. “And for some reason, they haven't charged him."

Last month, Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay federal income tax. He also agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program that could dismiss a felony charge regarding his unlawful possession of a gun despite being a drug user.

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Christie said that he has a “real problem with the dismissal” of the gun charge, claiming that Democrats are “running around all the time saying we need more gun laws” and then don't enforce those laws with Biden.

“This is a 10-year charge line on a handgun permit. It's a 10-year charge," Christie said. "And you know who the sponsor of that bill was? Senator Joe Biden. Mr. mandatory minimum − a part of his career that he likes to get everybody to forget now. But he was Mr. mandatory minimum on drugs, and he's Mr. mandatory minimum on guns. Now, all of a sudden, we're walking away from that charge?”

He also raised questions about a letter that Weiss sent to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., after an Internal Revenue Service official alleged Weiss requested to be named a special counsel to pursue the Biden case, according to The New York Times. Weiss wrote that he never requested special counsel designation and was never denied "the authority to bring charges in any jurisdiction."

“Did he really have the authority he said he had in that letter to Congress?” Christie said. “And if he did, then he needs to explain why he walked away from, well, let's start backwards. He needs to explain why it took him five years to come to this conclusion.”

Biden is scheduled to appear before a Delaware federal court on July 26.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Christie says Hunter Biden investigation took too long