U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints special counsel in Hunter Biden case

Aug. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in an investigation of Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.

Weiss, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, began investigating Hunter Biden in 2019. Garland said Weiss requested he be named special counsel to continue the probe.

"On Tuesday of this week, Mr. Weiss advised me that in his judgment his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a special counsel and he asked to be so appointed," Garland said.

"Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel."

Garland said the move will provide Weiss all the resources he requests and this step "reinforces for the American people the department's commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters."

Hunter Biden, the first child of a sitting president to be charged by the U.S. Justice Department, faces misdemeanor counts of failing to pay federal income taxes in 2017 and 2018. He is also accused of possessing a firearm in October 2018 while addicted to a controlled substance.

Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said Weiss' appointment demonstrates the Justice Department's determination to avoid politicization of criminal cases.

"And President Biden's decision to keep Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss on in Delaware when he was sworn in stands in stark contrast to former President Trump's repeated efforts to use the Justice Department and attorney general as his personal lawyer," Durbin said in a statement.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Weiss can't be trusted as special counsel in the case.

"This action by Biden's DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption," McCarthy said on social media, adding that House Republicans will "continue to pursue the facts."

On July 26, an agreement reached with prosecutors for Hunter Biden to plead guilty to the tax and gun charges was rejected by District Judge Maryellen Noreika, who called the deal unusual.

After the plea agreement fell apart, Biden pleaded not guilty to the charges instead.