Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as a special counsel in the probe into President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. The action elevating the younger Biden’s prosecuting attorney received swift criticism from Republicans.
Weiss has been in charge of the current investigation into the president’s son for alleged tax and firearms violations. According to testimony from IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, Weiss’ efforts to charge the president’s son were thwarted by Justice Department officials.
Weiss requested the move Tuesday, which then received the assent of the Attorney General.
A number of prominent Republicans condemned the move. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said that the appointment was too closely linked to the recently failed plea bargain that Weiss oversaw.
This action by Biden’s DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption.
If Weiss negotiated the sweetheart deal that couldn’t get approved, how can he be trusted as a Special Counsel?
House Republicans will continue to pursue…
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) August 11, 2023
McCarthy said that Garland’s move “cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption.”
Furthermore, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) wrote that the appointment “is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of” his committee’s “mounting evidence of President Joe Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling ‘the brand’ for millions of dollars to foreign nationals.”
Comer further argued that Weiss’ appointment was being used to “stonewall congressional oversight.”
The office of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said that Weiss “can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) echoed Jordan’s sentiment, also stating that Weiss is “compromised and cannot be trusted.”
The House Republican Conference Chair said that the appointment is “absolutely unacceptable to the American people.”
She also referenced what she called “Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal that was so outrageous a federal judge threw it out.”
Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) said that the appointment was “a clear attempt to cover up mounting evidence from the House Oversight Committee.”
The New York Republican added that the Justice Department’s “misconduct already allowed the clock to run out on serious crimes committed by Hunter Biden, while officials ignored incriminating leads and negotiated a lenient plea deal.”
