US DoJ names special counsel to probe Hunter Biden
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The US Justice Department expands its probe against President Joe Biden's son Hunter on Fridaynas the investigation into his illegal business activities abroad continues.
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Hunter Biden walks from Marine One upon arriving at Fort McNair on June 25, 2023, in Washington (AP)
The US Justice Department on Friday escalated its investigation into President Joe Biden's son Hunter, naming a special counsel amid accusations that he engaged in illicit business deals overseas.
The younger Biden is notorious for his involvement in numerous scandals, including substance abuse, commercial sex, and most importantly, high-level corruption.
Attorney General Merrick Garland nominated David Weiss, a Delaware federal prosecutor who previously investigated Hunter Biden on tax and weapons charges in a case that is still ongoing.
Weiss, who began his investigation in 2019, recently indicated that he was looking into Biden in other ways, and Garland stated that Weiss had requested a special counsel status in order to conduct his investigation more broadly.
Garland stated that due to the circumstances it was therefore in "public interest" to appoint Weiss.
On August 1, the House Oversight Committee revealed that the testimony of former friend and business associate of Hunter Biden, Devon Archer, confirmed that current President Joe Biden was involved in the foreign business deals of his son through phone calls and dinners.
In its statement, the House Oversight Committee said, “Archer’s testimony confirms Joe Biden lied to the American people when he said he had no knowledge about his son’s business dealings and was not involved," adding that Joe Biden, who was VP at the time, joined his son's dinners with foreign business associates either in person or by phone over 20 times.
Garland provided no hints about the scope of Weiss' enlarged inquiry, stating that his appointment as special counsel "reaffirms" the independence and authority of his investigation.
Last month, Hunter pleaded not guilty to tax fraud charges after a federal judge indicated she needed more time to evaluate a potential agreement with prosecutors to avoid a felony gun charge.
Biden subsequently pleaded not guilty, and the two parties were expected to reach a new deal.
However, in a filing in Delaware court on Friday, Weiss stated that those conversations had come to a halt and withdrew the offer of a plea agreement.
Donald Trump and his Republican supporters have long accused the younger Biden of foreign influence-peddling, among other things. In a social media, a Trump spokesperson alleged that the Justice Department was protecting the Bidens for years.
Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and a presidential candidate for 2024, accused the Secret Service last week of concealing the true origin of cocaine found in the White House, suggesting that the motive behind it is to protect Hunter Biden.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed that the "action by Biden's DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption."
Weiss nomination 'a coverup'
On his part, the US House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer expressed Friday that the US Justice Department was attempting to cover for the Bidens by appointing Weiss.
Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said there was "mounting evidence of President Joe Biden’s role in his family’s schemes selling ‘the brand’ for millions of dollars to foreign nationals."
The legislator voiced dissatisfaction with the Department's actions, which enabled "the statute of limitations" to run on some of Hunter Biden's acts. He further stated that Department officials declined to pursue material that may have led to the President.
“The Biden Justice Department is trying to stonewall congressional oversight as we have presented evidence to the American people about the Biden family’s corruption,” Comer alleged.
