Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that he is appointing U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel for the investigation into Hunter Biden.
Garland said in a speech that he trusts in Weiss’ ability to handle the matter, claiming that “it is in the public interest to appoint him as Special Counsel.”
“This appointment confirms my commitment to provide Mr. Weiss all the resources he requests. It also reaffirms that Mr. Weiss has the authority he needs to conduct a thorough investigation and to continue to take the steps he deems appropriate independently, based only on the facts and the law,” added Garland.
Weiss is a U.S. attorney for the District of Delaware and a former Trump appointee that was retained by the Biden administration. He has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2019 and recently brought charges against him in Delaware.
The two sides agreed to a plea deal that would have allowed the president’s son to avoid jail time for tax charges. However, the deal was struck down by Delaware Judge Maryellen Noreika, who ordered the prosecution and defense to submit more briefs and return for another court date, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Noreika said her concerns were over whether the plea deal would provide Hunter Biden blanket immunity for any alleged wrongdoing in his business dealings.
Following Noreika’s decision in July, Weiss spoke with Garland and requested that he be appointed special counsel.
Garland stated that Weiss now has the authority to “oversee the investigation and decide where, when, and whether to file charges.”
“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,” Garland said. “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.”
Garland said he would make the report public.