U.S. Attorney David Weiss Appointed Special Counsel for Ongoing Hunter Biden Investigation
WASHINGTON: Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that U.S. Attorney David Weiss will be designated as a special counsel to oversee the ongoing investigation involving Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden.
Weiss, who was already leading the inquiry into Hunter Biden’s affairs and is based in Delaware, will assume the role of special counsel with the responsibility not only for the existing investigation but also for any additional matters that may emerge from it, according to a statement from the Justice Department.
The decision was prompted by Weiss’s request to be appointed as special counsel, a request that was made on Tuesday and endorsed by Garland. The Attorney General emphasized that this move serves the interests of the public and underscores the Department’s commitment to maintaining both independence and accountability, particularly in sensitive cases.
The newly appointed special counsel, David Weiss, had been nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate, which was then under Republican control, in 2018.
This announcement coincided with a court filing by prosecutors, revealing that plea negotiations between Hunter Biden’s legal team and Weiss’s office on tax-related charges had collapsed. Consequently, the case is now anticipated to proceed to trial.
Earlier this year, Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor charges linked to his failure to fulfill income tax obligations. However, the proposed plea agreement encountered obstacles when a separate gun charge caused confusion during a court appearance. The judge deferred the plea and instructed the involved parties to resolve their differences before reconvening, leaving Hunter Biden to enter a not-guilty plea for the duration of the litigation.
While legal representatives for Hunter Biden had initially believed that the plea agreement would resolve all legal matters involving the President’s son, prosecutors clarified that other investigations remain ongoing.
