Attorney General Appoints Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Probe

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Facts

  • US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced on Friday that a special counsel has been appointed to investigate the financial and business dealings of Hunter Biden, the son of Pres. Joe Biden.1
  • Garland has appointed Delaware federal prosecutor David Weiss to fill the role of special counsel. Weiss, who had seen a plea deal with Hunter Biden over tax and gun charges fall apart last month, asked Garland to give him special counsel status to continue his investigation.2
  • Hunter Biden had struck a plea deal with prosecutors after being charged with felony gun possession and two tax misdemeanors in Delaware, though a judge quashed it as "unusual." The case is now expected to head to trial.3
  • In his announcement, Garland said that appointing a special counsel was prudent in light of the "extraordinary circumstances," granting Weiss special powers. Allegations that Hunter Biden's dealings were improper and that Pres. Biden might be implicated in them have long dogged the president's son.4
  • Several House GOP committees have investigated allegations of wrongdoing against Hunter Biden stemming from his time as a lobbyist, consultant, and investment banker. However, they have yet to find evidence of wrongdoing, which White House officials have dubbed "conspiracy theories."5
  • On Friday, Weiss moved to dismiss the tax charges so they could be refiled in a different locale, with Weiss indicating that new, unrelated charges could be made by federal prosecutors. Hunter Biden's lawyer has accused Weiss of "maneuverings," while some GOP figures have expressed distrust of Weiss after the plea bargainings.4

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2CNN, 3BBC News, 4POLITICO, and 5Reuters.

Narratives

  • Democratic narrative, as provided by The New Republic. After years of smearing the President and his son, there is still not a single shred of evidence that Hunter Biden's tumultuous personal life has anything to do with his father or could be considered corruption. Weiss, the Trump-appointed prosecutor, will continue this politically motivated crusade. Until there is serious evidence of wrongdoing, this appointment changes nothing.
  • Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. Far from being biased against Hunter Biden, Weiss was responsible for authoring the sweetheart plea deal given to the First Son that had terms so lenient a judge threw it out entirely. This move is a Biden admin. whitewash, and we cannot trust Weiss to act impartially. Congressional Republicans will ignore this distraction and keep pursuing the evidence of Hunter Biden's wrongdoing.

Predictions