By Casey Harper | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel Friday in the Hunter Biden criminal case.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss will take the role as evidence mounts that the president’s son used his last name, the promise of influence, and even phone calls from his then-Vice President father to rake in millions of dollars from overseas entities, sometimes in adversarial nations such as Russia and China.
“Upon considering his request as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter I have concluded it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland said.
As The Center Square previously reported, Hunter Biden’s plea deal fell apart in court last month after last-minute disagreements over the degree to which Hunter can face future charges for other alleged crimes still potentially under investigation. That plea deal mainly revolved around alleged tax crimes and a gun charge.
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., who has spearheaded finding and releasing key information to the public in the Biden family case, blasted the announcement.
“This move by Attorney General Garland is part of the Justice Department’s efforts to attempt a Biden family coverup in light of the House Oversight 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 said.
Comer released bank records earlier this week to help back up allegations that the Biden family and associates received more than $20 million via about 20 shell accounts from Chinese, Kazakhstani, Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian entities while Joe Biden was Vice President.
Comer also said the DOJ has “stonewalled” Congressional oversight. Notably, two IRS whistleblowers testified before Congress recently, saying that the DOJ interfered in the Hunter Biden investigation on behalf of the president’s son so much so that they felt the need to speak out.
“The Justice Department’s misconduct and politicization in the Biden criminal investigation already allowed the statute of limitations to run with respect to egregious felonies committed by Hunter Biden,” Comer said. “Justice Department officials refused to follow evidence that could have led to Joe Biden, tipped off the Biden transition team and Hunter Biden’s lawyers about planned interviews and searches, and attempted to sneakily place Hunter Biden on the path to a sweetheart plea deal.”