Former President Donald Trump reacted to the surprise Friday news that Attorney General Merrick Garland had appointed U.S. Attorney David Weiss as special counsel in the investigation into Hunter Biden by slamming President Joe Biden and the Department of Justice.
“Crooked Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and the entire Biden Crime Family have been protected by the Justice Department for decades even though there is overwhelming evidence and credible testimony detailing their wrongdoing of lying to the American people and selling out the country to foreign enemies for the Biden Cartel’s own financial gain,” a Trump spokesperson said in a campaign statement.
Federal investigators in Delaware had targeted Hunter Biden for a money laundering scheme beginning in 2019, which led to a subpoena of the younger Biden’s now-infamous laptop. Weiss, an appointee of Trump, led the investigation that culminated in a failed plea deal in which Hunter Biden would plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement to avoid a felony gun charge.
“If this special counsel is truly independent — even though he failed to bring proper charges after a four year investigation and he appears to be trying to move the case to a more Democrat-friendly venue — he will quickly conclude that Joe Biden, his troubled son Hunter, and their enablers, including the media, which colluded with the 51 intelligence officials who knowingly misled the public about Hunter’s laptop, should face the required consequences,” Trump’s spokesperson continued
Republicans on Capitol Hill and those running for president had widely denounced the agreement between the younger Biden and the Justice Department as a “sweetheart deal.” GOP lawmakers have also criticized a “two-tier” Justice Department in the wake of Trump facing three federal indictments in 2023. As of Friday afternoon, federal prosecutors and attorneys for Hunter Biden had hit an “impasse” on the agreement, signaling the case will likely head to trial.
Garland agreed to elevate Weiss to special counsel after Weiss requested the authority this week. “Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland said.
The White House and the Biden administration declined to comment on the appointment of Weiss as special counsel.