Garland said he will appoint David Weiss, the federal prosecutor in Delaware who has been investigating the president’s son’s financial and business dealings, as special counsel.
Just as his appointment as special counsel was announced, Weiss notified a federal judge in Delaware that talks about a plea deal in the Hunter Biden case were at an “impasse.”
Garland pointed to the “extraordinary circumstances” of the matter when he made the announcement at the Justice Department. He said Weiss asked to be appointed to the position and was told that “in his judgment, his investigation has reached a stage where he should continue his work as special counsel.”
“In considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances related to this matter, I have concluded that it is in the public interest to appoint him as special counsel,” Garland said.
The move is a breakthrough by the typically cautious Garland and comes amid a pair of lengthy Justice Department investigations into Donald Trump, the former president and President Joe Biden’s main rival in next year’s election.
It also comes as House Republicans are mounting their own investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings.
Last month, Hunter Biden’s plea deal for tax evasion fell apart after federal District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, raised several concerns about the details.
Republicans had scoffed at that deal as a “sweet deal” while pushing their own investigation.
Republicans claimed that Weiss was barred from becoming special counsel, a claim that he and the Justice Department denied.
By being appointed special counsel, Weiss will have broader authority to conduct a broader investigation in various areas.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
