In a surprise announcement on Friday, US Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed that a special counsel has been appointed to examine the business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter. The federal prosecutor in charge of the case, David Weiss, is now officially empowered to expand his investigation with the added resources allocated to him under his new designation.
Mr. Weiss initially filed criminal charges against Hunter Biden earlier this month, his plea deal on the tax and gun charges however, collapsing shortly after. Republicans have urged for an inquiry into the president’s son’s business activity, to which Merrick Garland appears to have answered with this latest move. The state of Delaware could be facing further charges, as Mr Weiss will now be directed to investigate deeper into the case.
Justice Department’s commitment to independence and accountability was reaffirmed with the appointment of Mr Weiss as the Special Counsel for the investigation of Hunter Biden. In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed the hope that with this appointment, the American people could be assured of the Justice Department’s dedication to conducting this case in a proper way.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Chris Clark, echoed these comments with his own statement citing his client’s intent to move on with his life “successfully” once the investigations and “manoeuvrings” have concluded. He pointedly noted that this investigation, into which Biden has cooperated fully for five years now, needs to come to an end soon.
His words are a reminder that justice and fairness must prevail, no matter how long and arduous the process.