AG Merrick Garland Assigns Special Counsel to Investigate Hunter Biden’s Activities
The declaration made by Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday regarding the appointment of a special counsel to probe Hunter Biden’s conduct was likely an unwelcome development for the White House, as indicated by the New York Times’ chief White House correspondent.
Peter Baker noted that President Joe Biden had hoped that the plea agreement his son Hunter Biden had reached with federal prosecutors in June, pertaining to charges of tax evasion and gun possession, would allow them to move past the issue to some extent. However, Baker stated that the appointment of the special counsel now underscores that Hunter’s matters will continue to remain in the spotlight, particularly as the 2024 campaign gains momentum.
While the investigation into Hunter Biden’s actions may persist as an ongoing concern for the president, the potential political ramifications remain uncertain.
Pope “Mac” McCorkle, a former Democratic consultant and a professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, described the situation as a political headache, with the possibility of it worsening over time.
McCorkle noted that a more concerning scenario would arise if any new evidence were to establish a link between the president and his son’s activities. Thus far, Republican attempts to find concrete evidence have yielded only vague and inconclusive results.
The appointment of a special counsel might appear advantageous to the Republicans, offering legitimacy to their longstanding concerns about Hunter Biden’s actions. They believe these concerns have been overlooked for years.
However, the selection of David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware who had been investigating the financial and business dealings of the president’s son, as the special counsel, drew criticism from certain Republicans. Weiss had been at the center of Hunter Biden’s plea agreement, which some Republicans believed granted him preferential treatment before it fell through.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his doubts about Weiss’s credibility as a Special Counsel, given his role in the unsuccessful plea agreement. McCarthy emphasized that the Department of Justice should not obstruct congressional investigations or overlook allegations of corruption within the Biden family.
Garland’s announcement coincides with the legal challenges faced by former president Donald Trump, a potential rival to Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential race. Trump is dealing with criminal charges in three separate cases and a potential fourth indictment related to alleged election interference in Georgia.
McCorkle remarked that Republicans are actively seeking a balance due to Trump’s legal issues.
House Republicans are conducting their independent investigation into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including foreign payments. Their aim is to establish a connection between the son’s activities and his father, but they have not yet produced compelling evidence to support their claims.
“Despite the potential lack of substantial evidence directly implicating Joe Biden, Republicans will persist in keeping the Biden narrative alive,” McCorkle noted.”
