Republicans criticized Attorney General Merrick Garland for elevating attorney David Weiss, who has been investigating President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, to special counsel status.
Mr. Garland announced on Aug. 11 that Mr. Weiss, the U.S. Attorney for the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, has been designated as a special counsel, three days after Mr. Weiss, who was appointed under President Donald Trump, requested the designation.
The move comes after two IRS whistleblowers alleged that Mr. Weiss has been restricted by the DOJ from filing certain charges against Hunter Biden. They also claim political meddling in the DOJ's investigation of the first son.
Mr. Weiss will act as special counsel "for the ongoing investigation and prosecutions referenced and described in United States v. Robert Hunter Biden, as well as for any other matters that arose or may arise from that investigation," the department said in a release.
GOP members of Congress slammed the development.
“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," said House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) in a statement.
Mr. Comer vowed that his committee, in conjunction with the House Judiciary Committee, will "root out misconduct at the Justice Department and hold bad actors accountable for weaponizing law enforcement powers."
The House Judiciary Committee called Mr. Garland's move a coverup.
"David Weiss can’t be trusted, and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption," Russell Dye, spokesperson for committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), told The Epoch Times.
"Weiss has already signed off on a sweetheart plea deal that was so awful and unfair that a federal judge rejected it."
The plea deal is now off, according to an Aug. 11 filing by the DOJ. Therefore, the matter will go to trial. Mr. Biden had agreed to plead guilty to tax evasion and a gun charge, the latter of which was going to be diverted pending the completion by Hunter Biden of a drug program.
The plea deal had fallen apart during a contentious hearing in July, when U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika expressed “concerns” that the diversion agreement linked tax crimes to resolving felony gun charges, describing this as "atypical" and "unprecedented."
Two IRS whistleblowers also went public in recent months claiming political meddling in the DOJ probe of Mr. Biden's tax affairs, stoking further GOP criticism of the investigation.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Friday also dismissed the move as something positive.
"This action by Biden’s DOJ cannot be used to obstruct congressional investigations or whitewash the Biden family corruption. If Weiss negotiated the sweetheart deal that couldn’t get approved, how can he be trusted as a Special Counsel?" he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
"Two thoughts: Weiss was a Trump appointee in 2017, which is a good thing. 2nd–Attorney General Merrick Garland's comments on the appointment of Weiss demonstrated that the 'Department's commitment to INDEPENDENCE & ACCOUNTABILITY IN SENSITIVE MATTERS' is ASTOUNDING and the HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY by the Biden Administration!!" Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) texted The Epoch Times.
"Davis Weiss can’t be trusted. He’s already given Hunter Biden a sweetheart deal once. What makes you think that he won’t do it again?" posted Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"The Hunter Biden special counsel is two years too late, and David Weiss just signed off on a sweetheart deal to sweep the Biden family's crimes under the rug. This is just another tactic to delay bringing the Biden Crime Family to justice," posted Rep. John Rose (R-Tenn.) on X.
"Attorney General Merrick Garland just appointed David Weiss as Special Counsel to “investigate” Hunter Biden. Weiss—who orchestrated Hunter’s sweetheart plea deal—has ZERO credibility. This is nothing more than an attempt to conceal the Biden Crime Family’s corruption," posted Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) on X.
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) expressed hope now that Mr. Weiss is a special counsel.
"House Republicans are holding the corrupt Biden Fam & administration accountable & putting relentless pressure on them, resulting in this long overdue announcement," Mr. Donalds posted on X. "I hope Weiss will not continue slow-walking the investigations into the president's son. We need accountability."
The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House and Hunter Biden's lawyer, Timothy McCarten, for comment.