Hunter Biden (screen capture)Attorney General Merrick Garland has upgraded the prosecutor investigating Hunter Biden to special counsel status in an effort to underscore the investigation’s independence from the executive branch.
Breaking News: Attorney General Merrick Garland elevated the prosecutor handling the Hunter Biden investigation into a special counsel. Follow live updates. https://t.co/ezrlwvcSNu pic.twitter.com/rE7QmVxdI4
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 11, 2023
From the New York Times:
Mr. Garland, who made the announcement at the Justice Department’s headquarters in Washington, named David C. Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware, who has handled the case for years, as the special counsel.
Shortly after, prosecutors filed court papers indicating that they had reached an impasse with defense lawyers over a proposed plea deal that would have settled tax and gun charges against Hunter Biden, making clear that they expect the case to go to trial.
Mr. Garland said he decided to elevate Mr. Weiss after the prosecutor informed him on Tuesday the investigation had “reached the stage” where the powers of a special counsel were necessary to continue.
Weiss’s new status allows him to investigate “all related matters” in the inquiry and bring charges in any jurisdiction. As special counsel, he will not be subject to day-to-day supervision.
Watch Attorney General Merrick Garland's announcement that the prosecutor investigating President Biden’s son Hunter was elevated to special counsel status, signaling that the inquiry had entered a new stage. https://t.co/EaH0tcfNKs pic.twitter.com/Ba7M6EjhQR
— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 11, 2023